HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Horses who rally from far back, especially in turf races, need to be both good and lucky to win.
Strizzi proved he was good when winning his grass debut by 4 1/2 lengths here Jan. 8, a performance that made him the 3-1 favorite when he returned three weeks later in the Dave Feldman Stakes. But Strizzi was unlucky in the Feldman, getting trapped behind a wall of horses before finishing only 2 1/2 lengths behind Hypnotist, who skimmed the rail.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A week ago trainer Kathleen O'Connell and the connections of Ivanavinalot had all but decided to pass Friday's Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes for what they figured to be a softer spot in Sunday's Grade 3 Florida Oaks.
But that changed once the nominations for the Bonnie Miss were released. Now it appears Ivanavinalot may forgo the trip to Tampa to compete in the Bonnie Miss, Gulfstream's premier race for 3-year-old fillies.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Ivory Tower and Paga arrived from South America in 2001 as Group 1 winners and were expected to make an impact in California's graded stakes.
Two years later, they have yet to duplicate their South American form. Paga has been plagued by illness, while Ivory Tower's career has been derailed because she bled from the lungs.
The two horses can rebound when they make their first starts of 2003 in Wednesday's $75,000 Winter Solstice Stakes for fillies and mares over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A minor share of the 3-year-old Atswhatimtalknbout, who will make his stakes debut in Sunday's $250,000 San Felipe Stakes, has been sold to a group of Hollywood movie producers that includes Gary Ross, the writer and director of the upcoming movie "Seabiscuit," and director Steven Spielberg.
Horse owner B. Wayne Hughes, who purchased Atswhatimtalknbout for $900,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale, will retain a majority share in the colt, one of the West Coast's leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby.
SALEM, NH - Joseph E. Carney, Jr., the man who helped rebuild and restore racing in New Hampshire as president and owner of Rockingham Park died Sunday after a long illness. He was 70.
As a founder of Rockingham Venture, Inc., Carney and his partners rebuilt the Rock in 1984 after a fire destroyed the grandstand in 1980. He led the track through 18 tumultuous years which saw some of New England's most historic racing events but also declines that have led to the abandonment of Thoroughbred racing and potential closing in two years.
Sunland Park, N.M. - Steve Asmussen is a force wherever he goes, and even though he is not stabled at Sunland Park he makes his presence felt here in a powerful way. After sending Cielo Girl out to take Sunday's $50,000-added Santa Teresa Handicap for older fillies and mares, Asmussen is 15 for 31 at the meet, good for fifth in the standings. More importantly, he has now won six of the thirteen non-restricted stakes run here.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Following Starrer's impressive victory against a strong field in Sunday's $300,000 , jockey Patrick Valenzuela issued a challenge to the connections of Horse of the Year Azeri.
"Against those mares and the way she did it, Azeri had better have her running shoes on," Valenzuela said.
The two mares are likely to meet in the future, perhaps as quickly as the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 5.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Brown Eyed Beauty picked up the first stakes win of her career Sunday when she ran down Southern Tour by two lengths to win the $50,000 at Oaklawn Park. It was another length and a quarter back in third to Run For A Little Bit.
NEW ORLEANS - Willie Sutton used to say he robbed banks because that's where they kept the money. Bobby Frankel decided at the last minute to switch courses and run Peace Rules at Fair Grounds in Sunday's $750,000 , in part because it offered a far bigger purse than Saturday's $200,000 El Camino Real Derby.
Frankel's confidence did not go very far, though. He told Ed Gann, the owner of Peace Rules, not to bother traveling from San Diego. "I told him we've got no chance," Frankel said. "I told him I thought it was a tough race, and I didn't think we'd win."
ALBANY, Calif. - Bare Necessities ($2.80) cruised to an easy five-length victory over Castling in the $64,050 Sacramento Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
Bare Necessities sat five lengths off the pace of Bullish Miss in the one-mile race for older fillies and mares. She moved out on the second turn, easily taking the lead while expanding the margin through the stretch. Her winning time was 1:35.89.
