Mon, 11/19/2007 - 00:00

Two-day carryover at Aqueduct

Favorites took a 0-for-9 collar at Aqueduct on Saturday, and six straight winners at double-digit mutuels produced a two-day pick six carryover of $112,671 heading into Sunday's card.

No one could even come up with five winners in a sequence of National Pride ($11.80), Dantastic ($11.80), Peperoni ($32.20), Platinum Couple ($15.20), Hunting ($21) and Stormy Miracle ($10.40). The consolation for four out of six paid $1,161.
Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

McCann's Mojave takes All American

ALBANY, Calif. – Though he was sitting in third aboard McCann's Mojave, three lengths behind pacesetting Buzzards Bay's slow fractions, jockey Frank Alvarado was confident he was riding the winner in the Grade 3, $150,000 All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

"At the half-mile pole, he just grabbed the bit. I had so much horse. It was just like Florida,” said Alvarado, referring to his win aboard McCann's Mojave in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream in January.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

Drums of Thunder on comeback trail

MIAMI - Drums of Thunder, who hasn't run since June, worked four furlongs in 50 seconds for trainer Bill Kaplan here Saturday. The move was the third for the 3-year-old Drums of Thunder since he ran 10th, beaten less than five lengths, after disputing the pace in the Lord Juban Handicap on the grass here on June 23. That was his only start since being sidelined by a hind leg infection following his sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes in March.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

True Metropolitan repeats in Autumn

True Metropolitan won the $151,200 Autumn Stakes for the second year in a row Saturday while lowering Woodbine's 1 1/16-mile Polytrack record.

The Grade 3 victory was the sixth stakes score of the year for True Metropolitan, who probably clinched his second consecutive Sovereign Award as Canada's champion older male. True Metropolitan paid $11.30 to win.

True Metropolitan stalked in second under Jim McAleney, as Fuhrever Dancing set fractions of 23.81 seconds, 47.24, and 1:11.73.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

Hunting steps up in Stuyvesant

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Coming off a second-level allowance win and meeting stakes company for the first time in his 11-race career, Hunting rallied from next to last under Alan Garcia to catch 2-1 favorite Utopia and win Saturday's Grade 3, $108,500 Stuyvesant Handicap by a length.

Evening Attire, the 2005 Stuyvesant winner, rallied from last to finish third. Who What Win, Awfully Smart, and Barcola completed the order of finish in the field of six older males.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

Dattts Awesome cruises

Dattts Awesome overpowered her six rivals in the $50,000 All Brandy at Laurel Park, cruising to a 1 1/4-length score in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for statebred fillies and mares.

Dattts Awesome and jockey Abel Castellano Jr. sat back in fourth early in the All Brandy as Beau's Trip took the field through fractions of 24.44 seconds, 49.38, and 1:14.94. Dattts Awesome closed ground on the far turn, swooped past Beau's Trip turning for home, and the race was over. Dutch Girl and Ten Bolts closed for second and third, but Castellano had the race under control through the stretch.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

Catlaunch goes gate to wire

Revenge was sweet for the connections of Catlaunch in the $50,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial at Beulah Park. Catlaunch, trained by Ivan Vazquez, set the pace throughout the 1 1/8-mile event to draw off and win by three lengths.

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 00:00

Foxy Danseur cruises in Sharp Cat

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Christopher Paasch and owner Charles Cono teamed up to win the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet two years ago with Diplomat Lady, and they may get another chance in this year's Starlet with Foxy Danseur, who scored a comfortable 2 3/4-length victory Saturday at Hollywood Park in the $107,100 Sharp Cat Stakes, this track's prep for next month's Starlet.

Fri, 11/16/2007 - 00:00

Fort Erie seeks similar schedule

Fort Erie Racetrack has submitted an application to the Ontario Racing Commission for an 80-day meeting next year, May 3 to Oct. 28.

Nordic Gaming, the owners of Fort Erie, conducted an 84-day meeting this year, beginning Kentucky Derby Day, May 5, and ending Oct. 30.

Sue Leslie, president of the Ontario division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said the horsemen will support the application.
Fri, 11/16/2007 - 00:00

Purim takes high road in finale

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On his way out the door, Purim could have taken the easy way, but trainer Tom Proctor would have none of it. Instead of going for the Grade 3 River City Handicap on Friday, Proctor has opted instead for another race the same day for his soon-to-retire stable star: the Grade 2 Clark Handicap, the highlight of the Churchill Downs fall meet.

"This is his last hurrah, and it won't be the end of the world one way or the other," said Proctor.