ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ballado Dancer, who was claimed for $10,000 here last June 29, has been named recipient of the Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club's 2007 claimer of the year award.
The group will honor Ballado Dancer and its other champions of 2007 at its annual awards day here at Woodbine on June 15.
Ballado Dancer was dropping from a second-place finish at the $20,000 level when owner/trainer Marko Mesic filled out the claim slip.
MIAMI - The purse cuts that have taken a huge slice out of both the overnight races and stakes program since the meet began will not affect the inaugural Summit of Speed Preview card on June 10. The four sprint stakes on preview day, which are preps for the July 12 Summit of Speed card, will retain their original value of $100,000 each, in part because they are all heavily funded by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, which is putting up $180,000 of the $400,000 in purse money available in those events.
ELMONT, N.Y. - There will be more than 100,000 people at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. It only seems as if they're all going through Michael Iavarone for tickets.
Iavarone, the co-president of the IEAH Stables partnership which co-owns Big Brown, said he has been hit up for more than 800 tickets.
"Five hundred in a tent, and 300 in the clubhouse, grandstand, and owner's box," he said.
Employees of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation had picket lines at several entrances to Woodbine for the second straight day on Monday. The picketers - security personnel in the Woodbine slot-machine area - had declared a strike effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday over employment status, wages, and benefits.
Sea Ola Go, in her first official start in two years, established a world record of 16.946 seconds for 350 yards at SunRay Park on Sunday. A 4-year-old California-bred filly, Sea Ola Go is owned and trained by Alonso Orozco, who leads the Quarter Horse standings at SunRay with 14 wins from 35 starts.
Esgar Ramirez was aboard Sea Ola Go, who was a 2 1/4-length winner while ridden out with no wind behind her.
Explaining how the filly spent her two years away from recognized racing, Orozco said, "She won six or seven match races in Mexico against some tough horses."
CALGARY, Alberta - Horse Racing Alberta has announced that the scheduled 2009 opening of the new racing facility at Balzac, just north of Calgary, has been delayed until 2010.
The Balzac project includes a one-mile Thoroughbred racetrack, a seven-furlong Standardbred oval, a gaming center, and top-drawer frontside and backstretch facilities.
David Reid, the chairman and CEO of Horse Racing Alberta, said that several factors had contributed to yet another delay to the project, originally scheduled to begin operations in 2007.
NGLEWOOD, Calif. - Aside from being the trainer of Zenyatta, John Shirreffs may be the undefeated filly's biggest fan.
"She just amazes me like she does everyone else," Shirreffs said.
Saturday, Zenyatta stretched her unbeaten streak to five with a convincing victory in the $183,300 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park. Zenyatta was bounced around at the start, and lagged at the back of the field of five until the final turn, when she unleashed a rally that quickly carried her to the front. Zenyatta won by 2 1/2 lengths, virtually unchallenged.
Hot Jelly Jam took control at the start and cruised home to a 5 1/4 length win in the $15,720 Bluegrass Stakes for fillies and mares at the Lincoln State Fair.
Hot Jelly Jam, an 8-year-old mare ridden by Luis Ranilla for trainer Dan Coughlin, covered the six furlongs in 1:13.20 over a fast track and returned $8.60.
Its Launch Time ($8.70) took over on the turn and went on to score by 1 1/4 lengths over favored Mikayla's Baby in the $50,000 Golden Boy at Assiniboia Downs. Desmond Bryan rode Its Launch Time, who became a stakes winner for trainer Monica Russell.
Its Launch Time ran the six furlongs in 1:12.00. Mr Exspeedient was third.- Bill Tallon
Pro Pink just held off Sole of the City by a nose in the $50,000 Hoist Her Flag Stakes at Canterbury Park. Awsugahnow finished third, another three-quarters of a length behind.
Pro Pink ($6.80), ridden by Derek Bell for trainer Mac Robertson, completed the six furlongs in 1:11.34.