Fri, 05/07/2010 - 00:00

Hollinger tunes up for Queenston

Hollinger, Canada's champion 2-year-old male last year and one of the early favorites for the Queen's Plate, breezed six furlongs in 1:11.60 here Friday morning under his regular rider Tyler Pizarro.

Working in company with a stablemate, Hollinger was caught in fractions of 23.20 seconds, 34.80, 46.40, and 59.40 by clocker Mike Lym.

"I couldn't be happier with him than I am right now," said trainer Roger Attfield.

Hollinger is slated to make his seasonal bow in Saturday's $150,000 Queenston, a seven-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 3-year-olds.

Fri, 05/07/2010 - 00:00

Awesome Rhythm starts out in sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Awesome Rhythm had a very productive spring here at Woodbine in 2009, putting together a stakes triple in open two-turn races for 3-year-olds. Now, following a winter in Florida, Awesome Rhythm looks to start getting back into the groove when he makes his first start of the year in Sunday's Grade 3 Vigil.

The Vigil, a seven-furlong race for 4-year-olds and upward, attracted a strong field of seven, including champions Fatal Bullet and Field Commission, as well as the talented Hollywood Hit.

Fri, 05/07/2010 - 00:00

Mountaineer cancels card in jockey dispute

Mountaineer racetrack in West Virginia has canceled its Friday night card, according to Equibase, because of a "management decision" arising out of a dispute between horsemen and riders over losing-mount fees.

Most jockeys based at Mountaineer have refused to accept mounts since the Friday card was drawn on Tuesday. Jockeys and representatives of the Mountaineer Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have been locked in a stalemate over the mount fees during negotiations taking place over the last seven days.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Churchill pick six pays $21K; super high five $30K

LOUISVILLE, Ky.- The pick six fell Thursday at Churchill Downs after more than $3.1 million was wagered into it, while the super high five also was hit.

A winning $2 pick six ticket was worth $21,317.80, with the winning numbers in the sequence being 5-2-6-8-5-10. Churchill officials reported 134 perfect tickets being sold, with 11 of them sold ontrack. Tickets with 5 of 6 paid $171.60.

The super high five returned $30,912 for a $1 wager. Twenty winners were sold, one ontrack.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Musket Man targets Stephen Foster

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Musket Man, who finished third in Saturday's Churchill Downs Sprint, will probably make his next start in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 12, trainer Derek Ryan said Thursday.

Ryan was between the Stephen Foster and the Metropolitan Handicap on May 31 at Belmont Park, but he does not find the prospect of running against Quality Road in the Met too appealing.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

It all begins with a full entry box

AUBURN, Wash. - Lingering concerns about a horse shortage at Emerald Downs were momentarily put to rest Wednesday when horsemen submitted entries for the weekend. Saturday's nine-race card filled with 76 horses, an average of 8.44 per race, and Sunday's 10-race program attracted 83, or 8.3 per race. Average field size at Emerald in 2009 was 7.43 horses per race.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Borel again finds the spotlight can be harsh

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When Calvin Borel won his first Kentucky Derby three years ago aboard Street Sense, local racing fans were eager to show their appreciation on the next day of live racing at Churchill Downs. Before the first race on May 9, 2007, they surrounded the paddock, cheered heartily, and told Borel they knew he always had it in him.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Queen's Plate prospects in maiden race

The $100,000 Wando Stakes, which attracted a field of just five, will be the nominal feature here Saturday.

But the most interesting race on the card will be run a half-hour earlier with a full field of 14 maiden 3-year-olds slated to travel 1 1/16 miles in the fifth race.

Several Queen's Plate nominees are in the lineup and much of the attention will be focused on Mobilizer and Captain Canuck, who are coming out of the same 1 1/16- mile maiden race at Keeneland.

Mobilizer finished third there at 41-1 when making his first lifetime start for trainer Roger Attfield.

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Tribal Belle sharpens for Hendrie

Tribal Belle, trained by Jordan for the Canvasback Farm of Mark Wilshire, missed by a nose in her first start of the season in the six-furlong Whimsical here April 18.

Next Sunday, Jordan's name will be back on the program with Tribal Belle scheduled to run in the 6 1/2-furlong Hendrie.

"I think she ran really well," said Jordan, who sent out Tribal Belle to breeze five furlongs in 1:01.60 here Thursday. "The horse that beat her had a couple of starts this year."

Thu, 05/06/2010 - 00:00

Jordan active again with Hollywood Hit

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hollywood Hit will be looking to become the first-two time stakes winner of the Woodbine meeting when he races in Sunday's Grade 3 Vigil.

Hollywood Hit, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Peter Redekop, will have Terry Jordan back in his corner as the trainer has returned from a 30-day suspension resulting from a medication violation.