Try as he might last year with High Limit, nothing seemed to work for trainer Bobby Frankel. He tinkered with blinkers, but without success. A switch was made to turf, but that didn't work either. Finally, after six straight losses by High Limit, Frankel simply decided to regroup.
"I was experimenting, but nothing worked," Frankel said. "I just had to stop on him."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Over the weekend, several trainers with starters in Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Handicap wondered the same thing: what to expect from Giacomo, the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner who is making his second start of the year.
"I like that," Giacomo's trainer, John Shirreffs, said of the attention.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The daughters of the remarkable broodmare Hasili have had a major influence on turf racing in this country in the last five years.
Her daughters Banks Hill and Intercontinental won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2001 and 2005, respectively. Heat Haze, yet another daughter, won the Beverly D. Stakes in 2003.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Scratched from Sunday's Grade 2 San Luis Obispo Handicap, Fantastic Spain will instead be a strong favorite in an optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Wednesday at Santa Anita.
Trained by Neil Drysdale for David Bienstock and Chuck Winner, , 6, most recently won his 2006 debut by 2 3/4 lengths in an optional claimer at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Feb 1. After stalking the pace for the first six furlongs, Fantastic Spain engaged the leaders on the turn and pulled clear in the final furlong.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Unlike a year ago, when he had arguably his best Gulfstream Park meeting, highlighted by victories in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, this has been a winter of discontent for trainer Nick Zito.
Zito hopes things turn around quickly, and there would be no better time for that to happen than this weekend, when Zito will be an
active participant in Gulfstream's Spectacular Saturday III program, highlighted by the Grade 2, $300,000 Fountain of Youth for Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., issued a rule on Monday that bans any horse from shipping into the track if the horse was stabled at several sites in Maryland and Pennsylvania affected by a recent outbreak of equine herpesvirus.
The rule requires any horse shipping into Keeneland to have a signed certificate stating that the horse has "not originated from, nor been stabled on, a premises which has had herpesvirus diagnosed during the previous 30-day period."
Trainer Bernie Flint won the 3,000th Thoroughbred race of his career on Saturday when More Than Pretty ($16) captured the 11th race at Oaklawn Park.
Among the best horses Flint has trained in his 30-year career are Runway Model, Hurricane Bertie, Outofthebox, Swept Away, Thunder Bertie, and He Is a Great Deal.
"It's a good feeling," Flint said of reaching the milestone. "Naturally, you like to get it if you can, and I was lucky enough to make it. It's an accomplishment. I feel we went to the races."
Flint is the 21st North American trainer to reach 3,000 wins.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Bernie Flint has been hot at Oaklawn Park. He picked up the 3,000th win of his training career at the track last Saturday, then got No. 3,001 with his very next starter at Oaklawn, when Moon Over Miami won the fifth race in a photo on Sunday.
Flint will try to keep the momentum going Wednesday, when he sends out top contender ; and the promising Hello Liberty.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Lawyer Ron's three-quarter-length victory in the $250,000 on Saturday at Oaklawn might have been the smallest win margin of his five career victories, but the manner in which he won said a lot about the colt, who is a leading candidate for the Kentucky Derby.
"It showed if someone challenged him, he had enough courage to go on," said Bob Holthus, who trains Lawyer Ron for the estate of James T. Hines Jr.
