Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Weatherstorm Dowling favorite

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Weatherstorm will try to make it four in a row when he heads a field of 10 Michigan-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings in Tuesday's $50,000 Dowling Stakes at Great Lakes Downs. The Dowling, at one mile, is named for the late Jim Dowling, who is considered the father of Michigan racing.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Victory Lap benefits from hot pace

Victory Lap rallied from far off a hot pace to collar Dash of Humor in deep stretch and post a 28-1 upset in the $100,000 Ellis Park Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday in Henderson, Ky.

Victory Lap, ridden by Orlando Mojica, trailed the other 11 fillies and mares in the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile turf race, but by the far turn she was making up steady ground on the tiring front-runners. Meanwhile, Dash of Humor was effortlessly cruising past front-running Baena on the front end, but after opening daylight in midstretch, she was no match for the late surge of Victory Lap.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Pick six carryover at $101,471

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - An upset win by Baron Von Tap ($91) in Saturday's sixth race helped spark a pick six carryover of $101,471 heading into Sunday's card at Saratoga.

Saturday's pick six sequence also included wins by Got the Last Laugh ($17.40) in the first leg and Marieval ($18.40) in the last leg. Consolation tickets (5 of 6) each returned $1,537.

Four races in Sunday's pick six sequence are carded for the turf including the $70,000 John's Call Stakes at 1 5/8 miles, but there is rain in the forecast overnight.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

'Sweet' in her kind of spot

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Horses either take to turf sprints or they don't.

Those who do often becomes specialists who excell at the short distances on grass.

Trainer Cliff DeLima has such a specialist for Monday's feature, a $25,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf: Sweet Kendall Jo.

"Some just love the turf and the short distance," said trainer Cliff DeLima. "I've seen a lot win from off the pace even at that short distance."

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

New surface material still en route

DEL MAR, Calif. - Hollywood Park has completed construction of the subsurface for its synthetic track that will be used for racing this fall and is awaiting arrival of the synthetic cushion material from England in the next week.

It is unclear exactly when the material will arrive in California or when the installation will be completed, allowing Hollywood Park to reopen its track for training.

According to the track's general manger, Eual Wyatt, the boat containing the synthetic material is in the Gulf of Mexico, and has yet to cross through the Panama Canal.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Gonzalez fillies 1-2 in Ontario Debutante

Stillistillmovin and My List, both owned by Tucci Stable and trained by Nick Gonzalez, ran one-two in Saturday's $125,800 Ontario Debutante Stakes at Woodbine.

Stillistillmovin dueled up front with favored Lottacosta through a quick opening quarter-mile of 21.71 seconds. She began to draw away from that rival at the eighth pole and coasted home to a 2 1/4-length win.

My List, a maiden, closed from seventh and last to finish two lengths clear of Lottacosta, who held third despite bobbling in deep stretch.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Baffert sets stakes milestone

Horsephotos
Behaving Badly, ridden by Victor Espinoza, wins the Rancho Bernardo on Friday to give trainer Bob Baffert his record 75th stakes win at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Behaving Badly gave trainer Bob Baffert a record 75th stakes win at Del Mar in Friday's Grade 3, $200,000 .

Baffert surpassed Charlie Whittingham on the track's all-time list. Baffert scored his first Del Mar stakes win with Theresa's Pleasure in 1990, a time when he divided his attention between Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

The milestone came as a surprise to Baffert, who said he was not aware that he had been tied with Whittingham. Baffert said his success is a result of racing at Del Mar in the last 15 years.

Sat, 08/19/2006 - 00:00

Travers contenders work to beat rain

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - With rain moving into Saratoga on Saturday and forecasted to last into Sunday morning, several trainers moved workouts up a day for their Travers contenders.

Five of the seven horses expected to run in the $1 million Travers here Aug. 26 put in workouts Saturday morning at Saratoga and Churchill.

Fri, 08/18/2006 - 00:00

Perfect day for Baze

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Russell Baze won with all seven of his mounts on Friday's Bay Meadows Fair card, bringing his current win streak to nine consecutive victories.

Baze, who closed out Thursday with victories aboard Flying Incognito in the seventh race and Alley Fighter in the ninth race nightcap, won the first five races on Friday's card and captured the seventh and eighth.

Fri, 08/18/2006 - 00:00

Classic has 'tough' written all over it

Peb

DEL MAR, Calif. - All that Lava Man does is beat West Coast cream puffs. Perfect Drift has not won a race in a year. And poor Giacomo - did he really win the Kentucky Derby?

Go ahead and poke fun. Easy fodder. But when those three cut loose over 1 1/4 miles Sunday in the $1 million at Del Mar - eight entered the deepest race of the year in California - the winner commands respect. It may be the only thing Lava Man lacks.