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.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Forest Heiress back with new shoes

JAMAICA, N.Y. - has returned to the scene of her most impressive performance as a 2-year-old and will head a field of 3-year-old fillies expected to run in next Saturday's $100,000, Grade 3 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct.

Forest Heiress shipped to Aqueduct from Gulfstream Park earlier this week and is scheduled to have her final workout for the Cicada on Monday. Forest Heiress has not been out since finishing second to A New Twist in the Old Hat Stakes on Jan. 6 at Gulfstream.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Gold Mover likes track, looks tough

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - With few exceptions, Gold Mover has always been right there, finishing in the money 15 times in 18 career starts, including eight wins.

Gold Mover has turned in some of her finest performances at Gulfstream Park, winning two stakes here last year at 3 and also winning in her lone appearance at the 2002 meet, a Jan. 26 allowance.

So when trainer Mark Hennig leads over Gold Mover for the $100,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes Sunday, he will be fairly confident the filly will do her absolute best.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Clement's cold spell is history

HALLANDALE BEACH, FLA. - What began as an atypical Gulfstream Park meet for trainer Christophe Clement has returned to normal over the past month. And it could get even better next weekend when the Clement sends out major players in both the $200,000 Pan American and Orchid handicaps.

Clement had won just two races through the middle of February but over the past month has saddled six winners from his last 20 starters, including Moon Queen, who easily captured the Grade 3 The Very One Handicap. Clement won the De La Rose Handicap earlier in the meet with Veil of Avalon.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Paloma Parilla forced to pass on Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Paloma Parilla, winner of the second division of the $75,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, will miss the track's Grade 3, $100,000 Rebel on Saturday because of a quarter crack in his left front hoof.

The injury has forced the colt to lose six days of training, and he will now be pointed to either the $75,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn on April 10, or the $100,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at Lone Star Park on April 6.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Shippers versus 'Bunk' in Derby

OLDSMAR, Fla. - The undefeated Bunk N Ted will face the stiffest test of his career on Sunday when he takes on a host of dangerous south Florida ship-ins topped by Tropical Park Derby winner Political Attack in the $200,000 .

In recent years such notables as Impeachment, Wheelaway, and Menifee have run in the Tampa Bay Derby en route to good showings in the Triple Crown, prompting the grading committee to reinstate the race's Grade 3 status this year.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

Ninebanks has it all, so it seems

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer seems to be holding the aces (again), this time for the $55,000 Silky Sullivan Starter Handicap, Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.

Hollendorfer sends out the entry of Ninebanks and Anstar in a field of eight, which includes a second coupled entry of Suspicious Minds and Withholding Info.

Hollendorfer nominated Ninebanks to Saturday's Golden Gate Breeders' Cup Handicap, which drew only five entrants. He opted to run in the Silky Sullivan, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, instead.

Fri, 03/15/2002 - 00:00

California shippers formidable in Pelleteri

NEW ORLEANS - They were lined up, saying farewell, good luck, and good riddance, as the van carrying Bonapaw from Fair Grounds to Dubai pulled away last week. Sunday, Bonapaw will be training at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai, pushing closer to a start in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. The local sprinters he left behind will be running in the $150,000 Pelleteri Breeders' Cup Handicap.