Mon, 03/07/2011 - 15:18

San Felipe a proving ground for Jaycito

ARCADIA, Calif - Jaycito will make his 3-year-old debut, and first start for trainer Bob Baffert, in Saturday’s $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

Baffert admits that he has concerns about how Jaycito will behave in the Grade 2 race that is a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs last November, Jaycito swerved sharply to the outside on the backstretch and eventually finished seventh, 16 lengths behind race winner Uncle Mo.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 15:11

Apriority dazzles with 113 Beyer, near track record

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Big Drama is generally recognized as the fastest horse in the world, following his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and subsequent Eclipse Award as the champion sprinter in 2010. But there are some who might argue that, at the moment, Big Drama may not even be the fastest horse in his own barn.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 15:00

Dubai World Cup up first for Gio Ponti

Tom Keyser
Gio Ponti will make his first start of 2011 in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Christophe Clement confirmed Sunday that his three-time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti would make his 2011 debut in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 26. Gio Ponti finished fourth in the 2011 World Cup.

Clement held off a final decision on Gio Ponti’s status for the World Cup after he canceled a scheduled prep for the two-time reigning turf champion in the Grade 3 Canadian at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 27. Clement said there was nothing wrong with Gio Ponti, he just felt his horse wasn’t quite ready to run at that time.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 14:42

Tampa Bay Derby rides on Pletcher decision

Tom Cooley
Brethren, Ramon Dominguez up, wins the Sam F. Davis.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – ”What’s Todd going to do?”

That simple question has trainers and owners of a number of 3-year-olds in a state of flux as they ponder the status of trainer Todd Pletcher’s 2-year-old champion, Uncle Mo, and his undefeated stablemate, Sam Davis Stakes winner Brethren, for this Saturday’s Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 14:09

Gulfstream Park: Golden Moka starts campaign after illness

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Golden Moka was a sprint sensation in Panama at 2 but proved he could carry his speed against quality competition once coming to the United States a year ago.

Now 4, Golden Moka will attempt to shake off the effects of a serious illness that has kept him out of action for nearly four months when returning to allowance competition in Wednesday’s $62,000 feature at Gulfstream Park.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 13:55

Santa Anita Handicap: Reactions to Game On Dude's controversial win

Benoit & Associates
Game On Dude and jockey Chantal Sutherland after Saturday's Big Cap.

Everyone has an opinion on whether the stewards made the right call in deciding not to disqualify Game On Dude after the wild finish to Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap. Ridden by jockey Chantal Sutherland, Game On Dude crossed the wire first after a bumping incident in in early stretch among Game On Dude, Setsuko, and Twirling Candy. After a 12-minute inquiry, the result stood.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 13:43

Uncle Mo won't face crowd at Gulfstream in 2011 debut

Tom Keyser
Uncle Mo, John Velazquez up, wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole’s first choice for Uncle Mo’s 3-year-old debut is Saturday’s $100,000 Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park. The question is can the track’s racing secretary, Dan Bork, find enough 3-year-olds willing to take on the champ to make the race go.

Uncle Mo completed the last of his six workouts in preparation for his 3-year-old debut Sunday at Palm Meadows, breezing an easy half-mile in 48.87 seconds under jockey John Velazquez.

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 12:22

Assiniboia Downs cuts stakes purses at upcoming meet

Assiniboia Downs will be cutting purses for most of its stakes races over the course of the 60-day meeting that runs from May 8 through Sept. 25.

The Manitoba Derby, the marquee event at the Winnipeg, Manitoba, racetrack, will be worth $50,000, down $25,000 from last year, and 25 stakes worth $30,000 now will go for $25,000.

“We made the stakes purses adjustments to address some reductions in revenues that we are experiencing,” said Darren Dunn, chief executive officer at Assiniboia. “The overnight purses were not reduced.”

Mon, 03/07/2011 - 08:58

Santa Anita business mixed on Santa Anita Handicap Day

The ontrack crowd of 23,304 for Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap was a decline of 3.8 percent over the 2010 figure of 24,201. The ontrack handle of $3,574,438 improved 9 percent over 2010, while statewide and national simulcast handle was down, according to Haines. The track reported an all-sources handle of $14,459,899 for the 11 races, a decline of 9.5 percent compared to last year’s figure of $15,984,888 on an 11-race card.

Sun, 03/06/2011 - 19:40

Azeri's daughter Arienza wins debut at Oaklawn

Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography
Arienza, a 3-year-old daughter of Azeri, impressively wins her career debut in a maiden sprint at Oaklawn Park.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Arienza, a 3-year-old daughter of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, won her career debut Sunday at Oaklawn Park. She attended a hot pace in a maiden special weight for fillies and mares at six furlongs, and went on to a 2 1/2-length win in 1:10.42.

Arienza, who is by Giant’s Causeway, was an $800,000 purchase at Keeneland September in 2009. She is owned by Robert and Lawana Low and is trained by Dan Peitz.