Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Sky Mom finds good spot for first win of season

Sky Mom looks to return to her old form Saturday at Presque Isle Downs when she faces 11 fillies and mares in the $100,000 Windward.

Trainer Al Stall is confident that will happen in the one-mile Windward, which will be held over Presque Isle's Tapeta surface.

"She is kind of finicky about the kind of track she runs on," he said. "She has been training at Keeneland and loves the Polytrack there. I am sure she will like the surface at Presque Isle."

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Euphony seeking 7th straight in Lady Canterbury

Jack Coady/Coady Photography
Euphony gets up to win the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows under rider Cliff Berry in her most recent start.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Trainer Donnie Von Hemel chuckled when asked what he thought of Euphony's chances in Saturday's $100,000 Lady Canterbury. After all, what could he say? Euphony has won 9 of 11 career starts. She has won her last six, all in stakes company, and figures to rule a prohibitive favorite Saturday.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Haskell purse raised to $1.25 million

Barbara D. Livingston
Papa Clem is "95 percent" certain for the Haskell, according to his trainer, Gary Stute.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Rachel Alexandra, Summer Bird, and company will be running for enhanced money in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.

Monmouth Park added $250,000 to the Haskell on Thursday, lifting the purse to $1.25 million for the biggest event of the meet on Aug. 2.

The winner's share will be $700,000. Second is worth $250,000; third, $125,000; fourth, $85,000; and fifth, $50,000. All other runners get $20,000.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Competition lures Baze to Minnesota

Benoit & Associates
All-time winningest jockey Russell Baze will ride six races Saturday.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - There certainly is precedent for Hall of Fame jockeys to find their way to Canterbury Park in the northern reaches of the American heartland. Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., Pat Day, and Julie Krone all made appearances here at one time or another, while Sandy Hawley and Mike Smith were regulars during the track's infancy in the mid-to-late 1980s.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Del Mar opener has record crowd

DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar set an all-time ontrack attendance record of 44,907 for Wednesday's opening-day program, but the handle figures failed to keep pace with 2008.

The attendance figure was higher than the previous record of 44,181 set for the 1996 Pacific Classic, and higher than the 2008 opening-day audience of 43,459, the previous record for opening day. Ontrack attendance for opening day has risen annually since 2005.

"I was pleased with the crowd," track president Joe Harper said. "I thought it would be smaller than it was."

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Bejarano surgery a success

Benoit & Associates
Jockey Rafael Bejarano could be back riding in two to three weeks with a protective mask on his face.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Jockey Rafael Bejarano, injured in a terrifying accident at Del Mar on Wednesday, underwent surgery early Thursday morning on his fractured left cheek and jaw. It went so well that he could be back in action by the middle of Del Mar's meeting next month, his agent, Joe Ferrer, said Thursday morning.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Afleet Eagle draws off in Oceanside

DEL MAR, Calif. - Afleet Eagle was sent from California to Toronto in the spring to start in two synthetic track stakes at Woodbine. He missed both races because of illness.

It turns out his first stakes win occurred where his career started, back in Southern California. Making his stakes and turf debut, Afleet Eagle stormed clear in the final furlong of Wednesday's $112,800 Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Beautiful people and fabulous hats

Benoit & Associates
Del Mar opened its 70th meeting on Wednesday with plenty of action for celebrity watchers and horse bettors alike.

DEL MAR, Calif. - They came from near and far for opening day at Del Mar on Wednesday, from the valleys to "The Hills."

Audrina Patridge, of the MTV series "The Hills," without co-star Lauren Conrad - certainly without Heidi and Spencer Pratt - was among the parade of celebrities and wanna-bes parading around Del Mar on Wednesday, when the track kicked off its 70th summer season on a warm afternoon.

Thu, 07/23/2009 - 00:00

Bejarano suffers broken jaw, nose

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Jockey Rafael Bejarano suffered multiple facial fractures on Wednesday's opening-day card at Del Mar when his mount, Mi Rey, broke down badly and dropped the rider in the stretch run of the third race.

Bejarano was taken to Scripps Hospital in nearby La Jolla, where X-rays revealed he had fractures of the jaw, nose, and orbital bones, according to Dr. Philip Sanderson, who examined Bejarano in the track's first-aid station before he was taken to the hospital.

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 00:00

Double Malt takes turf debut in Passing Mood

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Double Malt ($13.70) came charging from off the pace to prevail in her first turf try Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $125,800 Passing Mood Stakes.

Executive Deed and Koonunga Hill linked up on the lead in the seven-furlong sprint, dueling through splits of 22.70 and 45.54. Double Malt commenced a rally from about five lengths back at the head of the stretch, and she overtook Executive Deed late to win by a half-length, in a time of 1:22.53.