Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Roughed-up 'Attire' okay

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It doesn't appear that a scary incident during the running of Saturday's $150,000 John B. Campbell Breeders' Cup Handicap at Laurel Park has left Evening Attire any worse for the wear, according to the gelding's trainer, Pat Kelly.

Evening Attire, the heavy favorite in the Campbell, finished third, but was placed second because he was roughly interfered with by Rogue Agent during the stretch run. Ole Faunty won the race and Rogue Agent, who was ridden by Norberto Arroyo Jr., crossed the finish line second and was disqualified to third.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Well-rested Pa Pa Da looks to rebound

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - When Read the Footnotes made a successful 3-year-old debut in last weekend's Fountain of Youth Stakes, he became the fifth starter of last fall's Remsen Stakes to win. Four of those horses won stakes.

Trainer David Donk hopes that trend continues Saturday when he sends out Pa Pa Da in the Grade 3, $100,000 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Palm Beach is run at nine furlongs on turf.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Mott looms as spoiler once again

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Record Tide was clear on the lead and appeared home free at midstretch in a second-level allowance race here on Jan. 24, but was run down late by trainer Bill Mott's lightly raced but talented Key Deputy.

Record Tide returns under similar conditions in Thursday's $36,000 six-furlong allowance feature, and again it may be a member of Mott's barn, this time the enigmatic Draw Fire, who will look to play the spoiler.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Fast rivals will push Emily Ring

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Emily Ring, a multiple stakes-winning mare, might have to hold off a couple of 4-year-old fillies, My Trusty Cat and Feisty Princess, to win the featured ninth race Thursday at Oaklawn Park.

A six-furlong allowance for fillies and mares, the race drew a stakes-caliber field of eight and should produce a few starters for the $50,000 Spring Fever on March 7.

Emily Ring has used her speed to win 8 of 31 starts and $357,125. In her last race, she was third in the $50,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn on Feb. 7.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Zoning finds he likes dirt

NEW ORLEANS - Steve Asmussen has seen this before. Several years ago, Asmussen began training a turf mare named Histoire Sainte at Fair Grounds. Uncomfortable on many dirt surfaces, Histoire Sainte quickly took to the cushiony Fair Grounds track, and her morning training made her a much better horse in afternoon grass races.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Maryland cuts signal from TVG

The Maryland Jockey Club, operator of Laurel Park and Pimlico, withdrew its signal from Television Games Network on Monday after a judge ruled that the jockey club could be released from its contract with the racing broadcaster and account-wagering company.

The withdrawal weakened TVG's already lean winter lineup. Because of a conflict with the MJC's majority owner, Magna Entertainment Corp., TVG is prohibited from broadcasting races from the two most popular winter signals in the country, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park, both owned by Magna.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Risen Star rivals go separate ways

NEW ORLEANS - There is no imminent rematch between Gradepoint and Mr. Jester, the top two horses in Sunday's Risen Star Stakes. In fact, Mr. Jester was gone before Gradepoint had really begun his day Monday morning.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

Connections to pick a target for Beau's Town

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The first start Beau's Town will make this year during a campaign his connections hope leads to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint is to be determined after he works five furlongs this weekend at Oaklawn Park.

Beau's Town, considered one of the nation's leading sprinters last year with wins in the Grade 2 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup at Del Mar and the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn, had his first published work since October last Saturday in Hot Springs. He breezed five furlongs over a fast track in 1:04.40. Jamie Theriot worked Beau's Town.

Tue, 02/17/2004 - 00:00

El Dorado Shooter ready to roll

ALBANY, Calif. - He's back.

El Dorado Shooter, now 7 years old, is ready for his first race since last June, when he won the Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint. He will seek to win Saturday's $100,000 Ken Maddy Sprint, a six-furlong race for California-breds, for the second straight year, third overall.

El Dorado Shooter won the Ken Maddy Sprint in 2001 and again last year, when he and Giovannetti dueled head and head for the entire six furlongs, through fractions of 21.08 and 43.16 seconds, as El Dorado Shooter kept his head in front all the way.

Mon, 02/16/2004 - 00:00

Espinoza sweeps Santa Anita holiday stakes

Horsephotos
Star Parade ($4.40) with Victor Espinoza riding wins the Santa Maria Handicap on Monday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Victor Espinoza, who leads the nation's jockeys in earnings this year, swept the two stakes at Santa Anita on Monday displaying opposite riding styles.

Espinoza rode Star Parade to a front-running win in the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles on dirt. In the following race, the $200,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap, Espinoza guided Puerto Banus through traffic to edge Continuously.

Espinoza's mounts have earned $2,528,258 through Monday. He has won seven stakes at the current Santa Anita meeting.