Fri, 04/10/2015 - 12:12

Skylander Girl targets Whimsical Stakes

Michael Burns
Skylander Girl wins the 2013 Ontario Debutante at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Alexander Patykewich finished the 2014 Woodbine season with just one horse in his barn but now returns from the Gulfstream Park meet with three after a productive winter from stable star Skylander Girl.

Skylander Girl made three starts at Gulfstream during the winter, highlighted by a runner-up effort to Singapore Cup winner Parranda in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes on Jan. 10. Skylander Girl is now at Woodbine preparing for the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes here April 18.

Fri, 04/10/2015 - 12:10

Paladin Bay eyes Hendrie Stakes

Michael Burns
Paladin Bay, shown last year with trainer Harold Ladaceur and Jessie Ladaceur, is targeting the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes on May 9 at Woodbine.

 

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Grade 3 Selene Stakes winner Paladin Bay is back in training at Woodbine after missing the second half of the 2014 season with bone bruising.

Trainer Harold Ladouceur said the injury occurred after Paladin Bay ran third in the Bison City Stakes on July 13 and that she might have been able to return before the end of the year.

“We could have probably tried after six weeks off, but it was so late in the season, and I didn’t want to ship her anywhere, so we decided to take the rest of the year off,” he said.

Fri, 04/10/2015 - 12:06

Sheer Drama impresses in workout for La Troienne

Barbara D. Livingston
Sheer Drama wins the Royal Delta Stakes on March 21 at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sheer Drama, the runaway winner of the Grade 2 Royal Delta Stakes here March 21, turned in the work of the morning at Gulfstream Park on Friday. The homebred daughter of Burning Roma cruised through a half-mile in 48.57 seconds, completing her final quarter in 23.97 while finishing in hand and into a stiff headwind. She galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.54 and pulled up six panels in 1:15.72.

Fri, 04/10/2015 - 11:36

Garcia moves tack to Woodbine for 2015

Coglianese Photos
Jockey Alan Garcia will ride at Woodbine this season.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Patrick Husbands and Luis Contreras had quite the battle atop the Woodbine jockey standings toward the end of last season, but they might have some company this season as former New York jockey Alan Garcia joins the Woodbine colony this year.

Garcia, a winner of 1,449 career races, recently has been riding on the Kentucky circuit while also spending the summers at Saratoga. Garcia said he’s fully committed to Woodbine for the duration of the 2015 season.

Thu, 04/09/2015 - 15:21

Kentucky Derby to have a decided Lukas influence

Barbara D. Livingston
D. Wayne Lukas has four former assistants who could have horses in the Kentucky Derby - and he could have one himself.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – D. Wayne Lukas made an impression on a teenage Bob Baffert decades ago when Lukas shipped several horses into a Sonoita, Ariz., track about 30 miles from Baffert’s home. Lukas was an established Quarter Horse trainer and was invading for trials for a futurity.

“It was big time,” recalled Baffert. “He rolled in with all these good 2-year-olds, a first-class operation. He was the guy. Wayne’s always been bigger than life. He’s always been the bar of racing.”

Thu, 04/09/2015 - 13:06

Tamarkuz joining McLaughlin for Met Mile

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
Tamarkuz (blue silks), a winner of four straight one-mile races in Dubai, is joining trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's stable in New York.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Tamarkuz, the nose winner of the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan, will soon ship to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s New York barn and be pointed to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day.

Tamarkuz, owned by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stable, is a Kentucky-bred son of Speightstown. Tamarkuz’s dam, Without You Babe, is a half-sister to Stay Thirsty, who in 2011 won the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and the Travers and Jim Dandy stakes at Saratoga.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 16:18

Joint Return will make 2015 debut in Top Flight Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Joint Return will make her 2015 debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Joint Return, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes last year, will kick off her 4-year-old campaign in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct.

A field of nine fillies and mares was entered for the Top Flight, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.

House Rules, the runner-up as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Royal Delta Stakes last out, likely will go off favored in the Top Flight.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 16:13

Two Aqueduct turf stakes postponed

Barbara D. Livingston
V. E. Day, shown at the Palm Meadows training center on March 26, is more likely for the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 2 at Belmont than the rescheduled Danger's Hour on April 18 at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York Racing Association officials have postponed two turf stakes scheduled to be run this weekend at Aqueduct until next week, it was announced Wednesday.

The $100,000 Danger’s Hour, for older horses at one mile, was originally scheduled for Wood Memorial Day but, due to poor weather, was postponed with the hopes of running it this weekend. Now, the race will be rescheduled for April 18.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 16:10

Effinex on schedule for Excelsior

Barbara D. Livingston
Effinex (outside) wins the Empire Classic Handicap in October at Belmont.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-bred Effinex, who came off an 86-day layoff to win an open, second-level optional-claiming race March 27 at Aqueduct, worked four furlongs in 50.20 seconds Wednesday at Belmont.

He is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Excelsior at 1 1/4 miles on April 25 at Aqueduct.

Effinex won last year’s Empire Classic Handicap in October at Belmont. He finished the year with fourth-place finishes in the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup and the Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-breds on Dec. 31.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 16:06

Daredevil gets freshening at WinStar

Barbara D. Livingston
Daredevil could target the King's Bishop Stakes this summer at Saratoga.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Daredevil, beaten 12 lengths when finishing fourth as the favorite in Saturday’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial, has been sent to WinStar Farm for a freshening and will be pointed to a summer return, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday.

Pletcher said Daredevil came out of the Wood sound and will be kept in races around one turn for the time being.

“We’ll focus on Saratoga; we kicked around the King’s Bishop as a target, with a race prior to that,” Pletcher said.