Race 1 |
AnalysisRace 1 I like SURPRISE KITTY (#3, 3/1) in the first, although her 3/1 price on the morning line doesn’t excite me. I think her last race, which was first back from an almost six month break, is a better effort than it may appear on paper, even though she was a beaten favorite for a lower claiming tag. |
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Average daily betting handle during the 89-day Arlington race meet that ended Sunday fell below $3 million for the first time since 2010, the year the track experienced a 27 percent decline in average daily all-sources handle.
Average daily all-sources handle fell 7 percent this year compared to 2012, dropping from $3,201,354 to $2,975,431. Ontrack average daily handle dropped 5 percent, to $379,846, while out-of-state handle on Arlington’s races was down 8 percent, to $2,370,289.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Big fields have been entered for the two opening-day features – as well as for the other eight supporting races at Keeneland, where the 17-day fall meet will be off and running Friday with a full head of steam.
The Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades drew 13 2-year-old fillies for its 62nd running, while an oversubscribed field of 15 sprinters was entered in the Grade 3, $200,000 Phoenix. Like all but two of the other seven graded stakes on the opening three-day FallStars Weekend, they are Win and You’re In preps toward the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
Racing secretary Tom Doutrich admits he had a sleepless night Sunday after taking entries for Friday’s card at the Big Fresno Fair, which opens a nine-day meet Thursday.
The opening-day card saw an average field size of 7.8 horses for the five Thoroughbred races. But Fridays are traditionally big attendance days at the fair, and the seven Thoroughbred races average less than seven runners.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There will be no way to hold back Distinctiv Passion in Saturday’s $250,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship over six furlongs.
“He’s the quickest horse I’ve had in a long time,” trainer Jeff Bonde said.
Distinctiv Passion has won 4 of 8 starts and $191,930 and starts for the first time in a Grade 1 stakes in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. In nearly all of his races, he has led after the opening quarter-mile, all of which have had a fractional time of less than 22 seconds.
Ize in Trouble tracked and pounced for a neck win over Koko Loca in Monday’s $55,000 Chaves County at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. Winter Book, the 2-5 favorite seeking to run her career record to 5 for 5, finished fifth. It was her first start at two turns.
Ize in Trouble ($7.40) was content to track Winter Book through fractions of 23.92 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.17 for the half-mile, and 1:10.25 for six furlongs. The eventual winner went on to cover the mile for fillies and mares in 1:37.67.
Chamois came through as the 2-5 favorite in the $50,000 Stanton Stakes at Delaware Park on Wednesday, but only just.
In a scratch-reduced field of four 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on turf, Chamois got up by a neck over Smash and Grab, the longest shot on the board at 6.60-1. Cerro finished 1 3/4 lengths farther back in third, with Fredericksburg fourth and last.
Under Joe Bravo, Chamois covered the distance in 1:41.41 on firm turf and paid $2.80. There was no show wagering.
ELMONT, N.Y. - In Trouble, a good-looking 2 1/4-length winner of Sunday’s Grade 2 Futurity, will likely head back to New York for the Grade 2, $200,000 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 3, trainer Tony Dutrow said Monday.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Owner Ed Stanco said Sunday that he is leaning toward stopping on Princess of Sylmar for 2013, but he is definitely planning on bringing her back for a 4-year-old campaign.
