Sun, 10/23/2011 - 16:33

Woodbine: Kitty's Got Class gives DePaulo a weekend stakes sweep

Michael Burns
Kitty's Got Class relinquished the early lead, then came on again to win the Fanfreluche.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kitty’s Got Class gave trainer Mike DePaulo a sweep of the two weekend stakes at Woodbine with a convincing score in the $150,000 Fanfreluche, for Ontario-bred 2-year-old fillies.

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 14:43

Breeders' Cup: Baffert planning to pre-enter Prayer for Relief in Classic

Shigeki Kikkawa
Prayer for Relief is coming off a troubled trip in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Prayer for Relief, the winner of three graded stakes for 3-year-olds this summer, is likely to be pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday.

Owned by Zayat Stables, Prayer for Relief was a troubled third in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Oct. 16, racing in traffic on the inside and finishing three-quarters of a length behind the winner, Redeemed.

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 14:25

Clocker's Report: To Honor and Serve, Flat Out show differing styles

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out appears to be thriving at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The King and the Queen of Breeders’ Cup ’11, Uncle Mo and Havre de Grace, have yet to arrive at Churchill Downs. But two of their potential rivals in this year’s Classic, To Honor and Serve and Flat Out, continued to show a fondness for the local strip when turning in two distinctly different types of  trials on a clear, crisp, and cold Sunday morning in Louisville.

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 13:00

Breeders' Cup: Distorted Legacy breezes for Filly and Mare Turf

Distorted Legacy, runner-up to Stacelita in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on Oct. 1, breezed five furlongs in 1:05.42 over the yielding Belmont inner turf course Sunday in preparation for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

With a triple set of orange traffic cones forcing the works well off the rail, Distorted Legacy went in fractions of 14.03 seconds, 27.92 for the quarter 41.50 for a half-mile and came home in 24.02 seconds.

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 12:52

Breeders' Cup: Uncle Mo more relaxed as Pletcher works string of Kentucky-bound horses

Barbara D. Livingston
Uncle Mo and barn cat Thomas engage in a Sunday morning stare-off.

ELMONT, N.Y. - An energetic, yet more controlled Uncle Mo put in a solid six-furlong workout in 1:13.22 Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s training track, the day before he is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5.

 Sunday’s breeze came one week after Uncle Mo went a rapid five furlongs in 58.42 seconds on Oct. 15.

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 08:27

Delta Downs: Adonis, Citizen Advocate prep successfully for rich upcoming stakes

My Adonis established himself as a serious contender for next month’s Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot with an authoritative win in Saturday night’s local prep for the race, the $200,000 Jean Lafitte. He won by 5 1/2 lengths over Tiz Moe, and it was another three lengths back to third-place finisher Flashy Kid.

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 21:48

Golden Gate Fields: Sourdough Sam provides his jockey and trainer with a special win

William Vassar/Vassar Photography
Sourdough Sam pulls away for a 1 1/4-length victory in the $65,280 Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

ALBANY, Calif. - Sourdough Sam roared from last place catching old rival and odds-on favorite Shudacudawudya in deep stretch before pulling clear for a 1 1/4-length victory in the $65,280 Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

The victory gave jockey David Lopez his 1,000th victory in the United States and proved a happy homecoming for winning trainer Dean Pederson, who moved his stable to Southern California this spring.

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 20:38

Hawthorne: Janks runners win Lightning Jet, Buck's Boy

Four-Footed Fotos
Four Left Feet wins the $117,200 Lightning Jet by one length over River Bear.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Christine Janks in Illinois-bred stakes races. You’d think we know by now.

Janks, who has won as many Illinois-bred stakes the last decade as any trainer, got two more Saturday at Hawthorne. But both Four Left Feet, who captured the Lighting Jet at odds of 14-1, and Big Looie, a 6-1 winner of the Buck's Boy, snuck up on most bettors.

Janks, who left saddling Saturday to longtime assistant Rob Dobbs, just missed a third stakes win Saturday with 2-year-old Feels Like Flying, who was second by a half-length in the Sun Power.

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 19:01

Santa Anita: Twirling Candy retired with injury

Benoit & Associates
Twirling Candy is targeting the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Twirling Candy, one of the top older horses in California this year, is out of the Breeders’ Cup with an injury and will be retired to stud at Lane’s End farm in Kentucky in 2012, trainer John Sadler said Saturday.

Twirling Candy was being pointed to the BC Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 when the injury was detected.

“It’s a slight injury,” Sadler said. “It’s not a big thing. He’ll go off to Lane’s End for his new career.”

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 18:53

Belmont Park: Compliance Officer wins fifth straight in Mohawk Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Compliance Officer scores his fifth straight victory in the $125,000 Mohawk Stakes at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Compliance Officer continues to run roughshod over his fellow New York-bred turf males, this time rolling to a dominant five-length victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Mohawk Stakes at Belmont Park.

Lubash, who chased the early pace established by Writingonthewall, did well to hold second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Adirondack Summer.