MIAMI - August Storm, who stole the Hollywood Wildcat Stakes when allowed to set a slow pace in her 2-year-old finale, may have to work a bit harder if she is to keep her unblemished grass record intact when she launches her 3-year-old season in the $100,000 Calder Oaks on Tuesday. A full field of 12 newly turned 3-year-old fillies will contest the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, which shares top billing on the New Year's Day program with the Grade 3 Calder Derby.
ALBANY, Calif. - There are two types of trainers waiting to welcome the New Year on Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields: those who are hoping the rains will continue and those who are hoping the rains will stop.
That's because Tuesday's $100,000 Lafayette Handicap is carded at one mile on the turf. Ten horses entered the race, whose turf status is in question. When the race is run, whether on dirt or turf, it's likely the field will be much smaller.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Congaree, who finished third in the 2001 Kentucky Derby and has not raced since the Jim Dandy at Saratoga Aug. 4, has resumed training in South Carolina and will be sent to trainer Bob Baffert in California in the coming weeks, according to John Adger, the racing manager for Stonerside Stable.
Adger on Saturday said Congaree has been at the Stonerside training center in South Carolina since November under the direction of Tim Jones. Adger said no timetable has been set for Congaree, but he expected the 4-year-old to return to the races in the spring.
ALBANY, Calif. - Runaway Ab turned the $55,700 Corte Madera Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Golden Gate Fields into a runaway Saturday.
Though forced to steady going into the first turn when favored Gloriously Golden suffered a fatal breakdown, Runaway Ab moved into the lead midway on the far turn on her own. She continued to open up from there, capturing the one-mile race by seven and one-half lengths over My Sand Dollar in 1:39.03.
Coupled with Past You, Runaway Ab paid $7.80 while increasing her lifetime earnings to $53,750 with two victories in three starts.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Cardiac finishes are becoming the standard for Affluent and jockey Eddie Delahoussaye in recent months.
On Saturday, Affluent won her second consecutive Grade 1 with a come-from-behind win in the $200,000 La Brea Stakes* (click here for chart) on dirt at Santa Anita.
The victory was her first start since she rallied for a win in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on turf on Oct. 13.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With a foot problem apparently behind her, Paga can launch her 2002 campaign a day early in Monday's $100,000 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita.
Last summer, Paga made a flashy U.S. debut with a neck win in the restricted Osunitas Handicap at Del Mar. She followed with a third in the Grade 3 Violet Handicap at The Meadowlands, leading in midstretch before losing by 1 1/2 lengths.
NEW ORLEANS - Sorting out the complexities of Monday's Sugar Bowl Stakes is a confusing process. Embrace the confusion. Don Juan, still a maiden after one start, hardly presents the classic profile of a stakes winner, but may have enough raw ability to pull off an upset in a race in which anything can happen.
MIAMI - Firm turf, a solid pace, and the impeccable timing of Pat Day helped Krisada become a stakes winner Saturday at Calder.
Fourth in the Long Island Handicap last month at Aqueduct, Krisada turned the tables on her three conquerors by rallying strongly in the stretch and nipping Sweetest Thing on the wire to take the $150,000, Grade 2 La Prevoyante Handicap by a neck. Sweetest Thing, second in the Long Island, was second best again, a head in front of Great Fever.
MIAMI - On a day full of upsets, Profit Option pulled off the biggest surprise by rallying from last to outfinish Deeliteful Irving by a half- length in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap* (click here for chart), feature race on Saturday's Grand Slam II program at Calder.
The 12-race Grand Slam II card drew a crowd of 12,084 and set a track record for combined mutuel handle of $9,461,604.
ALBANY, Calif. - It's not unusual to find a horse who sets fast fractions in route races trying a sprint.
Canadian-based trainer Daryl Snow will send out Quins Return in Monday's co-feature at Golden Gate Fields. But Quins Return is not a typical front-running router. She has shown enough early speed to set the pace in sprints as well.
