Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

Randaroo ends Castillo's drought

ELMONT, N.Y. - Randaroo emerged from a four-way scramble for the lead to set a pressured pace around the turn, opened up a clear lead in midstretch, and staved off a rally from 1-2 favorite Shine Again in Saturday's $150,000 First Flight Handicap at Belmont.

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

Keeneland: M B Sea stuns Tenpins

M B Sea ended the Keeneland fall meet on a surprising note by defeating heavily favored Tenpins by a length in the 45th running of the $163,800 Fayette Stakes.

Owned by Mike Bruder and trained by Dale Romans, M B Sea, a 4-year-old colt by 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, returned $71.40 as the longest shot in a field of seven older horses. Always in a good tracking position under Craig Perret, M B Sea finished 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.30 over a fast track.

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

Woodbine: Favorite prevails

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Winter Garden ($3.50) seized command in midstretch en route to a workmanlike victory in the $136,125 Ontario Fashion Handicap.

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

College Honor takes Bergen County

College Honor ($14) took command out of the gate and never looked back, winning the $40,000 Bergen County Stakes by a head at The Meadowlands on Friday night. Trained by Richard Vega and ridden by Nick Santagata, College Honor covered the five furlongs over a firm turf course in 56.47 seconds. Running Furiously completed the $86.20 exacta, and Impolite was third.

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

Gorham has strong duo

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Trainer Bob Gorham will have a powerful one-two punch when Great Lakes Downs ends its 2003 meeting Tuesday evening.

Rockem Sockem and Heza Mountain Man should be the favorites in the $34,888-added Michigan Futurity, which was split after 14 2-year-old Michigan-bred colts and geldings were entered.

All entrants will carry 122 pounds in the seven-furlong races, which will be the first two of the 11-race card.

Rockem Sockem had one of the best performances of the meet, winning his division of the Michigan Sire Stakes by 12 lengths.

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

Skymaster gives Parisi's stable a lift

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Paul Parisi has more on his mind than trying to win races.

Parisi, like many trainers based in New Jersey, thinks a lot about the winter that is rapidly approaching. He will head to Florida, but he doesn't have enough stalls there. Parisi needs 11 at Gulfstream Park, and he was allocated only four.

"Worrying about it really eats me up inside," Parisi said. "My stock fits down there. I've got horses ready to go down there and run."

Sat, 10/25/2003 - 00:00

'Send 'Em' looks tough

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Michigan Sire Stakes winner Send 'Em Pakin and Gold Ginny head their respective divisions in the $34,425-added Michigan Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Great Lakes Downs on Monday. The seven-furlong race was split after 15 fillies were entered, and will be run as the first and second races on the 10-race card.

One of two stakes winners in the second division, Send 'Em Pakin won the $74,550 Sire Stakes, her first career stakes, by 2 1/4 lengths. Tommy Molina will ride Send 'Em Pakin.

Fri, 10/24/2003 - 00:00

Amid change, one constant

Churchill Downs
A crane lifts an officials' box in place as part of major renovations that won't be complete until 2005.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Change abounds at Churchill Downs these days. The patchworked pattern of a 130-year-old frontside finally is yielding to modernity, and the ongoing construction has left the grounds in a state of transition that by 2005 will result in a spanking-new state-of-the-art facility.

Indeed, with the demolition that began hours after the track ended its spring meet July 6 already complete, the Churchill landscape is now dominated by the sights, sounds, and inconveniences of major reconstruction.

Fri, 10/24/2003 - 00:00

Woods retires after nearly 30 years

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A career that spanned nearly 30 years and made Charlie Woods Jr. one of the all-time leading jockeys at Churchill Downs and Turfway Park is officially over. Woods announced Friday that he will not return from the latest in a series of riding-related injuries and has hung up his tack for good.

"I'm tired of getting hurt," said Woods, 53. "Everybody reaches their degree of success. I had a good career, met a lot of great people, made a lot of great friends. I just decided it was time to move on."

Fri, 10/24/2003 - 00:00

Meet ends with mare vs. the boys

EDMONTON, Alberta - The 74-day Northlands season ends Sunday with a nine-race card.

The Thoroughbreds will not return until June 25, for a 70-day run. The 2004 opener will be a week later than usual because Stampede Park plans to extend its spring meet by a week in order to accommodate 47 racing dates.

Meanwhile, the racing fraternity is keenly awaiting Horse Racing Alberta's decision Oct. 31 on a 10-year racetrack license for Calgary, for which there are three applicants including incumbent Stampede Park.