Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:35

Churchill Downs: Taptowne's stock rising entering Ack Ack

Coady Photography
Taptowne won the West Virginia Governor's Stakes in his most recent start last month.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In the spring of 2011, a race pitting Pants On Fire and Taptowne would have resulted in a blowout victory for Pants On Fire.

Pants On Fire was the Louisiana Derby winner that spring, and finished ninth behind winner Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby. Taptowne, meanwhile, was still eligible for a first-level allowance race on Derby Day of that year, and had been whipped early in the Spiral and Lexington stakes.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:33

Del Mar: Leparoux, Bejarano shine

Barbara D. Livingston
Julien Leparoux led all riders at Del Mar with seven stakes wins.

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DEL MAR, Calif. - Julien Leparoux won the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf on Diamond Bachelor, then rode Tamarando to win the Del Mar Futurity, which gave him seven stakes wins for the meet, tops among riders in his first full season at Del Mar.

Leparoux relocated to Southern California one year ago after marrying the former Shea Mitchell, daughter of trainer Mike Mitchell.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:24

Barretts at Fairplex: E.B. Johnston fails to fill; optional claimer is Saturday feature

Shigeki Kikkawa
D'pendable, with two victories in seven career starts, is favored in Saturday's featured optional claimer at Barretts at Fairplex.

POMONA, Calif. – Revisions to the stakes program at the Los Angeles County Fair will be necessary next fall if the E.B. Johnston Stakes, originally scheduled for Saturday, is to be saved.

For the second time in three years, the $50,000 route for California-bred fillies and mares did not fill. Five nominated, none entered, and the first Saturday of the 13-day Barretts at Fairplex season will not have a stakes.

“It’s an important day for us, and we should have a stake,” racing secretary Tom Knust said.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:09

Belmont Park notes: Lukas has options for Strong Mandate on each coast

Barbara D. Livingston
Strong Mandate, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes on Monday, likely will start next in either the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes or the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – Strong Mandate, the 9 3/4-length winner of Monday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, arrived in Kentucky on Wednesday but soon will be making another road trip.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:04

Churchill Downs: Stonetastic enters Pocahontas Stakes off impressive debut

[bc_video_id:303942:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kelly Breen is no longer a college dude, but the 44-year-old trainer has a youthful vigor that should make him feel right at home Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 16:02

Louisiana Downs: Gantry back from break for Temperence Hill

Barbara D. Livingston
Gantry worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.60 on Aug. 31.

BOSSIER CITY, La. – One of the main questions within the $100,000 guaranteed pick four sequence at Louisiana Downs on Saturday is whether Gantry can fire off the bench in the second leg, the $50,000 Temperence Hill Stakes. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up is one of five stakes on the undercard supporting the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby. The pick four, which has a 50-cent minimum, will be on races 8 through 11.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 15:53

Suffolk Downs: Kimball Stakes draws hot first-timer Doublicious

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – Six statebred 3-year-old fillies will go postward in the $50,000 Louise Kimball Stakes at Suffolk Downs on Saturday, and the six-furlong sprint may be the coming-out party for Doublicious.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 15:47

Kentucky Downs: Opening day features three stakes for fillies and mares

Barbara D. Livingston
Magical Moon enters the Alcibiades off a 10-length romp on the Saratoga turf.

Hard-core horseplayers should really enjoy these. Back-to-back-to-back stakes scheduled for Saturday at Kentucky Downs combine the elements they always say they want: big fields, turf, no heavy favorites, a melting-pot look, and classy horses trained and ridden by top-notch horsemen.

The opening-day card at the south-central Kentucky track begins at 1:35 p.m. Central with a $75,000 maiden race. Each of the 10 races attracted fields of 10 or more, with no fewer than 11 entries in the trio of co-featured filly and mare stakes.

Magical Moon faces older horses

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 15:42

Hastings: Arabella’s Muse aims to back up dazzling debut in Sadie Diamond Futurity

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby is clearly the highlight of the card at Hastings on Sunday, but there will be a lot of interest when Arabella’s Muse makes her second start, in the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity, one of the five supporting stakes on the 10-race program.

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 15:30

Belmont Park: Bowling Green puts Boisterous back on favorite turf course

Barbara D. Livingston
Boisterous brings a 6-for-9 career record on Belmont Park's turf into Saturday's Bowling Green Handicap.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – As hard as it may seem to believe, not everybody enjoys Saratoga.

Based on two poor performances in the Sword Dancer Invitational sandwiched around a poor effort in last year’s Arlington Million after training in Saratoga, trainer Shug McGaughey has deduced that Boisterous is not a fan of the Spa.