Fri, 10/01/2010 - 16:43

Bourbon Bay, Champ Pegasus facing off in Hirsch

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Between them, Bourbon Bay and Champ Pegasus have accounted for four graded stakes wins in turf marathons in Southern California this year.

When they meet for the first time in Sunday’s $250,000 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at Hollywood Park, they do so at a time when their careers are headed in different directions. Literally.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 16:34

Tyler Baze plans to return at Santa Anita

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze has ended plans for a comeback in 2010 while he continues to recover from facial injuries suffered at Del Mar in late July, according to his agent, Vic Stauffer.

Baze had hoped to be ready for the start of the Oak Tree at Hollywood Park meeting, which began Thursday, and then postponed his comeback to next weekend. He is now hoping to return for the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which begins Dec. 26, Stauffer said.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 16:09

Tell a Kelly ready to stretch out in Oak Leaf

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Tell a Kelly remains the top 2-year-old filly in California, but circumstances change Sunday when she races a longer distance against a tougher field than she crushed in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs one month ago.

The Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes, over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park, is the West Coast prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Tell a Kelly’s trainer, John Sadler, believes distance is a non-factor.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 16:03

Santa Anita, Oak Tree present dates cases to TOC

INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Representatives with Oak Tree and Santa Anita made presentations to the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California on Thursday, seeking the organization’s support to host six weeks of racing in Southern California in the fall of 2011.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:46

Blame arrives in New York for Jockey Club Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. – Blame and Paddy O’Prado – the favorites for Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, respectively – arrived at Belmont Park about 1:30 p.m. Friday, a day after their scheduled flight from Kentucky was canceled due to inclement weather.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:29

Hamel closes in on a 'satisfying' riding title

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Maturity, sobriety, and stability are some of the contributing factors in Richard Hamel being on the verge of becoming the leading rider at Hastings for the first time in his career. Going into the final five days of racing at Hastings, Hamel is a cinch to win the title with 78 wins, seven more than Fernando Perez, who isn’t active. Pedro Alvarado is a distant third with 61 wins.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:29

Calabrese, Canani ready to get going at Calder meet

MIAMI − Bullstar and Stepaside are on the also-eligible list and might not even compete in Sunday’s ninth race at Calder. But their presence in the prospective lineup is significant, since they are the first of the Frank Calabrese-owned and Nick Canani-trained horses to hit the local entries this fall.

Canani finished second in the standings at the recently concluded Arlington Park session, winning races at nearly a 40 percent clip for Calabrese. The pair had similar success at Gulfstream Park last winter, when Canani won with 35 percent of his starters at the 2010 meet.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:15

Chicago gang of four to hit Keeneland

The top four riders at the recently ended Arlington Park meet will be among an extremely deep jockey colony at the Keeneland fall meet, which will start with the usual frenzy of activity with the three-day FallStars Weekend Oct. 8-10.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:10

Regal Ransom cuts back to mile in Kelso Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. − Although three of Regal Ransom’s four victories have come in 1 1/8-mile races run around two turns, his connections feel he could be just as effective in one-mile races run around one turn.

Fri, 10/01/2010 - 14:59

Jenny's So Great back on short rest in Carotene

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jenny’s So Great looks like the class of Sunday’s $150,000 Carotene, and Silent Wisper looks like the speed.

The Carotene, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies, attracted a field of seven that also includes the Ontario-sired archrivals Dancing Raven and Jacally.

Jenny’s So Great, trained by Greg DeGannes, has raised her game to a new level on the turf here this summer, winning the one-mile prep for the open Ontario Colleen and finishing second in the stakes itself over the same distance and surface.