Sun, 06/02/2013 - 20:23

Hollywood Park: Tiz a Minister rides rail to win Affirmed

Benoit & Associates
Tiz a Minister, ridden by Corey Nakatani, wins the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap by a length Sunday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Jockey Corey Nakatani spent the month getting to know the 3-year-old Tiz a Minister in morning workouts. He put that information to good use in Sunday’s $100,750 Affirmed Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

When Tiz a Minister turned into the stretch at the back of the field of eight 3-year-olds, Nakatani thought he still had a chance.

“I felt I had a ton of horse,” Nakatani said.

With a furlong remaining, Tiz a Minister was fifth as Nakatani guided the colt toward the inside with confidence.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 19:29

Arapahoe Park: No It Ain't scores in Sprint at 26-1

Coady Photography
No It Ain't gets his first stakes victory Sunday in Arapahoe Park's $40,000 Sprint.

No It Ain’t reversed a trend of six straight off-the-board finishes Sunday at Arapahoe Park when he rallied from next to last to win the track’s $40,000 Sprint at 26-1. No It Ain’t, who paid $53.80, won by 2 1/4 lengths over 23-1 shot Sinaan. The 6-3 exacta paid $1,365.60.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 17:55

Hollywood Park: Game On Dude resumes training

Barbara D. Livingston
Game On Dude, trained By Bob Baffert, was named horse of the winter-spring Santa Anita meeting after winning the San Antonio Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap.

Game On Dude, who won $1.5 million Charles Town Classic and the San Antonio and Santa Anita handicaps earlier this year, resumed training Sunday after missing a workout because of concern over his health.

Game On Dude did not train Friday after he showed a loss of appetite and had an elevated temperature, trainer Bob Baffert said. The situation improved over the weekend, allowing Game On Dude to train at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 17:47

Monmouth Park: Don's Peach goes from claimer to stakes winner in Open Mind

David Owens/Equi-Photo
Don's Peach, ridden by Paco Lopez, won the Opening Mind Handicap on Sunday for her first stakes win.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Don’s Peach pulled off a mild upset Sunday, beating 1-2 favorite Geeky Gorgeous in the $61,800 Open Mind Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares at Monmouth Park.

Don’s Peach was a shrewd claim this winter by trainer Kathy Mongeon, who snared the 5-year-old mare for a mere $6,250 at Gulfstream Park. The acquisition has produced two wins and a second in three starts, including Sunday’s stakes victory.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 17:31

Beulah Park: Plain Ol' Willard wins Green Carpet Stakes

GROVE CITY, Ohio – Plain Ol' Willard overcame the No. 13 post to win the $50,000 Green Carpet Stakes at Beulah Park on Sunday.

Trained by Tony Lowry, Plain Ol' Willard was kept wide in the field of 13 Ohio-bred 3-year-olds early. Jockey Gabriel Lagunes sent Plain Ol' Willard to the front on the far turn, and he exploded into the stretch, drawing off to lead by four lengths.

Lagunes kept the gelding to task through the stretch, and the margin of victory was 4 3/4 lengths.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 17:22

Belmont Park: Brooklyn draws Calidoscopio, Ruler On Ice, Quick Casablanca

Barbara D. Livingston
Ruler On Ice is just 1 for 11 since winning the Belmont Stakes in 2011 and will make his third start of the year Tuesday at Parx Racing.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner, a Belmont Stakes winner, and a multiple Group 1 winner in Chile were among the eight horses entered Sunday for Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park.

Calidoscopio, last November’s Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner at Santa Anita; Ruler On Ice, the 2011 Belmont winner at 25-1; and Quick Casablanca, who won Group 1 races on turf and dirt, likely will have to beat the improving Percussion, who has won three of four starts since being bought privately and moved to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 16:48

Belmont Stakes workouts: Orb looks sharp in half-mile move

[bc_video_id:294117:]ELMONT, N.Y. – As expected, Sunday morning proved to be a long and busy one on the Belmont Stakes watch. The action started with Vyjack the moment the main track opened at 5:30 and didn’t end until Incognito completed his work over at the training track almost 4 1/2 hours later.

All told, seven of the 10 potential Belmont Stakes horses stabled on the grounds turned in timed workouts Sunday, with an eighth, Freedom Child, stretching his legs with a very strong six-furlong open gallop shortly after 7 a.m.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 16:15

Hollywood Park: Californian trifecta eyes Hollywood Gold Cup

Benoit & Associates
Clubhouse Ride, with Garrett Gomez up, wins the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Clubhouse Ride, Liaison, and Oilisblackgold – the first three finishers of Saturday’s $150,500 Californian Stakes – are bound for the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 6, their trainers said.

Clubhouse Ride, a 5-year-old horse trained by Craig Lewis, took the Grade 2 Californian by 2 1/4 lengths over Liaison for his first graded stakes win in his 28th career start.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 15:58

Hollywood Park: Puype hoping Mizdirection handles new venue

Benoit & Associates
Mizdirection wins the one-mile, Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita on Monday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mizdirection, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against males last November and three stakes this year at Santa Anita, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 on turf Sunday, preparing for Saturday’s $500,000 Just A Game Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile on turf at Belmont Park.

Mizdirection was ridden by Mike Smith and worked alone. Trainer Mike Puype timed the work in 59.80 seconds.

“She’s rolling,” Puype said as he watched Mizdirection work around the turn.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 15:48

Hollywood Park: Stevens takes day off after spill

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens took off his mounts at Betfair Hollywood Park on Sunday, a day after being unseated in a turf race.

Stevens, who is booked to ride Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes in New York, was scheduled to have two mounts Sunday.

He worked one horse Sunday morning but said he was “pretty sore” and chose not to ride. Later in the morning, Stevens, 50, said he went to a hospital near Santa Anita for precautionary X-rays on his ribs.