Mon, 11/02/2009 - 00:00

Keeneland fall meet handle rises

LEXINGTON - Average all-sources daily wagering on races from Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington for its 17 days of fall racing recovered strongly this year, up 8.7 percent, but the figures failed to restore wagering levels to the heights the track established prior to the recession, according to figures provided by the track.

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 00:00

Betfair customers to bet into Aqueduct pools

The British online betting giant Betfair will begin offering parimutuel betting on races run at the New York Racing Association's Aqueduct racetrack beginning with the track's next live card on Wednesday.

An agreement between the two companies will allow Betfair customers to use their existing accounts to bet into Aqueduct's commingled parimutuel pools. The agreement is similar to deals Betfair has reached over the past month with Keeneland, Oak Tree, Woodbine, Hawthorne, and the Breeders' Cup, among other U.S. racing organizations.

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 00:00

Thiskyhasnolimit captures Iroquois

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Thiskyhasnolimit drew off to a one-length victory in the Iroquois.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Thiskyhasnolimit can no longer be considered a morning glory. After disappointing his connections with a pair of losses in graded stakes this summer in New York, the quick-breezing colt broke through with a stakes victory Sunday, winning the $120,800, Grade 3 in decisive fashion.

Allowed to rate farther off the pace than usual, Thiskyhasnolimit followed the eventual runner-up Uh Oh Bango on the turn, and proved superior in the stretch, drawing off to a one-length victory and covering a mile under Shaun Bridgmohan on a fast track in 1:37.36.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 00:00

Criticism goes out a winner in the Long Island

The Goodbye Girls rule. A day after Unbridled Belle won the Turnback the Alarm in her final New York appearance, Darley Stable's Criticism ($3.30) turned in a similarly dominating performance to win Sunday's $150,000 for the second straight year.

Criticism, who posted the first of her five U.S. stakes victories in the 2008 Long Island, was making the final start of her career for trainer Tom Albertrani.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 00:00

Tribal Belle impressive winner at Woodbine

ETOBICOKE, Ontario Favored Tribal Belle ran them off their feet in Sunday's $161,600 at Woodbine, winning the six-furlong dash impressively under Jim McAleney.

Tribal Belle set fast fractions of :21.92 and :44.64 on an uncontested lead, and then drew away to prevail by 3 3/4 lengths over a closing Glitter Rox. Port Bonheur, last year s Ontario Fashion winner, finished a flat third in the nine- horse field of fillies and mares.

It was the second consecutive stakes score for Tribal Belle, who completed the distance in a rapid 1:08.83.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 00:00

Crisis of Spirit wins stakes debut at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. - Crisis of Spirit won her second consecutive sprint - and stakes debut - in Sunday's $63,672 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting. Jockey Mike Smith said the time has arrived to try her in longer races.

"I like the way she relaxed more," Smith said. "At Del Mar, she was very much on the muscle. The next time, she was better and today she was even better."

Crisis of Spirit was the third of four consecutive winners in Sunday's first four races for trainer Bob Baffert, the leading trainer at the Oak Tree ameeting.

Sat, 10/31/2009 - 00:00

Two ex-claimers win stakes for Brueggemann

STICKNEY, Ill. - Things had been a tad slow so far this Hawthorne fall meet for the barn of trainer Roger Brueggemann. That changed Saturday.

Brueggemann makes his living at the claim box, and former claimers Mighty Rule and Ripe Tomato won two of the six Illinois-bred stakes here.

Sat, 10/31/2009 - 00:00

Blame overtakes Parading in Fayette

The rapidly improving 3-year-old colt Blame got his first graded stakes victory on Saturday by running down the favorite in deep stretch in the Grade 2 at Keeneland.

Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Blame won ($6.60) by 1 1/4 lengths over Parading, the even-money favorite in the field of eight. With Jamie Theriot aboard, Blame ran the 1 1/8 miles over Keeneland's Polytrack surface in 1:50.54. Wicked Style was third.

Sat, 10/31/2009 - 00:00

Indian Ink proves uncatchable

Indian Ink broke from the gate on top and led every step of the way to win the $50,000 Scarlet and Gray at Beulah Park on Saturday.

Trained by Mike Rone, Indian Ink ($15.60) led by as many as eight lengths in the six-furlong race and was never challenged or pressed for the lead. Jockey Perry Ouzts kept Indian Ink, a 4-year-old filly, to task in the stretch and the final margin was four lengths.

Sat, 10/31/2009 - 00:00

Peppi Knows takes Juvenile by a head

Peppi Knows remained undefeated on dirt when he outfought 15-1 longshot Vital Argument to prevail by a head in Saturday's $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile Stakes.

Based at Penn National, where he was 2 for 2 before sustaining his first loss when he finished third in the $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, Peppi Knows went head to head with Vital Argument through the last quarter-mile of the six-furlong race and just held on.