ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jungle Wave will try to end a 14-race losing streak in Friday’s excellent Woodbine feature, which is scheduled for six furlongs on the grass. The second-level allowance, with a $62,500-$60,000 claiming option, lured 14 runners, including three also-eligibles and a main-track-only entrant.
Jungle Wave is winless since August of 2009, when he captured the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes. He has started six times this year, and finished either second or third on four occasions.
Rapid Redux will attempt to move closer to the all-time North American record of 19 consecutive victories shared by Zenyatta and Pepper’s Pride when he returns to Mountaineer Racetrack for Friday night’s featured eighth race.
Expect a rematch between Shudacudawudya and Tribesman in the Oct. 22 Oakland Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
The two met last Sunday in a six-furlong allowance, with the 4-year-old Shudacudawudya notching his fifth victory (along with three seconds) in eight sprint tries over Golden Gate’s Tapeta surface, defeating even-money favorite Tribesman by four lengths.
Both geldings came out of the race in good shape, according to their trainers.
Russell Baze, who has won 40 riding titles at Golden Gate Fields, including the past 12, won’t win the title at the six-week summer meet, which ends on Sunday.
Baze goes into the week with 20 winners, five behind Aaron Gryder and one behind Juan Hernandez. He has four mounts Friday but will be gone Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, he’ll ride Halo Dolly for Jerry Hollendorfer in the $750,000 Cotillion at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania. On Sunday, he is scheduled to ride in three stakes at Hastings Park in British Columbia.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Three allowance races highlight Thursday’s Belmont Park program. In the opener, a $42,000 first-level sprint for New York-breds, Cribnote makes his second start back from a layoff of nearly three years.
After finishing second in the Hopeful and third in the Champagne as a 2-year-old, Cribnote underwent knee surgery, became a show horse, and was found to have a rare disease that makes him unable to assimilate sugars and starches.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The Metropolitan Handicap winner won’t be running in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but the runner-up will.
Rodman, who finished second to Tizway in the Met Mile here in May, has been redirected from Saturday’s Grade 2 Kelso to the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Mike Hushion confirmed Tuesday. Hushion said that Tizway’s defection from the Gold Cup due to a temperature was part of the reason for the change of heart.
“And I think we can be on the lead in there,” Hushion said. “I’m unsure if he has distance limitations. He might be fine.”
Rapid Redux will go for his 18th straight victory Friday night when he will be heavily favored against seven others in a $14,900 starter-allowance at Mountaineer Park near Chester, W.Va.
Rapid Redux, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Pleasantly Perfect, has won 17 straight races since last being defeated on Nov. 18, 2010, at Penn National. He is owned by Robert Cole Jr. and trained by David Wells. DeShawn Parker will be aboard Rapid Redux breaking from post 7 in the one-mile, two-run race on the main track.
Retired riders Laffit Pincay, Pat Day, Angel Cordero, Steve Cauthen, and Jean Cruguet – each of whom won a major race at Laurel Park – will be at the track Saturday to sign autographs during the 26th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million festivities. The five will be signing outside the Horse Wizard Room from 2:30-5 p.m. with a $15 charge for each signature.
ELMONT, N.Y. – For as long as they’ve been together, Stay Thirsty has always walked in the shadow of his stablemate Uncle Mo. By virtue of victories in the Jim Dandy and Travers at Saratoga, Stay Thirsty has certainly done his best to escape.
