Sun, 07/31/2011 - 15:21

Los Alamitos: DQ places Fixin to Fly first in Governor's Cup Futurity

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Long Gone, a 3-1 shot, finished first in Saturday’s $461,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity at Los Alamitos, but was disqualified and placed ninth for interfering with a stablemate late in the 350-yard race.

The incident led to the promotion of 3-2 favorite Fixin to Fly from second to first, but there was no winner’s circle photo after Fixin to Fly was pulled up on the backstretch by jockey Jay Conklin as a precaution. Fixin to Fly was vanned back to trainer Jim Hanson’s barn and was later diagnosed to have suffered a bone chip in a knee, Hanson said on Sunday.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 14:52

Pacific Classic next for Twirling Candy after Del Mar work

Benoit & Associates
Twirling Candy "worked super" at Del Mar on Sunday, said trainer John Sadler.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Twirling Candy, the five-time stakes winner, will make his next start in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 28, trainer John Sadler said on Sunday.

The decision was made after Twirling Candy worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds under jockey Joel Rosario at Del Mar on Sunday and following weekend conversations with the partnership that owns the 4-year-old colt – breeder Jenny Craig, Marty Wygod, and William S. Farish.

“He’s trained so well on this racetrack and he worked super on it today,” Sadler said.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 14:45

Saratoga: Stacelita works on turf to prep for Beverly D.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Chad Brown won the first Grade 1 race of his training career when Zagora rallied to a convincing victory in Saturday’s Diana Handicap. The following morning, Brown was back at the track preparing another of his top turf fillies, Stacelita, for a shot at perhaps his next Grade 1 win.

Brown sent out  Stacelita to work five furlongs in 1:00.94 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course on Sunday in preparation for her next start in Arlington’s Grade 1 Beverly D. on Aug. 13.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 13:49

Training for Arlington Million, Mission Approved ships in to Saratoga

Tom Keyser
Mission Approved, upset winner of the Manhattan, is pointing for the Arlington Million on Aug. 13.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mission Approved is stabled at Belmont Park and his next scheduled start is to come at Arlington Park. But on Sunday, the 7-year-old claimer-turned-Grade 1 winner made a whirlwind trip to Saratoga in order to get a workout over a grass course. And did he ever make the trip worthwhile.

With regular rider Jose Espinoza in the irons, Mission Approved drilled five furlongs in 57.65 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course on Sunday. He got his final quarter in 22.62 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:09.69 and seven furlongs in 1:22.76.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 09:15

Santa Rosa: Halo Dolly wins fourth straight in Diamond Jubilee

Halo Dolly ($5) picked up her initial stakes victory as she scored her fourth straight victory Saturday with a 5 1/2-length romp in the $61,910 Diamond Jubilee at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.

Halo Dolly, part of a three-horse Jerry Hollendorfer entry in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, improved her turf record to 2-for-2 with the easy victory over Can Do It Again. Windy Sails was third, two lengths behind Can Do It Again.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 08:45

Saratoga: Spa Babies for July 31, Race 2

Welcome to Spa Babies! I'll break down the statistics for every juvenile contest at the meet and hope for a tidy profit.

In past years, I would list the stats for each horse before writing up my analysis, selections and wagering strategy.
In order to streamline the content, this year's Spa Babies will showcase written analyses of each juvenile race.
Each analysis will include relevant statistical information.  Following the analysis, top three selections and wagering strategy will be provided.

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Sun, 07/31/2011 - 08:41

Saratoga: Spa Babies for July 31, Race 4

Welcome to Spa Babies! I'll break down the statistics for every juvenile contest at the meet and hope for a tidy profit.

In past years, I would list the stats for each horse before writing up my analysis, selections and wagering strategy.
In order to streamline the content, this year's Spa Babies will showcase written analyses of each juvenile race.
Each analysis will include relevant statistical information.  Following the analysis, top three selections and wagering strategy will be provided.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 21:24

Del Mar: New style in San Diego Handicap leads to new results for Tres Borrachos

DEL MAR, Calif. - Tres Borrachos used to be a front-runner, or at least a horse that ran near the lead. He used to lose a lot of stakes, too.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 20:30

Penn National: Ben's Cat wins four-horse photo in Governor's Cup

B&D Photography
Ben's Cat surges in deep stretch to just get up as the favorite in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup.

Ben’s Cat found a seam in deep stretch and was up to win a four-horse photo Saturday night in a thrilling conclusion to the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap, the richest race of the year at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa.

Ridden by Jeremy Rose, Ben’s Cat returned $4.80 as the favorite in a field of 10 older turf sprinters. The 5-year-old gelding now has won 11 of 16 starts after finishing the five-furlong distance in 56.48 seconds over a firm turf course.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 19:29

Northlands: Inhisglory by a nose in Count Lathum

Inhisglory capped off a perfect day for trainer Craig MacPherson and jockey Richard Hamel with a desperate win over Freedoms Traveller in the $50,000 Count Lathum for 3-year-olds at Northlands Park on Saturday. Hastings-based MacPherson and Hamel also won the first race with Tommy D’Horsey and the sixth with Belle Evangeline.