Mon, 10/31/2005 - 00:00

Too much traveling takes its toll on Lord of the Game

CHICAGO - The two Hawthorne-based Breeders' Cup horses finished their major fall business on Saturday. Original Spin was a good third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Lord of the Game was not even at Belmont Park.

Mon, 10/31/2005 - 00:00

Krigger here to stay

ALBANY, Calif. - Kevin Krigger, who made a strong impression as a young apprentice here in 2001 when he finished third in the jockey standings despite a string of suspensions, has returned to Golden Gate Fields.

Krigger just won the Emerald Downs riding championship for 2005 with 126 victories and earnings of $1,384,346, the highest total in the track's 10-year history.

Mon, 10/31/2005 - 00:00

Out With a Bang tries to rebound

MUSKEGON, Mich. - With an overflow of 14 entries, Great Lakes Downs was forced into a rare split of Wednesday's stakes race, the 49th running of the Michigan Futurity for statebred colts and geldings. The divisions of the seven-furlong futurity will be offered as the first two races on the card, which begins at 5 p.m.

Mon, 10/31/2005 - 00:00

Discovery: Magna Graduate prevails

Todd Pletcher entered eight horses in six Breeders' Cup races, but his only winner on the card came when Magna Graduate captured the Grade 3, $87,250 .

Pletcher took over Magna Graduate's training early this summer, and now has sent him out to win back-to-back graded stakes. He took the Pegasus Handicap on Sept. 30 at The Meadowlands, and was quite impressive winning the Discovery by three-quarters of a length over favored Scrappy T.

"He's really getting good right now," Pletcher said. "We're delighted with his last two races."

Mon, 10/31/2005 - 00:00

This time, Gotaghostofachance finds room

Gotaghostofachance couldn't quite escape traffic problems in time to catch Captain Squire in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Handicap at Santa Anita, but managed to extricate himself from a similar situation to post a half-length victory over Captain Squire in the Grade 3, $250,000 , the opening race on Saturday's Breeders' Cup card at Belmont Park.

Sun, 10/30/2005 - 00:00

Premier Dance victorious in Governor's

Premier Dance won his fourth straight stakes race Sunday, when he circled the field for a length and three-quarter win in the $56,700 Governor's at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.

Might Be Hooked finished second, a neck in front of third-place finisher Down Home Boy.

Sun, 10/30/2005 - 00:00

Golden Rahy best in Carleton F. Burke Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. - A $40,000 claimer outfinished an $85,000 claimer in the Grade 3 on Sunday at Santa Anita. Runner-up in a $40,000 claiming race in his most recent start July 22 at Del Mar, Golden Rahy ($12) rallied from last under Alex Solis to win the mile and one-half Burke by a neck over Wild Buddy. The runner-up was claimed for $85,000 in August.

Sun, 10/30/2005 - 00:00

Deadheat in Miss America Handicap

ALBANY, Calif. - Uninhibited Song ($12.40) and Girl Warrior ($4.80) ended up in a deadheat for the victory in a tight four-way finish in the $100,000 at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.

Although both fillies were stakes winners, the victory was the first ever on the turf for each. The winning time for the 1 1/8-mile race over the Lakeside Turf Course was 1: 50.67 over a course listed as good.

Both stalked pacesetting Penny Ante and Miss Me, with Uninhibited Song, who broke from the rail, getting a ground-saving trip while Girl Warrior was three wide most of the way.

Sun, 10/30/2005 - 00:00

Straight Line takes Ack Ack on Churchill's opening day

Four Footed Fotos
Straight Line wins the $112,200 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Straight Line was no match for Vicarage in the Oct. 14 Perryville Stakes at Keeneland, finishing second, beaten 10 lengths. But a change in racetrack and surroundings led that outcome to be reversed in Sunday's opening-day $112,200 at Churchill Downs.

Stalking Vicarage through a pressured pace of 44.55 seconds and 1:08.89 in the 7 1/2-furlong Ack Ack, Straight Line was able to easily power past Vicarage in the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths before a crowd of 10,625.

Sun, 10/30/2005 - 00:00

Bailey ends big meet with Knickerbocker win

ELMONT, N.Y. - If this weekend was Jerry Bailey's last appearance at Belmont Park, he certainly went out in style.

Bailey guided Altando to a last-to-first neck victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker Handicap as the Belmont Park meet came to a close before 5,509 fans. The victory in the Knickerbocker came almost 24 hours after Bailey guided Saint Liam to victory in the $4.68 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

Bailey, 48, has hinted that he could retire at year's end, though he reiterated Sunday afternoon that he would not make a decision until mid-December.