Fri, 10/21/2011 - 22:10

Saratoga Snacks sidelined

Saratoga Snacks, the New York-bred 2-year-old owned by former football coach Bill Parcells, will be sidelined the remainder of the year due a stress fracture in his right front pastern.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 18:38

Keeneland: Daisy Devine pulls off 43-1 upset in Valley View

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Daisy Devine, with Calvin Borel riding, wins the Valley View, paying $89.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trainer  Andrew McKeever said the day before they ran the Valley View Stakes at Keeneland on Friday that Daisy Devine was "getting better," but that he doubted she could prevail in a rugged lineup. Most everyone else agreed.

Ignored at 43-1, Daisy Devine had the final say about how she was doing when she upset the 21st running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View under a well-judged ride from Calvin Borel.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:58

Belmont Park: Jersey Town works for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Jersey Town is training up to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Jersey Town, last year’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.74 on Friday morning over the Belmont main track. He shaded 24 seconds in his final quarter, according to Robin Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg.

“It was a nice overall work,” Smullen said. “The track was heavy. He’s fit now, we’re just looking for maintenance works right now. We shouldn’t need another speedy work.”

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:57

Belmont: Belle of the Hall meets rival Kid Kate again

Barbara D. Livingston
Belle of the Hall added blinkers two starts back, and trainer Tom Albertrani has seen an improvement.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A change of venue may help Belle of the Hall change the result when she meets Kid Kate for the third straight time in Sunday’s $60,000 Miss Golden Circle Stakes at Belmont Park.

At Saratoga, Kid Kate twice defeated Belle of the Hall, first by 1 1/4 lengths in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Aug. 1 and then by two lengths in the Lady Tak Stakes on Aug. 31. Kid Kate ran her Saratoga record to 4 for 4.

At Belmont Park, Kid Kate is 1 for 5, while Belle of the Hall is 2 for 2, including a victory in a race similar to this, the Catinca Stakes, last Oct. 27.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:54

Belmont Park: Awesome Feather likely to skip Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Awesome Feather will most likely make her next start in the Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct on Nov. 26.

Though trainer Chad Brown hasn’t completely ruled out the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic for his undefeated champion Awesome Feather, he is more likely to wait for the Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct on Nov. 26 to run the 3-year-old filly.

Awesome Feather returned from a lengthy layoff to win a seven-furlong overnight stakes race here Oct. 5 by two lengths. Brown said trying to run in the Ladies’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles off one race might be “a tall task.”

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:51

Belmont Park: Brilliant Speed pointing to BC Turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Brilliant Speed is being pointed to the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Brilliant Speed, runner-up to Western Aristocrat in the Grade 1 Jamaica here Oct. 8, is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, trainer Tom Albertrani said Friday.

Brilliant Speed, a 3-year-old son of Dynaformer, won the Grade 3 Saranac on turf and the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes over Keeneland’s Polytrack earlier this year.

In the Jamaica, he chased the front-running Western Aristocrat all the way around the track, finishing a length behind that European invader while finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Wilkinson.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:39

Belmont Park: Mucho Macho Man gearing up for return to action

Barbara D. Livingston
Mucho Macho Man is likely to return to the races at Aqueduct.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mucho Macho Man, one of just three horses to have competed in all three Triple Crown races this year, is nearing a return to the races.

On Friday, Mucho Macho Man worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 over the Belmont Park training track. Working out of the starting gate, Mucho Macho Man was timed in fractions 22.87 seconds, 45.82, and 57.47 by New York Racing Association clockers. His work was timed from the 5 1/2-furlong pole to a half-furlong past the wire.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:24

Keeneland: Don’t Tell Sophia earns stakes shot

Trainer Phil Sims was elated to see Don’t Tell Sophia live up to her 8-5 favoritism by winning a first-level allowance Thursday. Sims, 50, intends to race the 3-year-old Congaree filly next in the Nov. 12 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs or the Nov. 26 Pago Hop at Fair Grounds after she rallied from well back to win going away under leading jockey Julien Leparoux.

Don’t Tell Sophia “had the worst trip in the world in her last race,” said Sims, referring to a 13th-place finish in the Sept. 17 Pucker Up on the Arlington turf. “It was great to see her show her true colors.”

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:22

Breeders' Cup: Mr. Commons, Harmonious prep for Shirreffs

Benoit & Associates
Mr. Commons (center), with Mike Smith up, wins the Oceanside.

Friday at Hollywood Park, Mr. Commons and Harmonious had their next-to-last works for their respective Breeders’ Cup races. Both are trained by John Shirreffs, who guided Zenyatta through her sensational career.

Although both are pointing for grass races, they worked on the synthetic Cushion Track surface at Hollywood, where Shirreffs is based. Mr. Commons worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, the third-best time of 35 at the distance, while Harmonious went seven furlongs in 1:25.20, the best time of four at the distance.

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:00

Keeneland maintenance crew tries to slightly slow down Polytrack

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Applauding sets a six-furlong track record of 1:07.76 at Keeneland Friday under Garrett Gomez.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three more track records were lowered Thursday on the Polytrack at Keeneland, leading officials to loosen the surface slightly the next morning while insisting it remains safe and consistent.