Mon, 10/07/2013 - 14:09

Belmont notes: Boisterous works ahead of Knickerbocker three-peat attempt

Michael Amoruso
Boisterous, who won the Man o’ War in July, worked a half-mile in 48.12 seconds on Monday morning over the outer turf course.

ELMONT, N.Y. – At one point this year, it looked like Boisterous was prepared to pick up the mantle from his injured and more celebrated stablemate Point of Entry and become a force in the turf division.

After winning back-to-back graded stakes including the Grade 1 Man o’ War here in July, things went awry for Boisterous. So instead of pointing to next month’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, Boisterous will make what most likely will be his final career start in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park.

Mon, 10/07/2013 - 13:59

Keeneland: Stakes favorites find going tough

Coady Photography
My Conquestadory could be headed to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf after winning the Alcibiades.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – If not for last-to-first rallies by My Conquestadory and Emollient, favorites would have been blanked in the nine graded stakes that comprised the FallStars events on opening weekend of the Keeneland fall meet.

My Conquestadory took the Darley Alcibiades on Friday at 6-5, while Emollient was 2-1 in winning the Juddmonte Spinster on Sunday. Favorites in the other seven stakes all went down to defeat, most notably 1-2 choices Wise Dan in the Shadwell Turf Mile and Groupie Doll in the Thoroughbred Club of America.

Mon, 10/07/2013 - 12:17

Woodbine: Carroll enjoys stakes double with Ami's Holiday, James Street

Michael Burns
Ami's Holiday (left) nips Big Bazinga in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Josie Carroll’s barn had a very productive hour and change here Sunday, winning the Grade 3, $174,400 Grey Stakes with Ami’s Holiday and, two races later, taking the Grade 3, $155,100 Durham Cup with James Street.

Ami’s Holiday, a 2-year-old colt making just his second start in the 1 1/16-mile Grey, earned his first stakes victory, while James Street, a 6-year-old horse making his 27th career start in the 1 1/8-mile Durham Cup, got his third stakes win.

Sat, 10/05/2013 - 13:39

Santa Anita: Purim's Dancer targets Maddy Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Gary Stevens collects his second stakes victory since launching his comeback aboard Purim's Dancer in Sunday's Wishing Well Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup program at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 is turning into Ladies’ Day for trainer Tom Proctor.

Proctor has the 5-year-old mare Marketing Mix as a leading domestic contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf that afternoon. On the same program, Proctor plans to run the 3-year-old Pontchatrain and the 4-year-old Purim’s Dancer in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course.

Sat, 10/05/2013 - 12:15

Keeneland: Casse considering BC Juvenile Fillies for My Conquestadory

Coady Photography
In her two career starts, My Conquestadory has beaten males in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes and won the Grade 1 Alcibiades (above).

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mark Casse said My Conquestadory, the flashy winner of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes on the opening-day program Friday at Keeneland, will train on dirt for the first time this week as he considers the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for the unbeaten filly.

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 16:56

Belmont: Pletcher sends out old reliable Caixa Eletronica in Duck Dance

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Caixa Eletronica will return at his best distance of six furlongs in the Uncle Mo.

ELMONT, N.Y. – While two graded turf stakes for juveniles highlight Sunday’s 11-race program at Belmont Park, there is a pretty good $100,000 overnight stakes for dirt sprinters that should garner some attention as well.

The $100,000 Duck Dance, which could be a prep for the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler here on Oct. 26, drew a salty nine-horse field, led by the multiple stakes-winning 8-year-old Caixa Eletronica.

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 15:55

Keeneland: Dorochenko wastes no time making a big splash

Coady Photography
Araksia, ridden by Viktor Schulepov, pays $41.80 for winning the first race of Keeneland's fall meet.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – At least one smart-aleck made this hypothetical wagering prop on Twitter on the number of winners that trainer Gennadi Dorochenko would send out at the Keeneland fall meet: one-half.

Well, less than two minutes into the 17-day meet, the “over” was a winner. As many of the Keeneland faithful were still filing through the gates for the opening-day card Friday – and the vast majority of those already here watched in stunned silence – the Dorochenko-trained Araksia rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory, returning $41.80.

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 15:51

Florida notes: White Wabbit Wacing, Maragh making waves

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While perennial leaders Ken and Sarah Ramsey and Frank Calabrese figure to battle it out for the top spot in the owners race this winter at Gulfstream Park, there could be a new force to reckon with in the division, the ever-expanding White Wabbit Wacing LLC.

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 15:31

Mid-South notes: Dominguez mulling over where to run Wine Police

Dustin Orona Photography
Wine Police is under consideration for several upcoming races, including the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The Breeders’ Cup Sprint is one of a handful of options the connections of Wine Police are mulling over following his win in last weekend’s $150,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup. Wine Police is back at his Zia Park base in Hobbs, N.M., with races in Louisiana, New York, and Pennsylvania also on his radar, trainer Henry Dominguez said Friday.

“The Breeders’ Cup is a consideration,” he said. “We have a lot of spots we can go to and haven’t made a definite decision. We’ll come up with a plan in the next week or so.”

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 14:24

Hastings notes: Perez takes aim at second straight riding title

Erin Palmer/Emerald Downs Photo
Amadeo Perez, seen aboard Longacres Mile winner Herbie D, is trying for his second straight riding title at Hastings.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It looks like Amadeo Perez is going to be the leading rider at Hastings for the second straight year when the meet ends Oct. 14, but he won’t be a runaway winner like last year.

In 2012, he won 95 races, 27 more than Fernando Perez, who finished a clear second. This year, the wins have been spread around a lot more, and Perez heads into the final two weekends of racing with 56 wins, just five more than Scott Williams. The difference between Perez and Richard Hamel, seventh in the standings, is just 13 wins.