Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Stonehouse suprises in Mineshaft

Louis Hodges Jr.
Jody Slew (outside) nails Quiet Temper on the wire in the Grade 3 Silverbulletday.

NEW ORLEANS - Stonehouse surprised everyone but his trainer as he put a neck in front of General Quarters to win the at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Sent early to tackle heavy favorite Friesan Fire early in the 1 1/16-mile Mineshaft, General Quarters dueled with the odds-on favorite, eventually wearing him down. Stonehouse, the longest shot in the field, bid three wide at the top of the stretch, as Friesan Fire began to fade.

With Stonehouse coming on, General Quarters was headed, then re-rallied, and just missed.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

D' Funnybone rebounds in Hutcheson

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - D' Funnybone may still have questions to answer regarding stamina, but he reaffirmed his status as a quality 3-year-old after rallying to a very professional one-length victory over A Little Warm in Saturday's at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Karelian bests Gio Ponti by a nose

Tom Cooley
Although Gio Ponti lost a head bob to Karelian, foreground, in the Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup, the race should set Gio Ponti up well for the Dubai World Cup, according to trainer Christophe Clement.

Gio Ponti's return to the races didn't go quite as planned Saturday as Karelian got loose on an easy lead under Rosemary Homeister and was able to hold off the multiple Eclipse Award champion Gio Ponti by a nose in the at Tampa Bay Downs.

Gio Ponti, the turf and older male champion of 2009, was making his first start since finishing second to Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita last November. His connections - trainer Christophe Clement and owner Shane Thomas Ryan - were using this race as a prep for the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 27.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Noble's Promise works toward Rebel

Photos By Z/Keeneland
Noble's Promise, winner of the Breeders' Futurity, is likely to make his 3-year-old debut in the Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - While many of the leading Kentucky Derby candidates stabled in south Florida ran here Saturday afternoon in the Hutcheson and Fountain of Youth, another member of that elite group, Noble's Promise, did his major work earlier that morning when he worked four furlongs in 48.40 seconds for trainer Ken McPeek.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Life At Ten cruises in Rare Treat

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Life at Ten, with Richard Migliore up, led all the way in the Rare Treat.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - As far as Richard Migliore is concerned, he got paid to go horseback riding Saturday at Aqueduct.

Migliore was aboard Life At Ten, who broke on top and never looked back in cruising to a 5 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $65,000 Rare Treat Stakes. Starship Angel, who was a bit of trouble in the gate, chased Life At Ten the entire trip and finished second, 16 lengths ahead of Pumpkin Shell. Yet Again and Borrowing Base completed the order of finish on a day when front-runners won the first five races.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Beulah to run four make-up days

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Beulah Park has been granted permission to run on Fridays in March by the Ohio State Racing Commission. Beulah Park management asked for the extra days to make up for days lost to winter storms and heavy snow that forced the cancellation of six racing cards in February.

Beulah will run March 5, 12, 19, and 26. Races for March 5 are not in the current condition book, but can be found online at BeulahPark.com and in the racing office. The new condition books will include the other added Fridays.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

A Jealous Woman headed to stakes next

ARCADIA, Calif. - Bill Spawr could not contain his excitement. A Jealous Woman had just extended her winning streak to four with a half-length win in an optional claimer at Santa Anita on Friday, and Spawr was looking toward the future.

"This is the real deal," Spawr said. "I don't know how good she is."

Ridden by Joe Talamo, A Jealous Woman won the longest race of her career on Friday and faced her strongest competition. She led throughout the 1 1/8-mile turf race and held off a late run from Welken, who was seeking her fourth consecutive win.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00

Hazelton to saddle final starter today

Richard Hazelton, among the leading trainers by career wins in the United States, sen out his final starter Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course.

Hazelton's stable has declined significantly in numbers during the last year. At the start of the Hawthorne meet, on Feb. 12, Hazelton had only five horses under his care. He said he has sent three horses owned by Richard Radke to trainer Rusty Hellman, who already had picked up horses for Radke, and will send the final two, owned by Craig Besinger, to trainer Wayne Catalano.

Fri, 02/19/2010 - 00:00

Jockey Wade suffers neck fracture in spill

Jockey Lyndie Wade suffered fractures to multiple vertebrae in his neck after being thrown from a mount Friday at Hawthorne and was released from the hospital wearing a neck brace, according to a Hawthorne news release.

During the fifth race at Hawthorne, Wade was thrown to the ground when his mount, Millennium Park, broke down.

Wade was transported to Loyola Medical Center, where his injuries were diagnosed. He expects to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

Millennium Park was euthanized.

Fri, 02/19/2010 - 00:00

Maximus Ruler might gallop soon

Maximus Ruler, forced out of the Risen Star Stakes with a foot bruise, appears to have regained his health and could work again sometime before next weekend, trainer Clark Hanna said Friday morning.

Maximus Ruler jogged Wednesday, his first day on the track after the injury was detected, and walked the shed row Thursday before jogging again Friday. Hanna said Maximus Ruler, who was second in the Lecomte Stakes, could begin galloping again Sunday. If all goes well and Hanna can begin working Maximus Ruler again, the colt could still make the Louisiana Derby, Hanna said.