Mon, 10/03/2011 - 14:21

Belmont Park: Awesome Feather making return

Barbara D. Livingston
Awesome Feather, with Jeffrey Sanchez riding, caps an undefeated championship year with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The road back to the races for the champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather has been filled with potholes. One hole specifically, in a tendon, forced her new connections to have to wait nearly 11 months to get Awesome Feather to the races.

The wait ends Wednesday when Awesome Feather makes her 3-year-old debut in the $60,000 Le Slew Stakes, a seven-furlong race restricted to 3-year-old fillies, at Belmont Park. Awesome Feather will face four rivals, none of whom appear fast enough to beat her.

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 14:20

Evangeline Downs Quarter Horses meet gets under way

Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., shifts into Quarter Horse mode Wednesday night, when it opens for a 46-date meet for the blazing-fast breed. The season will run through Dec. 17.

Evangeline’s biggest night of racing will be Nov. 19, when the slots-rich track puts on three stakes led by the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Breeders’ Futurity. Last year, the restricted Grade 1 was worth $526,593, which made the 400-yard race for Louisiana-breds the most lucrative stakes run in 2010 at Evangeline. Trials for this year’s Breeders’ Futurity will be held Nov. 4.

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 13:56

Woodbine: Casse shatters single-season win record

Michael Burns
Indian Pond wins Sunday's $150,800 Carotene at Woodbine, giving trainer Mark Casse his meet-leading 10th stakes winner.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It was just another weekend at the office for trainer Mark Casse.

On Saturday, Casse sent out his 90th winner in Saturday’s 10th and final race to establish a new record for a Woodbine meeting, breaking the late Frank Passero’s mark set in 1995.

On Sunday, Casse added another three wins, capped by Indian Pond’s score in the $150,800 Carotene. It was his meet-leading 10th stakes winner.

“It’s been a crazy year,” Casse said. “Things have just kind of come together.”

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 13:26

Hastings handle increases overall

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Hastings closed the 2011 meet with a bang. The final day’s mutuel handle of $1,068,679 was more than double the 2010 final-day total of $501,248. The comparison is emblematic of how strong the final part of the season was. After being down by close to 17 percent after the first couple of months, Hastings closed out the meet with the average daily handle being up by 4 percent over last year.

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 13:02

Cape Blanco retired with knee fracture suffered in Joe Hirsch win at Belmont

Tom Keyser
Cape Blanco (right) holds off Dean's Kitten to win the Hirsch by a nose.

Cape Blanco, who won Saturday’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and was a leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, has been retired from racing after veterinarians discovered a slab fracture in his knee after the race.

The 4-year-old Galileo colt’s stud plans haven’t been announced yet.

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:47

Woodbine: Bear It's Time tries to bounce back against older in Classy ’n Smart

Michael Burns
Bear It's Time will take on older rivals for the first time in Wednesday's Classy ’n Smart at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Bear It’s Time finished third as the favorite last time out in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies. On Wednesday, Bear It’s Time will be looking to redeem herself when she comes back at the same distance and faces older rivals for the first time in the restricted Classy ’n Smart at Woodbine.

“I thought she ran well last time, but maybe she was a little close early,” said Reade Baker, who trains Bear It’s Time for the Bear Stable of Danny Dion. “She doesn’t have the same kick when she lies close.”

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 22:21

Hastings: Jebrica relishes longer distance in Premier's

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Led by Jebrica, Emerald Downs-based horses swept the first three spots in the $100,000 Premier’s at Hastings on Sunday.

With Russell Baze aboard, Jebrica came from off the pace to edge Winning Machine by a half-length in the 1 3/8-mile  feature for 3-year-olds and up. Assessment finished third in the 12-horse field. Jebrica was sent off as the favorite and paid $7.60.

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 20:38

Santa Anita: Weemissfrankie adapts to dirt in Oak Leaf

BENOIT PHOTO
Weemissfrankie solidifies her status as one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by taking the Oak Leaf.

ARCADIA, Calif.- The closer the calendar gets to November, the more the outlook on the season changes for the people surrounding the unbeaten 2-year-old filly Weemissfrankie.

After winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in her stakes debut last month, Weemissfrankie made her first start around two turns, and first start on a dirt track in Sunday’s $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita.

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 19:34

Zia Park: Hayley's Halo collects fifth stakes win of year in Chaves County

Hayley’s Halo won her fifth stakes race of the year on Sunday, when she darted to a three-quarter length win over Queen Greeley in the $60,000 Chaves County at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third to Working at Night.

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 19:15

Belmont: Shkspeare Shaliyah goes from last to first in Pilgrim

Barbara D. Livingston
Shkspeare Shaliyah rallies to take the Pilgrim, but his connections would have to pay a $100,000 supplemental fee for him to go to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Despite a pedestrian pace, Shkspeare Shaliyah rallied from last under Alex Solis to win Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Pilgrim Stakes by one length at Belmont Park.

 The win was the second consecutive victory for Shkspeare Shaliyah after he finished a late-running third in his debut at Saratoga. He gave trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal his first graded stakes victory. Shivmangal is also part owner of the horse along with members of his family.