Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

P. Val resumes riding at new home

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela was last in the Louisiana Downs winner's circle in 1989, aboard Sunday Silence following the Super Derby. Sunday, he hopes to be back in that same enclosure after he rides three horses on the card in Bossier City, La.

The mounts are Valenzuela's first since Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. His conditional license in California was revoked shortly afterward for a DUI charge, but he is in good standing in Louisiana, where he rode in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Jackpot the first weekend in December at Delta Downs.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Wine Tasting Room back on favorite track

Things didn't go so well for the 4-year-old filly Wine Tasting Room when she returned at Turf Paradise this spring after a vacation. But with two races under her belt and - most importantly - a return to the track she thinks she owns, she figures to get her back to her best in Sunday's $15,000 Yavapai Classic Handicap at Yavapai. The six-furlong event for fillies and mares lured a field of nine.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Shippers look best in La Verendrye

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – A field of nine fillies and mares, including seven stakes winners, will go postward in Sunday’s six-furlong La Verendrye Stakes at Assiniboia Downs. The four leading contenders have all shipped in to Winnipeg to try and grab the winner’s share of the $50,000 purse.

R Lucinda comes into the La Verendrye with three consecutive victories to her credit to start the 2008 season, two of them over the Stampede Park oval. Sandwiched in between a pair of allowance victories, R?Lucinda won the $50,000 Alberta Sales Stakes at the La Verendrye distance.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Monterey Jazz done for 2008

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Monterey Jazz, one of the nation's top main-track milers, sustained a foot injury in a workout at Hollywood Park on May 21 and will be sidelined until the end of the year, trainer Craig Dollase said.

The injury, which was to the coffin bone, was found earlier this week after Monterey Jazz was sent to the Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic in Los Olivos, Calif. Monterey Jazz, 4, is expected to miss four to six months of training, but will not need surgery, Dollase said.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

$166,135 pick-six carryover

ELMONT, N.Y. - Victories by Stud Muffin ($40.20) in the Noble Nashua Stakes and Positive Prospect ($11.60) in the nightcap ensured a two-day pick-six carryover of $166,135 entering Saturday's card at Belmont Park.

The pick six on Saturday is on races 5 through 10. Five of the races in the sequence are scheduled for the turf, including the Grade 3, $150,000 Sands Point Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

However, there is rain in the forecast for Saturday.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Track vet leaving for Kentucky

MIAMI - The Calder racing community has lost a number of key people since the meet began and will say goodbye to another integral and very popular member of the family later this month when Dr. Mary Scollay packs her bags and heads for Kentucky.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Apprentice gets off to strong start

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Apprentice jockey Jayson Rodriguez couldn't have gotten off to a better start at Hastings. Rodriguez seemed to appear out of nowhere - actually it was Panama - and he arrived at Hastings with little or no fanfare two weeks ago.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Catlaunch goes wire to wire

Catlaunch won the Michael F. Rowland Memorial Handicap at Thistledown by 2 3/4 lengths over five Ohio-bred 3-year-old and upward rivals Friday afternoon. Ramblin Mike finished second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Go Johnny Go in third.

Catlaunch, under Ivan Gonzalez, made the lead a few strides out of the gate, repulsed strong challenges from Purple Sutherland and then Go Johnny Go, then drew off in late stretch to get the six furlongs in 1:11.12 over the fast racing strip. He returned $3.20 as the favorite. He is owned by Scioto Farm and trained by Ivan Vazquez.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Two carryovers Friday night

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - For the first time at the spring-summer meeting, Hollywood Park has two carryovers on the same program on Friday evening.

There is a $69,836 carryover in the pick six, and a carryover of $56,425 in the $1 Super High Five, which is offered on the last race.

The pick six covers the third through eighth races on a program that begins at 7 p.m. Pacific. The pick six has five races on the main track, four of which are sprints, and one turf race, the seventh race, a claiming race over six furlongs.

Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00

Are Casse's maidens Plate worthy?

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial will be squarely in the spotlight here at Woodbine on Sunday, there is another race on the undercard that could have a bearing on the lineup for the $1 million Queen's Plate.

Race 2, a 1 1/8-mile route for maidens, has attracted no less than seven Canadian-bred 3-year-olds who are under consideration for the June 22 Queen's Plate.

That group includes Grazettes Landing and One Adam Twelve, both of whom are trained by Mark Casse.