Mon, 12/22/2008 - 00:00

Vacare wins career finale in Dahlia

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Vacare gave trainer Christophe Clement the 1,000th winner of his career in Sunday's $150,000 Dahlia Handicap at Hollywood Park. This victory was one he was allowed to keep.

Clement thought he had scored his 1,000th win at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday with La Hernanda, but the horse was disqualified for causing interference.

Vacare made no such mistakes. Ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., Vacare ($3.60) rallied from fourth in the final quarter-mile to catch Gotta Have Her in the final sixteenth and win by a length.

Mon, 12/22/2008 - 00:00

Pioneerof the Nile by nose in CashCall

Benoit Photo
Pioneerof the Nile and jockey Garrett Gomez duel with I Want Revenge and Joe Talamo (inside) en route to a narrow win in the CashCall Futurity.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It's a long way from the CashCall Futurity to the Kentucky Derby, but the road there looked a little shorter for Pioneerof the Nile following his hard-fought victory over I Want Revenge in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cash Call Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Pioneerof the Nile ($4.80), the favorite, prevailed by a nose over I Want Revenge in the 1 1/16-mile race, but it was the prospect of what he had done to date, and what the future holds, that had his connections so excited after the race.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Turfway calls off Sunday card

Turfway Park canceled its nine-race card for Sunday, citing the probability of strong winds and single-digit wind-chill temperatures in the greater Cincinnati area.

The 12-race Saturday card was run in its entirety and without incident. With the Christmas holiday interrupting the regular schedule, racing will resume Friday, with first post set for 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Ask Joe upsets Sugar Bowl

Lynn Roberts
Ask Joe covered six furlongs in 1:10.53, paying $24.80 to win.

Last-start 2-year-old maiden winner Leigh McLovin successfully made the jump into stakes competition as she was favored to do Saturday, winning the Letellier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday's five-stakes racing program in New Orleans. But things did not come as easily for last-start maiden winner It Happened Again, who was never a factor as the mild favorite in the $60,000 Sugar Bowl for 2-year-old males, a race in which Ask Joe gave trainer Steve Klesaris his first win of the Fair Grounds meeting.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Queen of Song romps in mud

Queen of Song registered a dominant victory in the $48,500 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, pulling away to win by five widening lengths on a muddy, sealed track.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Step Out Smartly rallies in Gowell

Step Out Smartly launched a torrid rally down the center of the Polytrack and went on to post a 1 1/4-length victory over Lady's Laughter in the $50,000 Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Bai and Bai ends three-race skid

The comfort of facing California-bred females helped Bai and Bai end a three-race losing streak in Saturday's $77,225 Cat's Cradle Handicap at Hollywood Park.

The win may have come in Bai and Bai's second-to-last career start. Trainer Craig Dollase said earlier in the week that Bai and Bai would be bred in early 2009 and may have one more start in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff at Santa Anita on Jan. 24.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Asmussen, Bridgmohan pair for two

NEW ORLEANS - Steve Asmussen has been sending his horses to rating school, and two of his star pupils showed the results of their lessons in stakes racing Saturday at the Fair Grounds, with Jimmy Simms taking the Woodchoper and Storm Treasure winning the Bonapaw.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Barn has high hopes for Medaglia d'Onore

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jamie Sanders snuck up on the big guys when she burst on the national scene at Saratoga in 2006 with a promising colt named Teuflesberg. Teuflesberg went on to capture five races during his career, including the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, and ran in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

This winter, the folks at the Sanders barn are hoping they have another top prospect on their hands in a rapidly maturing Medaglia d'Oro colt named Medaglia d'Onore.

Sat, 12/20/2008 - 00:00

Proud Tower Too nears return

Proud Tower Too indicated his readiness to return from a nearly two-year layoff on Friday morning with a major six-furlong work at his Sunland Park base. Trainer Sal Gonzalez said he would love to see Proud Tower Too, the 2006 winner of the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, make another appearance in the Golden Shaheen this coming March. The first step could come in the next three weeks, in an overnight race at Sunland.