Sat, 03/16/2002 - 00:00

No Slip adds notch to Frankel's belt

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Bobby Frankel's domination of graded stakes races continued Saturday when No Slip won the Grade 3, $200,000 Golden Gate Breeders' Cup Handicap.

No Slip ($4.20) was not originally going to run in the race, but Frankel entered him when defending champion Northern Quest came up with a quarter crack earlier in the week.

Although the Golden Gate Fields turf course had been favoring speed, No Slip came from off the pace set by stablemate Sumitas to win the 1 1/8-mile turf race by two lengths over Kerrygold. Sumitas finished third.

Sat, 03/16/2002 - 00:00

Walker, Comedy Club love to lead

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jockey Bobby Walker Jr. and the horse Comedy Club have more in common than the victory they shared on Friday's card.

Comedy Club has been in several barns in his 35-race career and has raced at a number of tracks around the Midwest. Walker, a native of Louisiana, has ridden at a number of tracks around the Midwest.

Comedy Club has competed from the bottom claiming ranks up to allowance company, while Walker has gone from being sidelined with injuries and out of action completely to being among the leading riders at Canterbury last summer.

Sat, 03/16/2002 - 00:00

'Affirmed': He's still got it!

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Affirmed Success proved there is still some life in his 8-year-old legs by accelerating past Multiple Choice approaching the eighth pole and drawing clear for a two-length victory in Saturday's $108,200 Toboggan Handicap at Aqueduct.

Vodka got up in the final jump to nip Multiple Choice by a neck for second. It was 6 1/4 lengths back to Wrangler, the 4-5 favorite, who finished a nonthreatening fourth. Run Kush Run and King's Messenger completed the order of finish.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

San Felipe all about Siphonic

Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos
Every move he makes: Siphonic preps at Santa Anita under assistant trainer Michelle Jensen for Sunday's San Felipe.

ARCADIA, Calif. - All eyes will be on Siphonic in Sunday's $250,000 at Santa Anita. He is right in the middle of the seven-horse field, with three horses to his inside and three to his outside. His every move will be watched by fans at the track, who will want to see if Siphonic behaves better in the paddock than he did before the Jan. 19 Santa Catalina Stakes, and by bettors around the country, who want to see if Siphonic can turn in an emphatic performance in the first of his final two scheduled preps for the Kentucky Derby.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Gotham favorites both vulnerable

JAMAICA, N.Y. - While most of the money will be concentrated on Mayakovsky and Saarland in Sunday's $200,000 at Aqueduct, there is every reason to believe each one is vulnerable in what will be their 3-year-old debuts.

A field of seven will contest the one-turn mile of the Gotham, a Grade 3 race that serves as a prep for the $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 13. In addition to the two headliners, Tank's Expectation, Parade of Music, Rum Splasher, Heir D' Twine, and Two Shakes complete the field.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Fair Grounds event to benefit Romero

NEW ORLEANS - Fair Grounds will hold a benefit dinner Wednesday for the ailing former jockey Randy Romero. Romero, who is at his home in Louisville, needs a kidney transplant, but because of numerous injuries incurred during his long career as a rider, is not covered by insurance.

Shane Sellers, another retired rider, has organized the Randy Romero Kidney Transplant Fund. Sellers, who has embarked upon a country-music singing career, will appear at the dinner but will not be performing.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Include to go in Jennings again

NEW ORLEANS - Even though his first early-season objective, the Grade 1 Pimlico Special, was scrapped this year, trainer Bud Delp is proceeding as planned with the comeback of Include. Include, who won the Special last year, is scheduled to make his first start of the year on April 20 in the Jennings Handicap at Pimlico.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Cashel Castle starting year

, a dominating winner of three starts last year at 2, including the Hoosier Juvenile, in which he was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 108, will make his 3-year-old debut in Sunday's seventh race at Sportsman's Park, a three-other-than allowance at six furlongs.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Jerkens filly upsets Belterra

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Allen Jerkens glanced over at the 3-5 favorite Belterra as the horses were leaving the paddock for Friday's $250,000 and said, "That filly just might be in another league."

And then as he has done so many times over the years, Jerkens went out and beat an odds-on favorite, this time Belterra - slaying the giant with Dust Me Off, who led throughout and held off a couple of challenges in a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Medaglia d'Oro gets thrown into deep water

ARCADIA, Calif. - Medaglia d'Oro has run twice. He lost a maiden race at Turfway Park. He won a maiden race at Oaklawn Park. That's it. Yet because he now resides in the white-hot barn of trainer Bobby Frankel, he will be given more than passing notice when he faces Siphonic and U S S Tinosa in Sunday's $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

Not that Frankel thinks he's going to knock off Siphonic. He would have settled for an entry-level allowance race, but none was scheduled when he needed it.