Fri, 08/23/2013 - 13:24

Monmouth Park: Howe Great gets a break with post spot in Cliff Hanger

Barbara D. Livingston
Howe Great was considered for the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga, but trainer Rick Mettee opted for Monmouth.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – An inside post in a smaller field should enhance Howe Great’s chances on Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes on turf at Monmouth Park. The final major grass race of the meet drew seven runners for the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Howe Great figures to vie for the role of favorite with Summer Front, winner of the Grade 3 Miami Mile Handicap at Calder in his latest effort.

Hudson Steele, from the Todd Pletcher barn, also will garner support following his third-place finish in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes here last month.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 13:16

Woodbine: Sisterly Love looks to use Belle Mahone as springboard to Keeneland's Spinster

Michael Burns
Sisterly Love has won a pair of two-turn stakes at Woodbine this season, including the Ontario Matron.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Sisterly Love has been a dominant winner in her two starts around two turns this season at Woodbine, capturing both the Trillium and the Grade 3 Ontario Matron at 1 1/16 miles. On Sunday, Sisterly Love will be looking to extend her streak with an eye toward bigger things down the road when she faces five rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Belle Mahone.

“She’s been doing good,” said Mark Casse, who conditions Sisterly Love and watched the Kentucky-bred win the Trillium by 8 1/2 lengths and the Ontario Matron by three lengths in front-running fashion.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 12:49

Ferndale: Howey holds three aces for Humboldt County Marathon

Trainer Quinn Howey is having a meet for the ages at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale. Going into the weekend, he had won with 14 of 20 starters and had seen only one runner fail to hit the board.

But there’s one race he wants to win more than any other – the 60th running of the $30,000 C.J. Hindley-Humboldt County Marathon, which is the final race of the meet Sunday. A loss would be like a 10-1 football team losing its final game to its arch-rival.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 12:27

Los Alamitos: Far Niente comes back strong as gelding, tops Golden State Derby

Far Niente was a very good Quarter Horse racing as a colt in 2012. He may be even better as a gelding this year.

On Aug. 11, Far Niente made his first start in more than six months after being gelded. He won a division of the Grade 1 Golden State Derby trials at Los Alamitos, setting the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s $232,900 final.

Owned by Tom Atwood and Vessels Stallion Farm, Far Niente will start as a leading contender in Sunday’s 400-yard final. The recent win has left trainer Jose Hernandez Jr. optimistic that Far Niente will be more focused in his race.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 12:09

Lone Star: Wells named track president

Scott Wells, the president and general manager of Remington Park in Oklahoma City, has been named to the same position at Remington’s sister track, Lone Star Park near Dallas. Wells confirmed the new appointment on Friday, and said it was effective immediately.

“I’m not relinquishing my duties at Remington Park,” he said.

Wells said Friday that Matt Vance has been promoted to vice president of racing and wagering for Remington.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 09:40

Canterbury Park: Hermann to become first female to announce complete card

Coady Photography
Canterbury Park race analyst Angela Hermann interviews jockey Lori Keith in the track's winner's circle.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – On Sept. 7 at Canterbury Park, Angela Hermann will do something that no other woman in North America has ever done: announce an entire Thoroughbred race card.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 09:19

Woodbine: Go Blue Or Go Home back to turf prepping for Woodbine Mile

Coady Photography
Go Blue Or Go Home (right) has won his last three races by a combined total of 11 1/4 lengths.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Go Blue Or Go Home established himself as one of Woodbine’s leading sprinters with a dominating score on the main track in the Grade 3 Highlander Stakes. He goes back to the turf Sunday in the $200,000 Play the King, a seven-furlong stakes which serves as the prep for next month’s $1 million Woodbine Mile.

The Reade Baker-trained Go Blue Or Go Home has won his last three races by a combined total of 11 1/4 lengths. He covered five furlongs on the grass at Churchill in a rapid 56.77 seconds in capturing a second-level allowance Nov. 8.

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 09:15

Fort Erie: Crawford a rider determined to stay the course

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Shortly after leaving the gate in last Sunday’s sixth race, jockey Juan Crawford noticed that his first-time starter, Hot in Any Way, was running greenly and being bothered from dirt being kicked back into his face.

Crawford, 34, decided to ease his horse to the outside to relieve the kickback, and the 4-year-old began to relax. Turning for home, Hot in Any Way was in midpack, off the rail, and beginning to close.

Thu, 08/22/2013 - 17:20

Saratoga notes: Due Diligence, impressive debut winner, now with Pletcher

Tom Keyser
Due Diligence earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for his debut win.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The 2-year-old colt Due Diligence, a 7 1/2-length debut winner here on Aug. 12, was purchased privately by the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier and has been turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Thu, 08/22/2013 - 17:02

Saratoga: Alpha, Golden Ticket still going

Barbara D. Livingston
Alpha and Golden Ticket dead heat in the 2012 Travers.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Alpha and Golden Ticket, who dead-heated for win in last year's Travers Stakes, are still in training as 4-year-olds, with mixed results.

Alpha has lost all six of his starts since the Travers, most recently finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he didn't think the Whitney was that bad a race for Alpha, who was compromised by a slower-than-expected pace.