Sat, 07/12/2008 - 00:00

Benny the Bull runs off with Smile

MIAMI - Benny the Bull continued to prove he's a road warrior while solidifying his position atop the nation's sprint division with a convincing two-length victory over local longshot How's Your Halo in Saturday's $400,000 Smile Handicap at Calder. The Grade 2 Smile highlighted Calder's marquee event, the Summit of Speed, which included three other graded stakes topped by the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap.

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 00:00

One turn helps Mistical Plan turn it around

MIAMI - Mistical Plan, who has spent most of her career racing at distances of a mile and beyond, may have found her true niche when she turned back to six furlongs to dominate Saturday's $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap by 5 3/4 lengths over Miraculous Miss. Dream Rush, the even-money favorite, finished a tiring third.

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 00:00

Emerald trainer Chambers suspended

The Emerald Downs board of stewards has suspended Mike Chambers, one of the nation's leading trainers in terms of win percentage, for 45 days as a result of a positive test for clenbutorol.

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 00:00

Miss Blue Tye Dye an easy winner

Miss Blue Tye Dye made it look easy when defeating four other Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares in the $75,000 Ga Hai at Presque Isle Friday night.

Unhurried, early in the six-furlong event, Miss Blue Tye Dye, under jockey Frankie Pennington, circled the field on the turn and drew off to win by 3 1/4 lengths while being taken in hand late. Trained by Bob Reid Jr., Miss Blue Tye Dye returned $3.60 as the favorite and ran the six furlongs in 1.10.67 over the Tapeta surface. She's Fancy Free was second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Meana Teena.

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 00:00

El Sinaloense goes after barn's biggest win

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Juan Olmos will be trying to win his first stakes race in Canada when he runs El Sinaloense in the $50,000 Ladnesian Stakes at Hastings Racecourse on Sunday.

Olmos, 38, started training horses in Mexico in 1999. He won a stakes races in Mexico City before he moved to Vancouver from his homeland in 2002.

“Actually, it happened during my first week as a trainer,” he said. “I won three races including a stakes. That’s been my only stakes win, though.”

Fri, 07/11/2008 - 00:00

An academic earns a racing degree

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The racetrack is known as a school of hard knocks, where backstretch workers must deal on a daily basis with varying degrees of adversity. Michelle Nihei already has a doctorate in neuroscience, so why in the world would she want to train racehorses?

"When you spend every waking hour thinking of racehorses," said Nihei, "and you spend all your spare time being around them, it just made sense to switch careers like I did."

Fri, 07/11/2008 - 00:00

Super Dixie has a familiar look to Harwood

AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Doris Harwood knows what it is like to train an exceptional 2-year-old filly, having campaigned the brilliant Smarty Deb last year. She thinks she may have another of that ilk in Super Dixie, who will likely be favored in Sunday's $50,000 Angie C. Stakes at six furlongs.

"She is well named," said Harwood. "She is super. She is just so smart and so classy, she has impressed everyone who has been around her. At this stage, I'd say she is very comparable to Smarty Deb."

Fri, 07/11/2008 - 00:00

Sunny days again in Florida

MIAMI - What a difference a purse contract makes.

Fri, 07/11/2008 - 00:00

McFarlane's horse will do the running this time

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Dan McFarlane can easily recall his first encounter with the horrors of opening-day traffic at Del Mar.

A few years ago, McFarlane fetched a friend at the airport a few hours before first post only to find himself in a severe traffic jam near the racetrack. With race time for one of his runners closing in, McFarlane did the only thing he could think of: He left his friend in the car and

started jogging toward the track.

"Here, you take over the controls," he recalls saying. "I've got to get to the receiving barn."

Fri, 07/11/2008 - 00:00

Promising fillies take next step

AUBURN, Wash. – Maiden special weight winners Super Dixie and Cherokee Echo will head a field of 10 fillies in Sunday’s initial 2-year-old stakes of the Emerald Downs meeting, the $50,000 Angie C. at six furlongs.