Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

Injury keeps Artic Fern from Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Artic Fern, who had been one of the leading candidates for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate, will not make the race after his trainer reported that the horse emerged from his recent workout with a possible shoulder injury.

Artic Fern would have been starting in a stakes for first time in the Queen's Plate, but the colt was highly regarded because of recent back-to-back allowance victories at 1 1/16 miles.

Artic Fern breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 on the training track here last Saturday.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

Weight helps Grand Adventure

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Grand Adventure certified his credentials as a top-notch turf runner here Sunday, registering his second stakes win in as many starts at the meeting in the $307,100 King Edward Stakes.

The Grade 2 King Edward, for 3-year-olds and up, was run over one mile of turf after being contested at 1 1/8 miles in recent seasons.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

Golden Gate handle declines

Golden Gate Fields showed a 12 percent decrease in daily live ontrack handle for its 105-day 2009-10 race meeting. Live ontrack handle was $193,468 per day this year compared with $219,839 for the 114-day 2008-09 meet.

The all-sources handle declined 11.3 percent from a $4,378,851 daily average in 2008-09 to $3,885,374 in 2009-10 as simulcast wagering fell 7.4 percent (from $1,093,540 to $1,012,807) and out-of-state wagering fell 7.5 percent (from $1,419,498 to $1,312,589).

The Golden Gate meet began on Dec. 26, 2009 and ended June 12, 2010.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

Zenyatta breezes half-mile at Hollywood

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Zenyatta, the two-time champion and undefeated winner of 17 races, breezed a half-mile in 49.60 seconds at Hollywood Park on Sunday, her first workout since the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap here June 13.

But trainer John Shirreffs is still not ready to commit the popular 6-year-old mare to her next race. On Sunday, Shirreffs stopped short of committing Zenyatta to the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 7, a race that could feature a rematch between Zenyatta and St Trinians who were separated by a half-length in the Vanity.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

Stars out Monday morning at Churchill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2009 Horse of the Year and the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner were sent through solo five-furlong breezes two hours apart Monday morning at Churchill Downs when Rachel Alexandra went in 1:03 and Mine That Bird went in 59.80 seconds.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:00

A Little Warm to make return at Delaware

A Little Warm, runner-up in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in his last start on March 27, will return to the races Tuesday in a second-level optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up over 1 1/16 miles at Delaware Park.

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 00:00

My Summer Slew stalks, pounces

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - My Summer Slew won his first stakes in Sunday's at Hollywood Park, defeating a field that included a game pacesetter in the filly Unzip Me and the three-time Group 1 winner Scenic Blast.

My Summer Slew ($9.20) benefited from an ideal ride from jockey Alonso Quinonez, who had his mount well-placed throughout.

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 00:00

Way With Words up in time at Monmouth

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Way With Words and jockey Eddie Castro get up in deep stretch to defeat Saarlight in the $100,000 Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Way With Words, the only New Jersey-bred in the field, rallied to beat Saarlight by a neck on Sunday in the for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park.

It was the second straight stakes win here for the 6-year-old trained by Maryland-based Mary Eppler. Way With Words beat statebreds in her previous race, the Open Mind Handicap. The Blue Sparkler, at the same six-furlong distance, was a stiffer test against open company.

Once again, Way With Words was up to the challenge at the track where she is 8-3-0 in 15 races.

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 00:00

Grand Adventure, Exhi take Woodbine stakes

Michael Burns
Grand Adventure, with Patrick Husbands up, wins the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Grand Adventure put away favored Get Stormy in the stretch en route to a handy score in the at Woodbine on Sunday.

Grand Adventure pressed a moderate pace on the outside under Patrick Husbands, before taking control early in the stretch. He held off a closing Rahy s Attorney in the final 70 yards prevail by a length, in a time of 1:36.40, over a soggy course labeled as good. Ice Bear finished third, and Get Stormy faded to fourth in the nine-horse field.

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 00:00

Bach's Homebrew clearly best this time

LINCOLN, Neb. - Bach's Homebrew racked up his third straight stakes victory in impressive fashion with a smashing 12-length score over seven rivals in the $19,075 Lincoln Derby on Saturday at Lincoln Race Course.