Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

'Master' appears a keeper

ELMONT, N.Y. - The phone started ringing about an hour after Master of Disaster won his maiden by 13 1/4 lengths May 10 at Delaware Park. In another time, trainer Steve Klesaris may have entertained offers to sell the talented 2-year-old colt. This is a different time.

When he was training horses for Marcia and Philip Cohen, Klesaris developed horses such as Booklet and Buckle Down Ben and sold them for big profits after they won at 2. But Klesaris and co-owner Jeffrey Puglisi spent $600,000 on Master of Disaster earlier this year. They are not willing to part with him so fast.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Cahill Ruler will be flying late

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Cahill Ruler may go favored in Friday's feature race at Hastings, a $50,000 optional sprint for 3-year-olds that has drawn eight closely matched horses going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Off track no problem for these

CALGARY, Alberta - A decision to cancel Wednesday's card at Stampede Park because of poor track conditions following several days of rain was made early Tuesday morning and allowed racing secretary Barry McGrath to offer several of the canceled races for Friday's program.

Five of the eight races on the Friday card were made up of rewrites from Wednesday, and not surprisingly most of the returnees boast decent form in off going.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

'Sarah' fits well at this class level

AUBURN, Wash. - Sassy Little Sarah is the one to catch when she drops back to the level of her last win in Friday's Emerald Downs feature, a 6 1/2-furlong race for $25,000 fillies and mares that has drawn a field of six.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Losses haven't made Zito gun-shy

Horsephotos
Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo will be making his third start in five weeks when he faces 10 others in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Although this year's Triple Crown has thus far been a train wreck for Nick Zito, he is still conducting business as usual. After going 0 for 5 with an extremely strong hand in the Kentucky Derby and 0 for 3 in the Preakness Stakes, Zito is back with three runners in the Belmont Stakes.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Pellegrino now Burke's one and only

Benoit & Associates
Pellegrino has lost twice in two starts since his Turf Cup victory.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Pellegrino, the winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup last December, means everything to trainer Don Burke II.

When Pellegrino starts in Saturday's $350,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood Park, he will represent the entire Burke stable.

"This is my last horse," he said. "I'm down to a one-horse stable. That's a better percentage than Bobby Frankel has for Grade 1 winners in his barn."

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

'Wizard' tunes up for turf stakes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - This Wizard Rocks, a stakes winner at Fairplex Park last September, ended an eight-month break with a second in an allowance race for sprinters last month.

From trainer Dan Dunham's perspective, the performance was a solid start to the season, which he hopes will begin in earnest on Friday night when This Wizard Rocks starts in a $51,000 allowance race for California-breds at 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park.

A victory could lead to a start for This Wizard Rocks in the Oceanside Stakes on turf at Del Mar next month.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Summerly: Can she run?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Steve Asmussen is reluctant to say who will ride Summerly if the Kentucky Oaks winner gets to run Saturday in the Dogwood Breeders' Cup Stakes. As a veteran racetracker, Asmussen does not want to jinx himself by making pronouncements or predictions of any sort.

"That'd be getting way ahead of what the reality is," Asmussen said Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. "Why name a fictitious rider for a fictitious race?"

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Baze breaks collarbone

Jockey Russell Baze was taken to Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, Calif., after a spill in Wednesday's third race at Golden Gate Fields.

Baze, who has ridden 9,010 winners and was scheduled to ride undefeated Lost in the Fog in the Grade 2 Riva Ridge on Saturday at Belmont, suffered a complete fracture of his collarbone near his left shoulder, according to Dr. David Seftel, the track's physician. The injury came when Baze's mount, Cowboy Badgett, broke his left front ankle as he loomed into contention at the quarter pole.

Wed, 06/08/2005 - 00:00

Premier Dance, just sold, heads futurity

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Premier Dance, the favorite for Saturday's colts and geldings division of the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park, has been sold. Premier Dance was purchased for an undisclosed sum by Charles Fletcher, according to the colt's new trainer, Cody Autrey.