Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

New Orleans regulars shift focus to Florida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Steve Asmussen raced part of his large stable at Gulfstream Park in 2003 and 2004, but not last year. And he didn't plan on doing so this year, until Hurricane Katrina wreaked its havoc and destruction on New Orleans on Aug. 29.

"We're back in Florida only because Fair Grounds is closed," said Asmussen, who has about 34 horses at the nearby Palm Meadows training center. "The horses we brought, they're some of our best, so we can't have afford to have their training disrupted by the track freezing or having to wait until 10 or 11 in the morning to train."

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Who says everything has its price?

Horsephotos
Blazing Rate (outside) inches ahead of In Summation in the final stride to win the In Reality Stakes - and hand In Summation his only defeat.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - When Magna Graduate was sold privately by Burr Travis for a high six-figure sum last spring, the deal ended up a win-win situation for all involved. Travis and his trainer, Garry Simms, both did well financially, and so did the colt's new owner, Elisabeth Alexander, since Magna Graduate became a standout 3-year-old by year's end.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Silvestris makes amends

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Eibar Coa collects his third straight win on Monday's card aboard Silvestris in the Ruthless Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Silvestris, the beaten favorite when second behind Oprah Winney in the Randaroo Stakes on Dec. 14, turned the tables Monday by recording a 1 1/4-length victory in the $65,430 at Aqueduct.

Livermore Valley, third in the Randaroo, rallied to be second, 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Jet Set Broad. Oprah Winney, the 6-5 favorite coming off her Randaroo victory, faded to last in the field of four.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Turfway business booms

Bolstered by large fields racing over its Polytrack surface, Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., reported significant increases in handle for its Holiday meet that ended Saturday.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Quarantined horses can train

Many of the racehorses quarantined in a Turfway Park barn that has shown evidence of the equine herpes virus were scheduled to resume training Tuesday during segregated training hours, Turfway Park president Bob Elliston said.

All but five horses that are still exhibiting the virus in blood and nasal swab tests will be permitted to resume training, track and state officials said. Additionally, another barn - one stabling seven ponies used by outriders - has been quarantined after one of the ponies there tested positive for the virus, Elliston said.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Aqueduct: Comacina wires

Horsephotos
Comacina, Pablo Fragoso up, wins the $70,955 Interborough Handicap at Aqueduct on Sunday.

Comacina, under Pablo Fragoso, assumed command soon after the start, turned back pace-prompter Welcome Home after a half-mile, and held off a hard-charging Fast Laner to win the $70,955 at Aqueduct by a half-length.

Bank Audit, the even-money favorite and winner of this race in 2005, finished a non-threatening fourth. Bank Audit's loss was the first of the day for jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., who began the new year by winning the first four races on Sunday's card.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Laurel: Great Seneca still perfect

Great Seneca ($4) remained undefeated in three starts with a 5 3/4-length victory in the $75,000 Dancing Count Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Laurel Park.

Ridden for the first time by Horacio Karamanos, Great Seneca covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.25.

Trainer Gary Capuano, who had considered running Great Seneca in last Saturday's Maryland Juvenile Championship at one mile, said he sees no good reason to tinker with a successful formula.

Mon, 01/02/2006 - 00:00

Sunland: Some Ghost romps

Some Ghost unleashed a furious run from the far turn to the wire to win the $100,000 Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap by 8 3/4 lengths at Sunland Park.

Ridden by Ricardo Jaime for trainer Jess Alley, Some Ghost won the 1 1/16-mile race for New Mexico-breds in 1:45.28.

This was the seventh win in 17 starts for Some Ghost ($8.80), who with the first-place check of $60,000 pushed his career earnings past $223,000.

Sun, 01/01/2006 - 00:00

Badge of Silver wires San Gabriel Handicap

Horsephotos
Badge of Silver wins his turf debut in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Badge of Silver may have ended his career as a winner on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Making his turf debut, Badge of Silver won the $150,000 at Santa Anita by 2 1/2 lengths, scoring his fourth career stakes win.

According to the Ramsey Farm website, Badge of Silver is set to enter stud at Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Kentucky farm in 2006.

Sun, 01/01/2006 - 00:00

Barbaro and J'ray popular winners at Calder

MIAMI, Fla. - Barbaro and J'Ray, two of the many promising 3-year-olds who'll winter in south Florida this season, got the new year off to a rousing start on Sunday when registering popular victories in Calder's $100,000 .

Barbaro rallied from just off the pace under Edgar Prado to register an easy 3.75 length victory over Wise River in the Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby. The win was the third in as many starts for the son of Dynaformer who closed out his 2-year-old campaign with an even more one sided decision in the Laurel Futurity.