VANCOUVER, British Columbia – There could be a changing of the guard when it comes to stakes horses in trainer Dino Condilenios’s barn. Crew Leader, who is entered in the seventh race at Hastings on Sunday, scored an impressive win in his first start of the year, and it is possible he could supplant Teide as the big gun in the barn.
Teide was the horse of the year at Hastings in 2009, and one could argue, which Condilenios does, that he was the best older horse at Hastings last year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sam-Son Farm, one of the most successful racing and breeding operations in the history of Canadian racing, is well represented on the 2011 list of nominees for induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
The organization announced Friday that ballots are being sent out to the 20 members of the election committee, who will select from three nominees who were determined by the nominating committee, in each of five categories.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The connections of Uncle Mo weren’t the only ones feeling disappointment Friday following his scratch from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. So, too, were those associated with Sway Away.
Sway Away was one of two horses, the other being Ruler On Ice, that were excluded from an overfilled Derby when entries were taken Wednesday. The two horses ranked 21st and 22nd, respectively, by graded earnings, the preference criteria used to limit the field to its maximum size of 20 horses.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Southdale was put away late last year with some minor problems and an eye toward a career as an Ontario stallion.
But when a deal failed to materialize, Southdale went back into training at Payson Park in Florida and will be looking to return with a vengeance in Sunday’s $150,000 Vigil here at Woodbine.
Ian Black, who trains the homebred Southdale for owner Rod Ferguson, had hoped to start the 5-year-old at the Keeneland meeting.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No one would deny that winning the Kentucky Derby is difficult, in particular owner Ahmed Zayat, who has quickly learned that when it comes to America's best-known race, it's prudent to expect the unexpected.
KENTUCKY DERBY DAY: Past performances, contender profiles, and video
Two years ago, his colt Pioneerof the Nile ran the race of his life, but all it did was get him second to the improbable winner, Mine That Bird.
Shot for Grandpa looks like the one to beat when he makes his first start of the year at Northlands Park Sunday.
Shot For Grandpa figures to garner strong support due to his bullet four-furlong move in 47.80 seconds April 26. Throw in the fact he is trained by last year’s leading trainer Robertino Diodoro and there is an excellent chance he will be favored in the $15,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that have never won two races. The 3 1/2-furlong dash drew six horses and goes as race five on the eight-race card.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian champion sprinter Hollywood Hit and upstart Essence Hit Man, who set a track record in his last outing, will clash Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,000 Vigil Stakes.
Hollywood Hit drew post 1 in the seven-furlong Vigil, which he won last year in one of the more impressive performances of the meet. He wired a stellar field that day, set the track record for 6 1/2 furlongs of 1:20.07, and earned a whopping 114 Beyer Speed Figure.
PHOENIX – The curtain comes down Sunday on the long Turf Paradise meet as 2-year-olds who exited the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association spring sale compete in the $25,000 ATBA Spring Sales Stakes. The five-furlong event drew a full field of 12 headed by dazzling 13 1/4-length debut winner Page Springs.
The 1 7/8-mile Hasta La Vista, the closing-day event for 55 consecutive meets, had to be scrapped due to lack of entries.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - John Velazquez will ride in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby after all.
Without a mount following the scratch of Uncle Mo on Friday, Velazquez was picked up by the connections of Animal Kingdom later in the morning, according to Barry Irwin, the president of the Team Valor Syndicate that owns Animal Kingdom.
Robby Albarado had been named to ride Animal Kingdom, but Irwin said that when Albarado did not ride at Churchill Downs on Thursday or Friday, owing to a fractured nose suffered Wednesday, that he desired instead to find another rider.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – To miss the Kentucky Derby is disappointing. To not know why is disconcerting.
In announcing Friday morning that morning-line second choice Uncle Mo would be scratched from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher could not pinpoint the exact nature of Uncle Mo’s problem. Three veterinarians have examined Uncle Mo, but other than a one elevated enzyme, there is no definitive diagnosis.
