INGLEWOOD, Calif. – In racing and training, Tiz Flirtatious is rather predictable.
In her races, she stalks the pace, rallies wide, and wins more often than not. In the mornings, Tiz Flirtatious is not likely to display too much pizazz, with routine gallops and workouts on the slow side.
It may all sound boring, but it works and is why Tiz Flirtatious is capable of winning her first Grade 1 race in Monday’s $250,000 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at Betfair Hollywood Park.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – The Chris Hartman-trained Alsvid, a multiple stakes winner of $295,350 in 2012, is the morning-line favorite for the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes on turf Monday at Canterbury Park.
Alsvid has been off since Feb. 16 after second-place efforts in the King Cotton Stakes and a $65,000 optional claimer. He has been training sharply at Prairie Meadows, with two bullet works in the last two weeks, but will be making his first start on turf in the Honor the Hero.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Lulu Wong and Conchacer, a pair of horses acquired out of claiming races this year, swept Saturday night's pair of six-furlong sprint stakes, the $60,000 Prairie Rose and the $60,000 Prairie Express.
Lulu Wong ($8.80), a $32,000 claim by owner Maggi Moss at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 18, broke sharply, seized command, and won the Prairie Rose in an unchallenged manner by 3 3/4 lengths over 6-5 favorite Missjeanlouise. Lulu Wong's win was the 33rd of the meet for leading rider Terry Thompson and the 21st for leading trainer Chris Richard.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dynamic Sky, who is headed for the Plate Trial, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 on the Polytrack here at Woodbine on Friday under exercise rider Corey Fraser.
“Corey said he worked real well and galloped out well,” said Mark Casse, who trains Dynamic Sky for John Oxley.
Dynamic Sky is heading into the Plate Trial off a third-place finish in the Queenston, a seven-furlong race for Ontario foals here May 11.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Treasury Bill, a one-time Kentucky Derby hopeful, is on target to run here at Churchill Downs June 15 in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes after recently being transferred into the barn of trainer Wayne Catalano. The colt had his first local breeze Thursday, going five furlongs in 1:02.80.
“He’s settled in real nice,” said Catalano. “He was sent to us in real good shape.”
Louisiana Downs on Friday began offering a 50-cent minimum on pick three wagers, according to track officials. The previous minimum had been $1. The track received approval for the change on Thursday from the Louisiana Racing Commission.
** Jockeys and exercise riders based at Louisiana Downs will be riding camels and ostriches in two exhibition races at the track Monday. The exotic animals will run after the third and sixth races and the events will be simulcast, said Louisiana Downs director of operations, Trent McIntosh.
The stakes program at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo., gets underway on Sunday with the $40,000 Inaugural. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds drew a field of 11.
Clone will be cutting back to one turn following a runner-up finish in the $35,000 SunRay Park Casino Handicap May 4. He was hung wide in the one-mile race one start after taking a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs at Sunland Park.
Kelly Bridges has the mount for Richard Lueck and trainer Gary Cross.
AUBURN, Wash. – Trainer Tom Wenzel holds an exceptionally strong hand in advance of Sunday’s $50,000 Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs. Wenzel will send out three starters in the meeting’s first stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and the three – Goin to the Window, Stopshoppingdebbie, and Blueberry Smoothie – could start as the three favorites in an eight-horse field.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Schiaparelli’s career was stalled until trainer Mike Puype and owner-breeder Jan Vanderbos revived a family technique designed to alleviate jitters.
Vanderbos recalled Cambiocorsa wore ear muffs during eight wins on the Santa Anita hill before her broodmare career. Her first foal was Schiaparelli, whose racing career started with back-to-back wins. Then she became a nervous Nellie and lost three straight.
“She was blowing a lot of energy in the post parade,” Puype said.
AUBURN, Wash. – Polish Dollar was a $5,000 claimer when trainer Bob Meeking got his hands on the horse for the first time in the winter of 2011. Some 18 months later, Polish Dollar is one of the fastest horses at Emerald Downs. If the 7-year-old Polish Dollar is not stakes caliber, he’s pretty darn close.
