LOUISVILLE, Ky. Even under the cover of darkness, and even with attention riveted on the 134th Kentucky Derby, its still impossible for a horse as important as Curlin to escape notice at Churchill Downs.
DRF Past Performances
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. - On a day in which Lava Man could only finish third in his 2008 debut in the Khaled Stakes, the maiden Harlene proved to be the star for Lava Man's trainer, Doug O'Neill, pulling a major upset in Sunday's $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Harlene ($69.80) rallied from seventh along the rail to win the Snow Chief Stakes on the 10-race California Gold Rush program for statebreds. Harlene was ridden by Michael Baze, who won three major stakes on Sunday. Baze rode Mr. Wolverine in the Khaled Stakes and Spenditallbaby in the B. Thoughtful Stakes.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board fined trainer Dan Hendricks $3,000 and gave him a 30-day stayed suspension after one of his starters tested in excess of the permitted level of the tranquilizer acepromazine earlier this year.
The positive was found in a postrace test taken from Lotacat, the runner-up in the sixth race on Feb. 10. The suspension was stayed for one year if Hendricks does not have any positives tests for medications in classes 1, 2, or 3. Acepromazine is a Class 2 medication.
CALGARY, Alberta A century ago, the arrival of a new gunfighter sent a buzz through town. In 2008 the Wild West is a lot tamer, but when trainer Terry Jordan, a finalist in Sovereign balloting last year, sets foot on these grounds the locals can be seen scurrying for cover.
Jordans raids on Alberta the past several years have been hugely successful in stakes, with one of his few misfires coming in last years Alberta Derby when Ronaldino could not handle a muddy surface and faded to last after prompting the early pace.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Monterey Jazz was in command of the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile from start to finish on Saturday, strolling to an eight-length win before a Lone Star Park crowd of 15,249. He could be headed next to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.
The Texas Mile was one of four stakes on the card, with the races worth a cumulative $450,000.
Peppers Pride overcame being soundly bumped in the first turn of the $75,000 Foutz Distaff Handicap at SunRay Park in Farmington, N.M. on Saturday to win her 16th straight race and tie the modern mark for consecutive victories by a North American-based Thoroughbred. She now shares the record with Cigar, Citation, Hallowed Dreams, and Mister Frisky.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Surf Cat's second career victory in the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday once again reaffirmed the 6-year-old's status in the handicap division.
Ridden by Alex Solis, Surf Cat ($7.20) rallied from fifth to win the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy by a half-length over pacesetter Desert Code, who set early fractions of 23.42 and 46.01 seconds. Desert Code, who led by a half-length in early stretch, finished a length in front of Global Hunter, an Argentine import making his U.S. debut who appeared to brush the rail on the first turn.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Instill got back to Illinois-bred racing, and got back on a winning track, scoring a 10-1 upset over heavily favored Stonehouse in the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap, one of six statebred-restricted stakes races on Saturday afternoon at Hawthorne Race Course.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The West Point Thoroughbred syndicate tried and failed in the Kentucky Derby two years when Flashy Bull ran 14th, but the colt returned to Churchill Downs a bit more than a year later to win the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.
There will be no Derby this year for West Point's newest star on the horizon, Macho Again, but the ownership syndicate had another pleasant Chirchill result Saturday when the colt edged clear from favored Kodiak Kowboy to win the 84th running of the Derby Trial, highlight of the opening-day program at Churchill.
With the strong hand he brought to the table, trainer Christophe Clement figured to enjoy a big day in Calder's inaugural Turf Million. And sure enough he did, winning two of the four rich stakes on the card, including the afternoon's main event, the $400,000 Calder Derby, with Sporting Art.