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.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Somewhat lost amid the stakes excitement here last weekend were solid performances by the 2-year-olds Courtville and Prince Raphael.
Courtville, a gelding owned and trained by Laurie Silvera, was a two-length winner of an Ontario-sired maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Sunday.
Prince Raphael, a colt owned by Oslen and Cristina Belle and trained by Debbie England, made his exit from the maiden ranks with a 6 3/4-length score over seven furlongs on Saturday.
CHICAGO – Arlington Park’s bid to halt winter-spring racing at Hawthorne failed to gain traction with the Illinois Racing Board, with the IRB approving a 2012 Illinois racing schedule much like the one in place this year at a meeting Tuesday in downtown Chicago.
Blind Luck, in her final prep for the Grade 1 Lady's Secret Stakes on Saturday, worked a sharp half-mile in 47.60 seconds on Tuesday morning at Hollywood Park under her regular exercise rider, Marco Ramirez.
Blind Luck came out just after the mid-morning renovation break. She finished well, and, as is her custom, galloped out for an extended length following the drill.
"Super. Super," Ramirez said to Jerry Hollendorfer, her trainer and co-owner, after the work. "She was barely warming up."
MIAMI – Mambo Meister, who finished seventh after getting hung wide throughout in the Grade 1 Woodward earlier this month, is back home and will make his next start in the Grade 3 Spend a Buck Handicap here on the Oct. 15 Festival of the Sun card.
Mambo Meister breezed an easy three furlongs in 36.88 seconds and galloped out a strong half-mile in 49.22 on Saturday in his first work since returning from Saratoga. Mambo Meister was hung very wide around the opening turn of the Woodward and was never a serious factor, finishing nearly 17 lengths behind winner Havre de Grace.
