ARCADIA, Calif. - The 9-year-old Kona Gold showed he may be as good as ever.
Wednesday at Santa Anita, Kona Gold won his 11th stakes in the $108,800 El Conejo Handicap, unleashing a remarkable rally from last place that caught Radiata in the final 30 yards.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Does a long, cold winter really lie ahead? Well, maybe for most horseplayers in North America. But for the fortunate souls with the time or resources to avoid winter's wrath, there is one obvious place to escape: Gulfstream Park, which begins its annual meet Friday with a renewed sense of enthusiasm among fans and horsemen.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Gulfstream Park training colony is getting a much needed makeover for the 2003 meeting, which begins Friday. There are some new trainers on the grounds, but the biggest change is the presence of several powerhouse stables that were based elsewhere - at least in part - last year.
ALBANY, Calif. - I'madrifter ($3.20) repeated his wire-to-wire victory in the $83,100 Lafayette Handicap on Wednesday at Golden Gate Fields.
Jockey Kevin Krigger, who finished second aboard Poker Brad in the 2002 Lafayette, recorded his first stakes victory as I'madrifter defeated entrymate Halo Cat by 1? (one one-half) lengths in the one-mile race on a wet-fast track in 1:33.98. A third-member of the four-horse entry, Chinkapin, finished third.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The most notable change in the Gulfstream stakes schedule this year is the addition of the Sunshine Millions, a multi-million dollar series that represents the most ambitious racing program ever undertaken by the track's owner, Magna Entertainment Corp.
The Sunshine Millions, an eight-race series worth $3.6 million, will be run simultaneously at Gulfstream and its Magna sister track Santa Anita Park, on Jan. 25. All races are restricted to eligible Florida- or California-breds.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Golden Apples, the leading contender for the 2002 Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding turf female, began a vacation at a local farm this week after recently undergoing arthroscopic surgery to have bone chips removed from her ankles.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The lack of a recent start by Above Perfection and Kitty on the Track leaves bettors with an intriguing puzzle in Friday's $100,000 Survive Stakes at Santa Anita.
Both mares are capable of winning the 5 1/2-furlong sprint, which is restricted to California-bred fillies and mares who have not won a first-place purse of $50,000 twice since March 1, but they do not have the benefit of a recent race.
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainers Howard Belvoir and Brent Sumja were happy to turn the page to a new year on Wednesday.
Their barns have been slumping at Golden Gate Fields, but are heading into 2003 hoping to build some momentum following recent victories.
Belvoir has started 32 horses at the meet and has only one win, Dreamin Demon last Saturday. He does have seven seconds and four thirds.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though Penobscot Bay successfully stretched out in distance for his last start, trainer Rodney Jenkins isn't convinced his newly turned 3-year-old is a true route horse. Jenkins hopes to find out for sure when he ships the colt from his Maryland base to Aqueduct for Saturday's $75,000 Count Fleet Stakes at one mile and 70 yards.