Trainer Steve Asmussen said this week that War Echo would not be at her best for the on Saturday at Fair Grounds, but she was plenty good enough to win.
Victorious for the second time in a row after a poor comeback race following an injury layoff, War Echo squeezed through a narrow hole at the top of the stretch and went on to a 3 1/2-length victory in the inaugural edition of the $100,000 Daily Racing Form.
Song of Navarone, who has not lost a race at Sunland Park since 2006, could defend his title in the track's $50,000 Winsham Lad Handicap next month, said his trainer, Henry Dominguez. The one-mile race will be run Jan. 9.
Song of Navarone has compiled a nearly perfect record at Sunland, where he has won 5 of 6 starts, including the $600,000 WinStar Derby in 2007. His lone loss at the New Mexico track came by a neck, in the $136,000 Riley Allison Futurity on Dec. 31, 2006.
Through all the success that earned him induction into racing's Hall of Fame earlier this year, trainer Bob Baffert has one trophy missing from his collection - the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, the opening day fixture of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.
Baffert was second in 1997 with Silver Charm and third in 2006 with Midnight Lute, so it's not as if he has not started good horses in the race.
This year, he is considering two 3-year-olds for Saturday's $300,000 Malibu - Misremembered and Mythical Power.
MIAMI - After weathering plenty of bumps in the road to begin December, it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way for racing secretary Mike Anifantis and his crew. Plenty of good racing is in the offing for the final two weeks of the Tropical at Calder session, which ends Jan. 2.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Carlsbad, a winner of seven of 10 career starts and more than $435,000, suffered a fatal injury galloping out at the conclusion of a seven-furlong workout shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jeff Mullins said Carlsbad suffered an open fracture of her right ankle on the clubhouse turn after completing her workout, which was timed in 1:26.80. The 3-year-old Arizona-bred filly was bred and owned by Dennis Weir.
Turf Paradise will offer night-time simulcasting beginning Saturday, Dec. 26.
"With the closing of Phoenix Greyhound Park, the opportunity was there for us to introduce nighttime simulcasting as a way to boost purses for our horsemen," said Eugene Joyce, the track's president and general manager. "Turf Paradise and select OTBs will be offering full cards from nighttime tracks, seven nights a week."
Fair Grounds will add a super high five wager to the final race of the day beginning Dec. 26, replacing the superfecta on that race. If no one correctly picks the first five finishers in order on the same ticket, there will be a carryover to the final race of the next racing day.
Trainer Steve DiMauro said his father - former trainer Steve DiMauro Sr. - used to tell him stories about occasional flooding in the Gulfstream Park barn area.
"He used to tell me it got so bad at times that he'd seen tack boxes floating down the roads between the barns," the young DiMauro said Friday. "Up until this morning, I thought he was joking."
Supreme Summit, unraced since a second in the Damascus Stakes at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, is one of trainer Doug O'Neill's two hopes for the $300,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday's opening-day program.
The layoff does not concern O'Neill.
"I think he's a horse that thrives with more time between races," he said. "He's an honest horse."
After 10 stakes races this weekend, the Fair Grounds season takes a breather, with only one stakes scheduled for next weekend.
The $60,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf, has several nice horses listed as probable starters.
They include Demarcation, the winner of the Grade 3 Ack Ack at Churchill, and local standout Get Rich Quick, who had two wins and a second place from three starts last year over the local turf course.
