Mon, 01/26/2004 - 00:00

Lotta Kim prevails in Tiffany Lass

Lou Hodges Jr.
Lotta Kim, Robby Albarado up, wins the $100,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS - Dolphus Morrison keeps breeding his broodmares to mid-level stallions and coming up with high-quality racehorses. Here's another one. Lotta Kim overcame a difficult trip and won the $100,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Lotta Kim's winning margin was only three-quarters of a length, but she was pushed in at the start and raced in tight quarters, and jockey Robby Albarado rode her easily to the finish. Moreover, Lotta Kim hadn't started since finishing second Nov. 29 in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Mon, 01/26/2004 - 00:00

'Parole' wins Mac Diarmida

Equi-Photo
Request for Parole, with Jose Santos aboard, stays ahead of Sir Brian's Sword and Slew Valley to win the $100,000 Mac Diarmida Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.- Request For Parole has split his time evenly between turf and dirt over the first 26 starts of his career. But after rallying to a 1 1/2-length victory over the pacesetting Slew Valley in Sunday's $100,000 Mac Diarmida Handicap at Gulfstream Park, it is fairly obvious where Request For Parole will be doing most of his racing from now on.

"He was a nice 3-year-old but then had an injury and it took him a while to come back," said Stanley Hough who trains Request For Parole for Jeri and Sam Knighton. "But the turf seems to have given him a new life."

Mon, 01/26/2004 - 00:00

Lucky Tunnel takes Super Bowl Stakes

Coady Photography/Henna Haroon
Lucky Tunnel wins the $29,100 Super Bowl Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park.

Lucky Tunnel closed with a rush to win the $29,100 Super Bowl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by three and three-quarter lengths on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park. Rare Glitter, the even-money favorite, finished second, a head in front of third-place finisher Cookin's Cast.

Lucky Tunnel ($6.40) trailed the field early in the six-furlong race, while Cookin's Cast led through fractions of 22.34 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.63 seconds for the half-mile mark. Lucky Tunnel rallied through the stretch, covering the distance over a sloppy track in 1:11.85.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Ema Bovary dominates in Orinda Handicap

Vassar Photo
Ema Bovary wins the Orinda Handicap Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

ALBANY, Calif. - Odds-on favorite Ema Bovary ($2.80) survived a rough trip down the backstretch, sliced through an opening at the top of the lane and won the $62,600 Orinda Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

The 5-year-old Chilean-bred mare defeated Christmas Time by two lengths in the six-furlong race, covering the distance in 1:08.59. Pheiffer was third another length back.

Ema Bovary was last early as rival jockeys seemed intent on preventing her from getting position.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Southern Image looking bright

Horsephotos
Southern Image, ridden by Victor Espinoza, used a stalking trip to win the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic Saturday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Southern Image is making a convincing argument for national attention this winter at Santa Anita.

After posting an upset in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes last month, Southern Image won Saturday's $1 million for California-breds and Florida-breds at Santa Anita, easily handling his first start over 1 1/8 miles.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Southern Image attended a fast pace throughout and finished three lengths in front of pacesetter Excess Summer. Southern Image ($8.20) was timed in 1:47.67.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Debutante's top two set for rematch

PORTLAND, Ore. - Belle Fourche and Wampum Wager, the top two finishers in the Jane Driggers Debutante here on Oregon-bred Day, Dec. 13, will head a field of six 3-year-old fillies in Monday's six-furlong allowance feature at Portland Meadows.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

New Orleans 'Cap next for 'Silver'

NEW ORLEANS - No question, Badge of Silver has not forgotten how to sprint. Making his first start since March 9, Badge of Silver won a Fair Grounds allowance race by 2 3/4 lengths on Friday, running the fastest six furlongs of this Fair Grounds meet, 1:08.88.

Now it is on to the real races. Badge of Silver appears to have come out of his win in good physical condition, and he's on target to start next in the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap on Feb. 29.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Fire Slam out-hoofs 'em all

Louis Hodges Jr.
Fire Slam didn't look like he had a troubled left hind hoof, winning the Lecomte Stakes by two lengths Saturday at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS - Last Monday, much to trainer David Carroll's dismay, Fire Slam popped a quarter crack on his left hind foot. Somewhere around Wednesday afternoon, Fire Slam seemed unlikely to make the on Saturday at Fair Grounds. By Friday, his injured foot was feeling better, and three hours before the Lecomte, a blacksmith put a fiberglass patch on the hoof. And then Fire Slam went out and won the Lecomte by two lengths over Shadowland.

It was a solid performance from a promising 3-year-old colt - and a brave one.

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Joyful Ballad can do

OLDSMAR Fla. - It's about the last thing rival horsemen want to hear, but it looks like trainer Tom Proctor has another runner in his barn.

Proctor had won seven races from his first 13 starters at the meet coming into Friday's program, and then the son of the great horseman Willard Proctor sent out one of his more promising Glen Hill Farm runners in the eighth race. Joyful Ballad, a long-striding daughter of Saint Ballado, had dead-heated for the win in a seven-furlong maiden sprint here

Sat, 01/24/2004 - 00:00

Valentine Dancer gets a ride

Horsephotos
Valentine Dancer wins the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf on Saturday at Santa Anita Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It did not take long for jockey Jon Court to get to know Valentine Dancer at Santa Anita on Saturday.

A race-day replacement for the suspended Patrick Valenzuela, Court rode Valentine Dancer for the first time in the $500,000 . He gave her a perfect ride to score a narrow victory.

Valentine Dancer ($10.80) finished 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.31, the only win of the day at Santa Anita by a California-bred in the four-race Sunshine Millions series against Florida-breds.