Trainer Todd Fincher won four of the seven Thoroughbred stakes on last fall’s $2 million New Mexico Cup program at Zia Park and will be prepping for another run at the series on Monday.
Fincher will send out Chuchuluco in the featured seventh race, a $35,000 optional claiming allowance sprint for 3-year-olds and up bred in New Mexico. The 5 1/2-furlong race will be the horse’s final prep for the $140,000 New Mexico Cup for 3-year-olds at Zia on Oct. 31.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Cost of Freedom will make his third consecutive appearance in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at Hollywood Park next Saturday.
But as of Saturday, when Cost of Freedom zipped six furlongs in 1:11.80 in his final pre-race workout, trainer John Sadler did not have a jockey for the two-time stakes winner.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Colizeo, the only graded stakes winner in the field of seven, circled four wide under Ramon Dominguez around the far turn, took command in upper stretch and drew clear to a three-length victory in Saturday’s $70,000 Star of Cozzene Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.
Stormy’s Majesty, the Albany Stakes winner, finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Our Dark Knight. Calide Valley, Brother Bird, Jackson Bend, and Keep Me Informed completed the order of finish.
MIAMI – Big Drama could have been in New York on Saturday as one of the favorites in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Vosburgh. Instead, Big Drama spent Saturday afternoon relaxing in his stall at Calder Race Course, having already put in a good day’s work by breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:01.61 seconds over his home course earlier that morning.
Big Drama, among the leading contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs, has not started since finishing second behind Here Comes Ben in the Grade 1 Forego on Sept. 4.
Three stakes winners whose recent form has gone sour will try to regain some confidence against slightly easier competition in Monday’s featured ninth race at Parx Racing.
The 3-year-old Vindy City, winner of the Miss Preakness in May; Miss Blue Tye Dye, who collected six stakes victories against Pennsylvania-breds between August 2008 and October 2009; and Indy’s Alexandra, winner of the $100,000 Three Ring as a 2-year-old nearly three years ago, are among eight fillies and mares set to race 6 1/2 furlongs in a third-level optional $40,000 claimer.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The second richest race in track history and a new low pick four takeout highlight the 64th season at Portland Meadows, which gets under way Monday.
The 75-day meet includes two special cards. On Sunday, Dec. 12, the track will put on its annual Oregon Championship Day, which features a pair of $20,000 races, the Bill and Janet Wineberg for 2-year-olds and 2-year-old fillies. On Saturday, Jan. 29, the $80,000 Portland Meadows Oaks will be run.
Lone Star Park will serve as the official accreditation center for next year’s Super Bowl, with some 10,000 game-day workers to pick up their credentials at the track and be shuttled from it to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Super Bowl is Feb. 6. Lone Star was chosen as the “employee hub” by the National Football League and the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee.
PHOENIX - The extreme outside post wasn’t a problem for heavy favorite Hezamazing as he had no trouble posting an easy win in Friday’s $25,000 Bienvenidos Stakes, the opening-day feature for the Turf Paradise meet.
Sent off the 7-10 favorite in the mile main-track event, Hezamazing, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Carlyle Rollins and trained by Rich Houghton, showed speed to dog pacesetter Just Jebicah from the start, moved up to challenge for the lead with Sax, gamely ran that rival into defeat, and pulled away to win by three lengths under jockey Wilson Dieguez.
Retired Hall of Fame jockeys Ron Turcotte and Chris McCarron will both be at Remington Park in the coming week for different events tied to the track’s $400,000 Oklahoma Derby next Sunday.
Turcotte, who rode 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, will be at Remington on Oklahoma Derby Day to sign autographs. Turcotte will be joined by recently retired jockey Otto Thorwarth, who played Turcotte in the Disney movie Secretariat that is to be released Friday. Remington plans to give away movie posters while supplies last on Oklahoma Derby Day.
No Other Tone will be going down a new path on Sunday, when she makes her two-turn debut in the $60,000 Chaves County at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. The one-mile race for fillies and mares drew a field of eight, including A.P. Flatter, a winner of back-to-back stakes in July and August.
No Other Tone has been sprinting for a living, and has a 5-for-11 record at one turn. But she will branch out in the Chaves County, and gets pedigree support for the added ground as a daughter of Iowa Derby winner Touch Tone.