Sun, 01/02/2011 - 19:28

Desert Gamble connects at 16-1 in Dominguez Memorial

Tommie Morelos/ Coady Photography
Desert Gamble, under Justin Shepherd, rallies to upset the Albert Dominzuez Memorial.

Desert Gamble became a stakes winner on Sunday, when he got up in the final strides of the $100,000 Albert Dominguez Memorial at Sunland Park. He won by a neck after closing from next to last in the 1 1/16-mile  race for 4-year-olds and up bred in New Mexico.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 17:06

Englehart extends winning streak at Big A to seven races

Trainer Chris Englehart on Sunday ran his consecutive winning streak at Aqueduct to seven as Isn’t She Grand and Furhlang won back-to-back races on the card.

Englehart, who is now 9 for 11 at the meet, went 3 for 3 on Thursday at the Big A and won with one starter each on Friday and Saturday. With one win from two starters at Mountaineer factored in, Englehart has gone 8 for 9 since Thursday.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 16:54

Unzip Me leads wire to wire in Monrovia

BENOIT PHOTO
Rafael Bejarano guides Unzip Me to victory in the Monrovia Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif.-Unzip Me won 6 of 8 starts and $462,033 in 2010, a career-best season.

Already this year, she is ahead of that pace. Unzip Me won her 2011 debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita. Last year, she did not win her first stakes until March, in her second start.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 16:41

Breathoffreshheir withstands erratic stretch run, foul claim to take Ruthless

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Breathoffreshheir draws clear to earn her second consecutive stakes victory in the Ruthless.

 OZONE PARK, N.Y. -  Breathoffreshheir’s speed trumped her immaturity as she scored a 3 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $65,000 Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct.

 Status Pending, the 8-5 favorite, rallied to get second by 1 1/4 lengths over Sweet Susan. Nashi and Flying Train completed the order of finish. Aba Dabbler was scratched.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 16:22

Changing Skies rebounds from rare dud to take La Prevoyante

Jim Lisa
Changing Skies, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, makes amends for her flop in the Long Island by scoring a decisive win in he La Prevoyante Handicap.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -   Changing Skies bounced back from her poorest performance since shipping to the U.S. during the summer of 2009 with a convincing 3 3/4-length victory over Casablanca Smile in Sunday’s $150,000 La Prevoyante Handicap at Calder. The Grade 3 race closed out the 2010-2011 Calder stakes schedule.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 15:32

Albarado breaks heel in pre-race spill

Jockey Robby Albarado broke his right heel in a pre-race mishap on Sunday at Fair Grounds. Albarado was to have ridden Mollys Missb’havin in the second race, but the filly acted up on the way from the paddock to the racetrack, throwing Albarado to the ground. He was taken to Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, where X-rays found the fractured heel. Albarado was to have a CT scan to determine whether the fracture will require surgery.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 15:26

Go Forth North injured after finishing third in Robert Frankel

BENOIT PHOTO

Go Forth North was diagnosed with a fractured shin after finishing third in the Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, trainer A.C. Avila said.

Go Forth North was third in the field of four throughout the race over 1 1/8 miles on turf and finished 1 1/4 lengths behind race winner Spring Style. Spring Style finished a nose in front of the 1-5 favorite Harmonious.

Sun, 01/02/2011 - 15:18

Rule works five furlongs in preparation for Hal's Hope

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Rule, who has not started since finishing third as the 9-5 favorite in the 2010 Florida Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:00.90 at Palm Meadows on Sunday in final preparation for his much awaited return, which is scheduled to come Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $100,000 Hal’s Hope Handicap.

Trainer Todd Pletcher opted to pass the Kentucky Derby with Rule, who was then given some time off before returning to training late in his 3-year-old season.

Sat, 01/01/2011 - 19:54

$120,599 pick six carryover at Santa Anita

Fueled by the upset of Dilemma in the Daytona Stakes, no one hit the pick six on Saturday at Santa Anita, leading to a single-day carryover of $120,599 entering Sunday's card. No one was alive after five legs in the pick six. There are nine races on Sunday's card, so the pick six begins on the fourth.

There also is a carryover in the super high five.

Sat, 01/01/2011 - 19:45

Gomez completes stakes sweep aboard Dilemma in Daytona

BENOIT PHOTO
Garett Gomez guides Dilemma to an upset victory in the Grade 3 Daytona, giving the jockey a sweep of both stakes on the New Year's Day card.

 

ARCADIA, Calif. - On New Year’s Day at Santa Anita, jockey Garrett Gomez decided his 39th birthday was the gift that kept on giving. A couple of hours after scoring an upset in the Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes with Spring Style, Gomez captured the Grade 3, $100,000 Daytona Stakes with Dilemma, who stormed down the center of the track to post an 8-1 surprise in the turf sprint.

“It’s a nice way to start the year,” said Gomez, who also won a stakes race on Friday, giving him three in the past two cards. “We’ll try to chase another money title this year.”