Unrivaled Belle has raced just once at Churchill Downs, a performance her trainer, Bill Mott, on Monday described as “probably her best” this year. She upset 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard on April 30.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ronny Werner has trained three horses that started in Breeders’ Cup races, so the fact that he has three more ready to go for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup made this week at Churchill Downs memorable. Werner, it turns out, can count himself lucky to be able to remember the week at all. Or even to have an entire head to house a brain to store memories.
On Sunday morning, Werner was doing a routine leg check on horses in his Churchill barn when a filly named Catnandu, politely described by Werner as “pretty ornery,” kicked her trainer. Hard.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was nearly a year ago, shortly after Blame ended his 2009 campaign with a victory in the Clark Handicap here at Churchill Downs, that trainer Al Stall Jr. mapped out a 2010 schedule with one primary goal, getting to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a chance to be Horse of the Year.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Oak Tree Racing Association ended its first race meeting at Hollywood Park on Sunday, the conclusion of a tumultuous six months for the organization.
According to a statement released by Oak Tree, the all-sources average daily handle, including simulcast and account wagering, was $7,198,000.
Daily average attendance combining the ontrack audience at Hollywood Park and at simulcast locations through the Southern California was 10,771, according to Oak Tree.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Zenyatta had a quiet morning at Hollywood Park on Monday, a contrast to the commotion that awaits her presence at Churchill Downs later this week in the build-up to Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The unbeaten 6-year-old mare jogged a leisurely mile on the backstretch training track at Hollywood Park on Monday morning and virtually had the track to herself. She was ridden by regular exercise rider Steve Willard and accompanied by a pony throughout the two-circuit exercise.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Bear’s Peak had quite a coming-out party in the Oct. 11 Bull Page Stakes, which he won as a maiden while collecting a cool $75,000. He will move out from six to seven furlongs Wednesday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Frost King Stakes, and should be favored under Patrick Husbands.
Bear’s Peak, a handsome chestnut trained by Reade Baker, missed the break in his debut Sept. 6, and then rallied five-wide to finish just a length back in fifth, before galloping out strongly.
With the San Francisco Giants playing the Texas Rangers, Northern California has been the epicenter for baseball’s biggest event, the World Series. Golden Gate Fields is hoping to carry over that sporting enthusiasm this week for the track’s simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup, which is being held at Churchill Downs on Friday and Saturday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bob Tiller just missed sweeping the two stakes here last Sunday, sending out Indian Apple Is to score by a half-length in the Ontario Fashion after watching Woodbourne suffer a head defeat as the runner-up in the Labeeb.
Indian Apple Is, a 4-year-old homebred who races for Frank Di Giulio, was shortening up for the $185,000 Ontario Fashion after winning and placing in two stakes starts over seven furlongs.
“Our only concern was the six furlongs,” Tiller said. “We didn’t think it was quite far enough for her.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As visually impressive as some of the 2-year-old winners were Sunday at Churchill Downs, where a “Stars of Tomorrow” program opened the 21-day fall meet, their Beyer Speed Figures don’t exactly match. The easy winner of the Grade 2 Pocahontas, Dancinginherdreams, earned an 84, while perhaps the most impressive of six maiden winners, Hailey d’Oro, got just a 67 when dominating her opposition.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Carl Bowman has run one horse in the Breeders’ Cup, a millionaire mare named Lu Ravi who was fifth in the 2000 Distaff (now Ladies’ Classic) at Churchill Downs. Bowman doesn’t have anything to run this weekend in the Breeders’ Cup, but he will start the week with something to remind himself of that rare opportunity a decade ago.