Despite ugly looking running lines in their most recent races, Matthewsburg, Doinmysongndance, and Pass the Crown may still be the prime contenders in Tuesday night’s $75,000 Sophomore Sprint at Mountaineer Racetrack.
MIAMI – Mucho Macho Man’s 3-year-old campaign is over.
Despite the temptation to keep Mucho Macho Man in New York a little longer to try the Grade 1 Cigar Mile later this month at Aqueduct, trainer Kathy Ritvo has opted to bring the third-place finisher in this year’s Kentucky Derby back to his native Florida to prepare for his 4-year-old season. Mucho Macho Man was scheduled to board a van on Sunday and arrive at his winter home at Gulfstream Park the following day.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – What has it been about this Churchill Downs fall meet? Why is it that, nearly every day, some 2-year-old runs off the television screen to elicit premonitions of what might be happening here next spring in the Kentucky Derby or Oaks?
Carlos Guerrero ordinarily shies away from making expensive claims. Of the 36 horses Guerrero, the leading trainer at Parx Racing, has succesfully claimed this season, 26 changed hands for $12,500 or less.
The 4-year-old filly Bahama Bound turned out to be a rare exception to Guerrero’s usual bargain hunting. Guerrero was willing to put up $50,000 on behalf of Farnsworth Stables to take Bahama Bound out of a winning effort at Delaware Park in late August.
Officer Prado closed from last to nail Isn’t He Clever and Mr Bluegrass Music nearing the wire in the $100,000 Clever Trevor for 2-year-olds Friday night at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
The seven-furlong race served as the local prep for the $300,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 10.
Russell Baze rallied from last with 3-1 third-choice Melanzana to cap a winning pick six of $239,333.60 for three bettors Friday at Golden Gate Fields. After seven consecutive days of carryover, the pick six pool hit $1,059,798 for Friday's wager.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Sunshine Millions, which in its nine previous runnings have matched Florida-breds vs. California-breds on race cards held simultaneously at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, has been revamped into separate statebred programs for 2012.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After going un-hit Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aqueduct’s pick six was finally hit on Friday. There were two winning tickets, one ontrack one offtrack, each worth $246,256.
The winning combination of 1-2-3-4-4-11 included four favorites – I’ve Got Speed ($7.80), Perfect Drive ($2.80), Glacier Bay ($5.80) and Associate ($3.70) - along with Eleni’s Hope ($62) and Selection Sunday ($24.40).
The clincher on Nov. 11, 2011, was Selection Sunday, was No. 11 and went off at odds of 11-1.
The 5-of-6 consolation paid $144.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-sired horses run early and often at Aqueduct on Sunday, with four New York Stallion Series races on tap.
The 2-year-olds run six furlongs for purses of $100,000 in the Fifth Avenue and Great White Way divisions, while 3-year-olds and up go seven furlongs for $75,000 in the Staten Island and Thunder Rumble divisions. The races are restricted to progeny of New York stallions.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mike Mitchell, who became the all-time leading trainer at Del Mar this summer, has a long way to go for the same record at Hollywood Park. But he is inching closer, despite missing several top runners. A win Thursday by Roman Chic was Mitchell’s 857th at Hollywood; he ranks third behind Bobby Frankel (952) and Charlie Whittingham (859).
