Sun, 11/22/2009 - 00:00

Three in row for Groomedforvictory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Groomedforvictory drew off to a 3 1/4-length victory over Naughty New Yorker in Sunday's $67,000 for New York-breds at Aqueduct.

A 4-year-old gelding trained by Barclay Tagg, Groomedforvictory got his third straight win, all against statebreds.

The 6-5 favorite, Groomedforvictory ($4.40) and jockey Ramon Dominguez pressed the pace set by Be Bullish before taking charge on the turn and opening up at the top of the lane.

Naughty New Yorker rallied from eighth to nail down the place spot.

The time was 1:36.74 for one mile on a fast track.

Sun, 11/22/2009 - 00:00

Russell Road remains king of West Virginia

Russell Road reaffirmed his status as the best West Virginia-bred in training by cruising to his fifth straight stakes victory Saturday night at Charles Town.

Five weeks after he dominated older horses in the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders' Classic, the 3-year-old Russell Road ($2.20) romped to an eight-length score in the $51,100 A Huevo Stakes for statebreds.

Ridden by Travis Dunkelberger for trainer James W. Casey, Russell Road completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.66 -- slightly more than two seconds faster than his win over an extremely sloppy track in last month's Classic.

Sun, 11/22/2009 - 00:00

Shudacudawudya overcomes trouble

ALBANY, Calif. - Despite clipping heels and stumbling midway around the turn, Shudacudawudya rallied to win the $62,900 Golden Nugget Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

A 2-year-old son of Marino Marini owned and bred by Bret Mason, Shudacudawudya held off favored Sourdough Sam, whose closing rush fell three-quarters of a length short in the six-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds. Sourdough Sam edged Shudacudawudya by a similar margin in their previous start.

Pacesetter Tiny Woods was third another 1 lengths back. Shudcudawudya won in 1:09.46 and paid $21.40.

Sun, 11/22/2009 - 00:00

Gomez released from hospital

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Garrett Gomez, taken to a local hospital after his mount in the final race on Saturday at Hollywood Park, the 2-year-old filly Bonnie Brown Eyes, fatally broke down near the sixteenth pole while leading the race, was released from the hospital about 6:30 p.m. Saturday night.

"He's sore. He's going home. Nothing's broken," reported his agent, Ron Anderson.

Gomez's was X-rayed for possible injuries to a shoulder and an elbow, according to Mike Mooney, Hollywood Park's publicity director.

Sun, 11/22/2009 - 00:00

Twin Sparks sets world record at Turf Paradise

Twin Sparks has always been a fast horse but likely no one knew the 6-year-old was this fast. All the son of Twining did Saturday while winning Turf Paradise's $50,000 Caballos del Sol Handicap was set a world record for six furlongs. His final time of 1:06.49 surpassed the previous mark of 1:06.53, set by Bob Black Jack at Santa Anita on Jan. 26, 2008.

Ridden by Luis Medina, Twin Sparks bounced right out to the lead and expanded his margin from there, eventually winning by 11 1/4 lengths. Longshot Bobadieu was second with Goin' Dancing third in the field of nine.

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 00:00

American Lion handles class jump in Prevue

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The highly touted American Lion made the successful jump from the maiden ranks to stakes competition when he scored a half-length victory in the on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

American Lion ($3.40) sat in third place during the early going as Macias, trained by Bob Baffert, led stablemate Indian Firewater through fractions of 22.59 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.81 seconds for a half-mile. Julien Leparoux, who flew in for the mount, began asking American Lion aggressively on the turn, but it took him another furlong to find his best stride.

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 00:00

Acoma wins stretch battle in Cardinal

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Acoma (left) duels with You Go West Girl on her way to victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Acoma probably earned herself another year of racetrack life when she bounced back from two last-place finishes to post a hard-fought victory Saturday in the 36th running of the at Churchill Downs.

With Jesus Castanon riding for trainer David Carroll, Acoma outnodded You Go West Girl following a torrid duel through the final furlong of the Cardinal, a 1 1/8-mile turf race contested by nine fillies and mares.

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 00:00

Smokey Fire gets stakes win in Kennedy Road

Michael Burns
Smokey Fire, with Emma Wilson up, wins his first stakes in Saturday's Kennedy Road at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Smokey Fire won his first stakes over Grade 2 winner Field Commission and 20-1 outsider Signature Red in the at Woodbine on Saturday.

Home for Harlan set a lively early pace in the six-furlong dash, before Signature Red assumed command through a half-mile in 44.81 seconds. Smokey Fire made a four-wide bid on the turn and then hit the front at the eighth pole before holding off Field Commission to win by three-quarters of a length, in a time of 1:08.49.

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 00:00

Gathering Dreams upsets Bricker

Gathering Dreams came from just off the early pace to upset a field of eight Ohio accredited fillies and mares in the $55,000 Bobbie Bricker Memorial at Beulah Park on Saturday.

Heavily favored Indian Ink set the pace to upper stretch but could not go with Gathering Dreams late. Jockey Luis Gonzalez kept Gathering Dreams to the outside and never more than three lengths back in the 1 1/16-mile event. Gonzalez asked the 3-year-old filly for her best, and she responded in the drive, drawing off to win by three lengths. Sarasponda finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Indian Ink.

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 00:00

Haynesfield pulls clear in Discovery

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Haynesfield wins Saturday's Discovery Handicap by 4 1/2 lengths.

Haynesfield, who four weeks earlier scored his richest victory in the $250,000 Empire Classic against older New York-bred rivals, captured his first graded stakes victory in Saturday's for 3-year-olds.