ARCADIA, Calif. - More than a year ago True Xena made a winning debut at Santa Anita. But after a hard-fought second-place finish a month later in the Moccasin Stakes, she started to unravel.
Foot problems, perhaps owing to her large size, have been the Achilles' heel for True Xena. On Thursday, she returns to Santa Anita after five straight starts at Hollywood Park. More significantly, her trainer, Rafael Becerra, believes her feet are "as good as they can be."
ALBANY, Calif. Vicarino ($2.80) put away Double Action early, pulled clear, and was not seriously challenged in the $50,275 Stinson Beach, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields on Monday.
Vicarino set fractions of 21.34 and 43.81, racing just in front of Double Action. Double Action dropped from contention andVicarino won the race by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:09.23. Candy's Bro finished second, seven lengths in front of Double Action, with Zoning In last in the field of four, another half-length back.
ARCADIA, Calif. Garrett Gomez, who led the nations jockeys in purses in 2006, jumped out to the early lead in 2007 on Monday at Santa Anita by winning three races, including a pair of Grade 3 stakes races.
Not a bad way to start the year, or celebrate a birthday.
Heart Throbbin ($10.60) held off slight favorite Place Your Bet by a half-length for the first stakes victory of his career in the $63,200 Dancing Count for 3-year-olds.
Ridden by Ryan Fogelsonger for trainer King Leatherbury, Heart Throbbin sat off a contested pace battle between longshots Heezafre-
quentflyer and Mister Jon, gained command in midstretch, and had enough to hold off Place Your Bet at the wire.
Total, second choice in the betting under Jessie Campbell, pounced on the undefeated 6-5 favorite Cat On a Cloud early in the $75,000 Letellier Memorial for 3-year-old fillies and never let up, running off to a 6 3/4-length blowout victory.
Total rushed up to pressure Cat On a Cloud for the lead from the outside on the backstretch of the six-furlong race, kept the pressure on winding around the turn, and edged away straightening for home as Cat On a Cloud began to wilt.
Oprah Winney began 2006 by finishing fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Ruthless Stakes run over a wet Aqueduct inner track. She enjoyed a much better start to 2007, scoring a front-running half-length victory at 11-1 odds in the $70,590 Interborough Handicap on New Year's Day in the slop at Aqueduct.
Smart and Fancy rallied for second, 6 3/4 lengths ahead of the 6-5 favorite Magnolia Jackson.
MIAMI - Calder's $100,000 Tropical Park Derby, traditionally the year's first graded stakes in North America, took on added significance in 2006 with the victory by eventual Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
The recent history of the race wasn't lost on trainer Dave Vivian or owner Herman Heinlein after their colt, the 3-2 favorite Soldier's Dancer, rallied from last with an impressive surge for a three-quarter-length win over Sedgefield in Monday's 32nd renewal of the Grade 3 race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - While New Year's morning was an easy one for the majority of the horses stabled in and around south Florida this winter, such was not the case for Nobiz Like Shobiz, who celebrated his third birthday Monday at Gulfstream by working - four furlongs in 49.50 seconds under regular rider Cornelio Velasquez.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - During his 20-year Hall of Fame riding career, Kent Desormeaux has hung his tack at an array of racetracks across the world, from New York to California to Kentucky and even to Japan. But one place where he has never been an everyday rider is Gulfstream Park - until Wednesday, when he rides in six races on opening day.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In a few short years, the loveable old Gulfstream Park has been transformed into the glitzy new Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino, complete with Latin bands, Lipizzan stallions, professional boxing, a poker room, and slot machines - with the emphasis on slot machines.
But underneath all those bells and whistles still lies the best winter racing in the country, which this year could feature appearances by as many as five Breeders' Cup winners and the highest overnight purse structure in the 68-year history of the track.
