Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

Slop no problem for Maddie's Charm

ALBANY, Calif. - Maddie's Charm ($12.60), coming off a maiden victory on the turf, handled a sloppy track with ease and won the $60,650 Corte Madera Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Maddie's Charm, the lone route winner among the 2-year-old fillies, stalked pacesetting favorite Viansa Ossidiana to the second turn before moving up and taking command in the one-mile race. She opened a clear lead into the stretch and was never seriously threatened as she defeated Tale Of A Dream by 1 1/4 lengths. Her winning time was 1:35.78.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

The Judge Sez Who gives trainer a double

Jean Raftery
The Judge Sez Who eases to the wire a 1 3/4-length victor over favored Best of the Rest in the Grade 3, $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap at Calder on Saturday.

MIAMI - The Judge Sez Who capped off a memorable day for trainer Milt Wolfson when he rallied to a 1 3/4-length victory over 8-5 favorite Best of the Rest in the Grade 3, with Stormy Frolic earlier on the card.

The Judge Sez Who rallied off a hotly contested pace in the 1 1/8-mile Hooper. Jockey Cornelio Velasquez waited until the three-eighths pole before making his move aboard The Judge Sez Who, who swung wide into the stretch and ran down Best of the Rest.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

A prosperous New Economy

Jean Raftery
New Economy ($47.40) skips over the Calder turf Saturday to post a 1 1/4-length win in the $200,000 La Prevoyante Handicap.

MIAMI - Saturday's Grand Slam II program at Calder began with a bang when New Economy paid $47.40 after rallying for a 1 1/4-length victory over Jennasietta and 10 other fillies and mares in the .

Under Rosemary Homeister Jr., New Economy rallied four wide around the final turn to take control in the early stretch run of the 1 1/2-mile turf race. She then withstood the final surge of the 29-1 Jennasietta, who had to take up on the final turn. Tweedside attempted to rally with the winner into the stretch, but couldn't sustain her bid and finished third.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

Poet, author, and leading trainer

OLDSMAR, Fla. - His name is Clarence Zehnder, most folks call him Pete, and while a lot of people around the track have led colorful lives, you would have to go some to top his life story.

Zehnder has been an author, a poet, and a bar owner, and right now he's Tampa's leading trainer.

"I've done a little bit of everything. from hustling pool to writing books," said Zehnder, 59, a native of Boone County, Ky., who first came to the racetrack at old Latonia, which is now Turfway Park. "I trained for 23 years, gave it up for 15, and now I'm back and having a ball."

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

'Gal' tries to end loss streak

P & M Photography
James Lopez will be in the irons on Gal on the Go in Tuesday's $50,000 My Charmer Stakes at Turfway Park.

Unsafe track conditions cut short the Dec. 14 racing card at Turfway Park, and forced the postponement of the $50,000 My Charmer Stakes. A little more than two weeks later, the My Charmer Stakes reappears Tuesday at the Florence, Ky., track.

The forecast calls for showers on Monday and Tuesday, so the race, for fillies and mares, may be contested on an off track. That would suit Gal on the Go, who is unbeaten in two races on a wet surface. Even on a fast track, she has a good opportunity to win Tuesday and end a 13-race losing streak that dates back to June 2001.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

I'madrifter moves up if track is wet

ALBANY, Calif. - One year ago, trainer Steve Specht gambled and won at Golden Gate Fields.

Although the Lafayette Handicap on New Year's Day was scheduled to be run on the turf, he nominated I'madrifter hoping the race would be moved to the main track due to heavy rains.

The race was moved to the main track, and I'madrifter led throughout in a romp in the slop, beating Poker Brad by 1 1/4 lengths in the $100,000 race at one mile.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

Robledo hits the Derby trail

Benoit Photo
Pocketfullofpesos, claimed for $40,000 at Hollywood Park on Nov. 9, became the second ex-claimer to win a stakes during opening week at Santa Anita when she won the $125,000 California Breeders' Champion Stakes on Friday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Robledo is bound for the $150,000 Santa Catalina Stakes on Jan. 18 following a victory in a $56,000 allowance race at Santa Anita on Saturday that his trainer described as "professional." Making his first start around two turns, Robledo ($10.80) beat even-money favorite Apalachian Thunder by a half-length, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.92.

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

Trosclair shoots and scores

NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Jeff Trosclair said he was just "taking a shot" with Skate Away in Saturday's at Fair Grounds. It turns out Skate Away fit the race just fine. With heavily favored Better Talk Now backing out of the Woodchopper in upper stretch, Skate Away made a clear lead in midstretch and held off a late rally from Seainsky to win by a neck.

"I guess he could step up one day and be a really nice horse," Trosclair said. "Or this might have been the pinnacle. I don't really know yet."

Sat, 12/28/2002 - 00:00

Coyote Lakes - again

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It's three and counting for Coyote Lakes.

Under Mike Luzzi, Coyote Lakes wore down the pace-setting tandem of Fisher Pond and Pleasant Breeze to win his third consecutive , this time by 1 3/4 lengths before 5,740 at Aqueduct. Pleasant Breeze nosed out Fisher Pond - a slight favorite over Coyote Lakes - for second in the 1 5/8-mile race.

Fri, 12/27/2002 - 00:00

Pocketfullofpesos chalks up another one for ex-claimers

ARCADIA, Calif. - The opening week of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting has been very kind to ex-claimers trying stakes.

On Thursday, Debonair Joe won the $200,000 Malibu Stakes after being claimed for $12,500 at Fairplex Park on September 20.

On Friday, Pocketfullofpesos, claimed for $40,000 at Hollywood Park on Nov. 9, won her third consecutive race in the fillies division of the $125,000 California Breeders' Champion Stakes.