Fri, 08/19/2011 - 18:04

Saratoga: Gitchee Goomie gives Violette his fourth Yaddo victory

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Alan Garcia (left) gets Gitchee Goomie up for a nose victory in Friday's Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Rick Violette put blinkers on Gitchee Goomie for Friday’s Yaddo Stakes because the New York-bred filly had often times been left with too much do at the end of her races. As he watched the early stages of Friday’s race unfold, Violette felt the blinkers had made Gitchee Goomie do too much.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 17:35

Finger Lakes: Trainer Chris Englehart surpasses 3,000 wins

Trainer Chris Englehart surpassed the 3,000-win milestone by winning three races on Friday’s card at Finger Lakes.

Win No. 3,000 came in the fifth race, when Twinkle In His Eye scored by a length under jockey John Davila Jr.

Englehart added wins No. 3,001 and 3,002 as Brock N Roll won the seventh race and Winged Warrior took the ninth. Overall, his horses have earned $25,755,333.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 17:24

Del Mar: Irish Gypsy still has something to prove

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DEL MAR, Calif. - Irish Gypsy holds an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs in November, courtesy of a victory in the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park last month.

Her trainer is not sold on whether she belongs in that field.

"She'll have to step it up," Bob Baffert said. "I'm not sure."

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 17:00

Saratoga: Banrock to be examined for liver problem

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Trainer Tom Bush said he scratched Banrock from Thursday’s West Point Handicap at Saratoga because Banrock potentially has a liver disorder.

Bush said Banrock has a high bilirubin level, which measures a horse’s chemistry. He was sent to Dr. Rodney Belgrave at Mid-Atlantic Equine in New Jersey to be examined.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:56

Saratoga: Get Stormy, Turallure work for Baruch

Get Stormy and Turallure completed preparations for next Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap with sharp workouts over the Oklahoma turf course Friday.

Get Stormy, who missed the Fourstardave because of what turned out to be a minor tendon issue, went six furlongs in 1:13.59, getting his last three furlongs in 35.28 seconds under jockey Ramon Dominguez. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:25.86. After the work, Get Stormy wheeled and unseated Dominguez, who was able to maintain a hold of the reins so Get Stormy didn’t run free.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:53

Saratoga: Mucho Macho Man has second work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − The Travers is not in the plans for Mucho Macho Man, but he worked four furlongs in 48.43 seconds Friday morning at Saratoga as he prepares for a late summer/early-fall return to the races. The final time was the fastest of 25 moves at the distance over the Oklahoma training track.

Mucho Macho Man, a 3-year-old who won the Risen Star earlier this year at Fair Grounds, went his first quarter in 24.03 seconds and his second quarter in 24.40, and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.20.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:35

Star Guitar's long-range plans begin with Delta's Gold Cup

With each passing race, Star Guitar is moving closer to claiming the title of all-time richest Louisiana-bred. He won his fifth consecutive stakes earlier this month in the $125,000 Evangeline Downs Mile, the third year in a row he has taken the race in a streak that started in 2009.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:31

Saratoga: Rattlesnake Bridge has fast work for Travers

Barbara D. Livingston
Rattlesnake (left), working in company with Fact, went five furlongs in 1:00.64 on Friday in preparation for next week’s Travers.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − When Rattlesnake Bridge runs in next Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga he will have had seven weeks between races. So trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wanted to make sure the colt’s final workout before the 1 1/4-mile race was a fast, solid move.

McLaughlin got what he was looking for Friday morning, when Rattlesnake Bridge drilled five furlongs in 1:00.64 over Saratoga’s main track. Rattlesnake Bridge worked in company with the 3-year-old maiden Fact, starting a length behind that horse and finishing a length in front at the wire.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:29

Havre de Grace confirmed for Woodward Stakes

Hoofprints Inc.
The most likely spot for Blind Luck (left) and Havre de Grace (right) to meet in their next starts is the Personal Ensign.

Havre de Grace definitely will make her next start in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 2, it was confirmed late Friday by Rick Porter, whose Fox Hill Farms owns the star filly.

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 16:28

Emerald Downs: Harwoods took a bit of luck and ran with it

AUBURN, Wash. – Doris and Jeff Harwood love Australia, its people, and particularly its beaches. Noosa Beach was one of their favorites, mate, so they affixed the name to one of their foals, and off to the races he went.

Five years later, Noosa Beach is the Ian Thorpe of Northwest racing – no one can beat him going one lap – and a rising star on the national scene. He’s the morning-line favorite in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs, where a strong effort could catapult him into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs this fall.