Fri, 06/20/2008 - 00:00

Pay the Man best of Feliciano's trio

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Trainer Miguel Feliciano holds a strong hand in the $50,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap on Saturday as he will saddle three of the eight fillies and mares entered. Feliciano's three horses are owned by the Pyrite Stable but will compete as separate entities in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

Fri, 06/20/2008 - 00:00

Mac N Mayo scores in Malvern Rose; Whistle Pig sets track record

Mac N Mayo was kept just off the early pace by Scott Spieth and rallied to get up in time in the $74,250 Malvern Rose for fillies and mares at Presque Isle Thursday evening. Trained by Mike Rogers, Mac N Mayo bested the field of six by a half-length in a final time of 1.16.91 for the 6 1/2-furlong Malvern Rose. Jet Away Jane finished second under Angel Rodriquez, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Speechifying. Speechifying, under Jeremy Rose, was sent off as the 8-5 favorite and led to upper stretch before yielding late to the top two. Mac N Mayo returned $7.40

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Suffolk rider injured

Jockey Tammi Piermarini will be sidelined indefinitely after being injured when she was unseated from her mount in Wednesday's ninth race at Suffolk Downs.

Piermarini, second at the time in the Suffolk rider standings, incurred whiplash and torn muscles in her neck. Piermarini, 41, led all jockeys at the track last year with 100 wins.

Piermarini was admitted to and treated at Boston Medical Center, with her release date uncertain.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

O'Neill agrees to serve detention barn penalty

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Horses trained by Doug O'Neill began running out of a 24-hour pre-race detention barn at Hollywood Park on Thursday, ending a dispute stemming from an overage of bicarbonates found in one of his starters at Santa Anita earlier this year.

O'Neill, currently the leading trainer at the Hollywood Park meeting, had challenged the results of a test that showed that Chicks Rule, winner of a maiden claimer at Santa Anita in January, tested in excess of the permitted level of bicarbonates, or total carbon dioxide.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

WinStar buys Sweet Vendetta

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sweet Vendetta, winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes last month, has been purchased privately by WinStar Farm. According to Elliott Walden, WinStar's vice-president, Sweet Vendetta will remain with trainer Gary Contessa and is being pointed to the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga on Aug. 16.

Sweet Vendetta, a New York-bred daughter of Stephen Got Even, had been owned by Team Penney Racing and entertainer David Cassidy. She has won 3 of 7 starts and has earned $206,596.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Ellis officials gearing up for meet

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The official start of summer was Friday, and the change of season signals an impending change of venues for many horsemen at the Churchill Downs spring meet, which runs through July 6.

Some are making plans for Saratoga, Arlington, or elsewhere. As always, Ellis Park will be a destination, although many trainers simply will keep their horses stabled at Churchill while sending them on the 2 1/2-hour westward van trip to Ellis in Henderson, Ky.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Lynch's unusual duo figure in Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ginger Brew and Jungle Brew represent an atypical pair of Queen's Plate entrants for trainer Brian Lynch, who runs the Stronach Stable operation here.

Ginger Brew is not only a filly facing colts but is coming back just two weeks after winning the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks, which goes against Lynch's general modus operandi.

Jungle Brew, a maiden after just two starts who is now taking the plunge into stakes company, also is a Lynch anomaly.

Horses dictate circumstances, however, and Lynch is comfortable with his Brew Crew.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Stampede conditions kept 'Allstar' out of derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Owner Bob Cheema said poor track conditions at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, last weekend were the main reason Dancing Allstar wasn't entered in the $125,000 Alberta Derby.

Dancing Allstar probably would have been slightly favored over what appeared to be a weak field of colts and geldings in the Alberta Derby. Instead, she's going to be a prohibitive favorite in the fillies division of the CTHS Sales Stakes at Hastings on Saturday.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Handle on live races declines

CALGARY, Alberta - Daily average handle from all sources for the 46 days of live racing at Stampede Park this spring was $208,638, down 3.7 percent from 2007, and average live handle ontrack was $89,315, down 7.25 percent from last year.

With four fewer days of racing, total ontrack handle of $4,108,493 dropped 14.7 percent. Four cards were canceled because of bad weather and track conditions.

Full-card simulcast handle during the 86 calendar days from March 21 to June 15 totaled $11,144,516, up 5.4 percent from a similar 86-day sample last year.

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 00:00

Queen's Plate draws field of 15

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Not Bourbon, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial in his last start here June 1, will break from post 13 and has been made the 3-1 morning-line choice for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.

A field of 15, the largest for the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate since 16 Canadian-bred 3-year-olds went postward in 2000, was announced at a special ceremonial draw in the trackside tent here Friday.

The two-tiered draw system was used, with connections first drawing for their order of selection and then choosing their post positions.