Sat, 11/08/2008 - 00:00

Favorites sweep divisions of Jersey Futurity

Heavy favorites A Dynamite Time ($4.20) and Love That Dance ($2.40) swept the two divisions of the New Jersey Futurity at the Meadowlands.

Both races were worth $60,000 and were contested at six furlongs over a muddy, sealed track.

In the open division, Carlos Marquez Jr. guided A Dynamite Time to a 1 1/4-length victory over Trust Luc.

Sat, 11/08/2008 - 00:00

Churchill cuts purses 10 percent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Citing soft business levels stemming from a struggling economy and unresolved negotiations with horsemen over distribution of the Churchill Downs simulcast signal to most account wagering outlets, Churchill Downs announced Friday evening a 10 percent cut in overnight purses for its fall meet and two stakes purse reductions.

The affected stakes are the Grade 2 Clark Handicap Nov. 28, and the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap Nov. 27. The Clark Handicap purse will be cut by $100,000 to $400,000, and the Falls City purse by $50,000 to $150,000.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Bettor hits $12K score on ticket error

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Being lucky is a lot better than being good at calling out numbers, as one longtime Churchill Downs fan discovered Thursday.

Charles "C.P." Essex bet $72 into the early pick four at Churchill, employing a $1 part-wheel strategy that intended to use Nos. 1, 3, and 7 in the second leg of the wager.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Cocoa Beach to supplement to Matriarch on turf

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cocoa Beach, second in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 24, has remained in California and is a likely starter in the $500,000 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 30.

Rick Mettee, assistant trainer to Saeed bin Suroor, said that Cocoa Beach will be supplemented to the Matriarch Stakes later this month. The one-mile race is the final Grade 1 for fillies and mares on grass this year.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Glorious Smile upsets Blue Mountain Juvenile

Glorious Smile, unable to beat maiden claimers in her first two career starts, picked the right time to deliver a breakthrough performance.

Sent to the lead for the first time in her career by jockey Jose Flores, Glorious Smile ($38.20) sped to a 2 3/4-length victory over even-money favorite Sky Haven in Thursday night's $75,000 Blue Mountain Juvenile for 2-year-old Pennsylvania-bred fillies at Penn National.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Ginger Brew makes Sovereign bid

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's Jammed Lovely Stakes will have significance beyond the immediate for Ginger Brew.

The $150,000 Jammed Lovely, a seven-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies, will be the third start in Canada this year for Ginger Brew, which just happens to be the minimum required for consideration in Sovereign Award voting.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Hollywood carryover hits $232,000

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A two-day pick six carryover of $232,349, the largest of the Hollywood Park fall meeting, will be the focus on Friday evening's eight-race program.

An upset win by Majestic Diamond ($67) in Thursday's seventh race and a loss by 7-5 favorite Flew First Class in the last race assured the carryover.

Friday's program begins at 7:05 p.m. Pacific; the pick six races are the third through eighth races.

Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:00

Midshipman to Dubai, thinking Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Midshipman, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will prepare in Dubai for the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Midshipman, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was recently sent from California to Kentucky to begin a quarantine process that will lead to him being shipped to Dubai this winter, trainer Bob Baffert said.

Midshipman was acquired earlier this year by Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai when he purchased most of the assets of Stonerside Stable. The colt will join Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin stable, which spends the winters in Dubai.

Thu, 11/06/2008 - 00:00

Wohler has a knack for fine imports

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The German-based trainer Andreas Wohler has done a pretty good job over the years selecting which of his horses would fit in North American stakes. Horses such as Silvano, Paolini, and Simonas have finished first or second in Grade 1 events in North America, with Silvano winning the 2001 Arlington Million.

Thu, 11/06/2008 - 00:00

All eyes on Frolic's Dream on Florida Million card

MIAMI - There may be more recognizable names on Saturday's $1.2 million Florida Million program at Calder than Frolic's Dream. But nobody in the eight statebred stakes races will be under closer scrutiny than the speedy 2-year-old filly when she goes off as the overwhelming favorite in the $150,000 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies Stakes.