Tue, 01/05/2010 - 00:00

Centeno out of hospital

Injured jockey Daniel Centeno was released from a Tampa hospital on Tuesday, two days after being kicked by a horse at Tampa Bay Downs.

Centeno was kicked in the chest before the seventh race on Sunday and taken to the intensive care unit of Town and Country Hospital. Centeno said on Tuesday that medical tests revealed no serious damage.

"I'm still very sore in that area," he said. "But I'm feeling much better than Sunday."

Centeno said he's not sure when he will return to riding but that he intends to get on horses Friday.

Tue, 01/05/2010 - 00:00

Poovey proves uncatchable

On paper, the lineup for Monday's $75,000 Sleigh Ride Stakes at Philadelphia Park looked loaded with early speed. On the racetrack, however, nobody challenged Poovey early and nobody could catch her late.

Shipping in from New Jersey for trainer Bruce Levine, the 5-year-old mare Poovey ($10.60) led wire to wire under jockey Kendrick Carmouche to score by 1 1/2 lengths in the mile-and-70-yard race for fillies and mares.

Our Khrysty, who lunged at the start, overcame the bad break to finish second as the 2-1 favorite, a length in front of 34-1 longshot Marija's Wish.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Miyadi trains 1,000th winner

Trainer Steve Miyadi recorded the 1,000th winner of his training career, saddling Shesgoinghollywood for a 2 1/4-lengthvictory in Saturday's first race at Golden Gate Fields.

Russell Baze guided the favored Shesgoinghollywood ($5.20) to victory in the 1 1/16-mile starter allowance race.

The 52-year-old Miyadi saddled his first winner, Wachira, at Del Mar in 1987. He is best known as the trainer of Drag Race, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in 1989, and Music Prospector, fourth in the 1990 Preakness.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Injured Tampa jockey still in ICU

Jockey Daniel Centeno, a three-time leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs, remained in the intensive care unit of the Town and Country Hospital in Tampa, Fla., on Monday afternoon after being injured in a paddock accident on Sunday.

Centeno was taken to the hospital after being kicked in the chest before the seventh race. Centeno was taken from the paddock secured to a back board but was reported by track officials to be conscious and alert at the time.

Centeno was second in the Tampa standings with 15 wins, one behind Rosemary Homeister Jr.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Gulfstream opener handle drops

All-sources handle on the opening-day program Sunday at Gulfstream Park was down substantially from last year's opening day, which came on a Saturday.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Biancone off on right foot

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Patrick Biancone plans to shuttle between Florida and the West Coast this winter.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - It's been 10 years since trainer Patrick Biancone has stabled a regular string at Gulfstream Park. But it certainly didn't take long for the veteran horseman to let people know he was back.

Biancone won the first race on Sunday's opening-day program with Grand Captain, a 4-year-old son of Grand Slam who earned his diploma with a come-from-behind victory over the favored Causeway's Kin.

"I was leading trainer for a half-hour," the good-humored Biancone said at his barn on Monday.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Gio Ponti gets in breeze

ARCADIA, Calif. - Gio Ponti, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Classic in November, breezed three furlongs in 36.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first workout since the BC Classic.

Trainer Christophe Clement said he is considering the San Antonio Handicap or two races at Gulfstream Park - the $500,000 Donn Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on dirt on Feb. 6 or the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes over a mile on Feb. 20. The Dubai World Cup is a long-term goal.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Ruthless rescheduled for Sunday

With Aqueduct canceling last Sunday's card due to extreme cold and high winds, the $65,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs has been rescheduled for this Sunday. The race will be open to all original nominees - supplemental nominees can also be made - and will be redrawn Thursday.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Laus Deo earns trip to Florida

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Laus Deo, winner of the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, will be joining trainer Tony Dutrow's string at the Palm Meadows training center in south Florida later this week.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Laus Deo's front-running victory in Saturday's at Aqueduct earned him a ticket out of New York for the remainder of the winter. While his connections haven't picked out where the promising 3-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro will make his next start, they have ruled out the $100,000 Whirlaway here Feb. 6.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 00:00

Ness changes his focus

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Trainer Jamie Ness's 2009 season can best be described as mind-boggling. Ness won training titles here at Tampa Bay Downs and at Presque Isle, finishing the year with 258 wins, fourth best in the nation. He won with 32 percent of his starters.

This year, Ness, a 32-year-old native of South Dakota, plans to try and put the emphasis on quality instead of quantity.