Sat, 08/28/2004 - 00:00

French Hideaway takes Jack Betta Be Rite

Tom Cooley Photography
French Hideaway wins the 10th running of the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack.

At Finger Lakes, French Hideaway ($11.40) rallied from five-wide and last on the backstretch to win the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over the runner-up, S'more Smoke. The winner ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.24 on a sloppy track.

Sat, 08/28/2004 - 00:00

Delaware: Tams Terms all the way

Tams Terms sprinted clear early, set a moderate and unchallenged pace, and drew off on the second turn to win the $54,300 Leader of the Band Stakes by six lengths.

It was Tams Terms's eighth win in 13 starts on grass, and it raised her lifetime earnings on turf to 225,450. In eight dirt starts she has earned $17,780. She covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.84 over firm turf and paid $10.60.

Dr. Kashnikow, 4-1, rallied from last in the field of six to finish second, a neck ahead of Change Course, the even-money favorite. There were five program scratches.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Frankel gets Badge of Silver

Lou Hodges Jr.
Badge of Silver a graded-stakes winner as a 3-year-old, is being pointed to either the Vosburgh at Belmont or the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Owner Ken Ramsey on Friday transferred Badge of Silver, a graded-stakes-winning 3-year-old of 2003, from trainer Ronny Werner to Bobby Frankel.

Ramsey said he made the move because he wants the horse to win a Grade 1 stakes in New York, and not because of anything Werner did wrong.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Top trainers tango in Ballerina

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher is the leading trainer in the nation in terms of money won. Steve Asmussen is the leading trainer in the nation in terms of races won.

Sunday, the nation's top two trainers send out the horses to beat in the Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga. Pletcher will saddle defending Ballerina winner Harmony Lodge, while Asmussen sends out 2003 Test winner Lady Tak. The two are the co-highweights at 119 pounds in the seven-furlong race.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Stute fine after minor stroke

Horsephotos
Supah Blitz, a $638,610 earner, has been sold. He will race for his new owners out of the barn of Doug O'Neill.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Warren Stute suffered an apparent minor stroke on Friday morning, but was treated and released at a local hospital and was eating breakfast at a local restaurant by 10 a.m.

"He's sitting next to me here at Bully's having breakfast," said Stute's son, Glen, who serves as his father's assistant trainer. "They ran some tests. It was probably what they call a mini-stroke."

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Longer better for this pair

DEL MAR, Calif. - There's always a trade-off. In the case of both Dimitrova and Moscow Burning, the considerations were a race restricted to females, or a race more suited to their long-distance preferences. Distance won out.

Both 4-year-old fillies will take on males in Sunday's Grade 2, $250,000 Del Mar Handicap, and though neither will be favored, their presence adds an element of intrigue to the 1 3/8-mile grass race.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Saratoga shipper no sure thing

CHICAGO - The 2-year-old gelding Departing Now finished fifth of 11 in the Grade 2 Sanford late last month at Saratoga, but he is no lock to win the $50,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes on Sunday at Arlington Park.

At least he will get a chance to run in it. Local horsemen with 2-year-old fillies were not so lucky, as the Top Flight Stakes, scheduled for last Friday, had to be scrapped for lack of sufficient entries. But there are

seven horses in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid, a prep for the Sept. 19 Arlington-Washington Futurity, and the field is surprisingly strong.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Dashing Admiral tries mile

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dashing Admiral will try to get a mile Sunday at Woodbine in the $131,500 Vice Regent Stakes, a turf race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

Dashing Admiral won his first three starts, the first of which was a decisive score over $50,000 maidens in November. Following a winter layoff, he won a five-furlong allowance April 30 by nearly three lengths.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Private Balcony takes drop

EDMONTON, Alberta - Private Balcony will make her first start since June in an optional claiming race for 3-year-old fillies at Northlands Park Sunday. With Desmond Bryan aboard, Private Balcony will head a field of nine sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

Private Balcony, trained by Kelly Grieves, launched her campaign with a first-level allowance victory and then was nipped in the last jump at the next allowance category. She was not a factor when making her stakes debut in the Lilac.

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 00:00

Condilenios has them surrounded

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Leading trainer Dino Condilenios will saddle half of the six horses entered in the Sunday feature race at Hastings, a 6 1/2-furlong $50,000 optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies. Literary and Prestigiosa are coupled in the wagering and will likely be favored, while Darlin Maggie is making her first start of the year and figures to be a price.