Mon, 05/06/2013 - 17:13

Belmont Park: Pletcher fillies possible for Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Dreaming of Julia, the fourth-place finisher in Friday's Kentucky Oaks, and stablemate Unlimited Budget, third in the Oaks, are being considered for the Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher won the 2007 Belmont Stakes with the filly Rags to Riches. He may try to do it again with Unlimited Budget and/or Dreaming of Julia, the third- and fourth-place finishers in last Friday’s Kentucky Oaks.

“They’re both intriguing fillies at the distance; both ownership groups mentioned the possibility of keeping an eye on it,” Pletcher said Sunday at Churchill Downs. “We’ll see how they ship and how they train and such.”

Both Dreaming of Julia and Unlimited Budget arrived back at Belmont on Sunday.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 17:09

Belmont Park: Hessonite targets Sheepshead Bay

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Hessonite won the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes by three-quarters of a length Saturday at Belmont.

The New York-bred Hessonite overcame some traffic Saturday to win the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Peace Preserver.

The win was the first in a graded stakes for Hessonite, a daughter of Freud who is now 10 for 19. Hessonite has earned $803,310 for owners Philip DiLeo and William Punk Jr.

David Donk, the trainer of Hessonite, said he would likely point Hessonite for the Sheepshead Bay on May 25.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 16:57

Belmont Park: Kentucky Derby-winning connections send out Norumbega

Barbara D. Livingston
Of Norumbega's last start, trainer Shug McGaughey said, "He probably needed the race physically and mentally.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – Before there was Orb, there was Norumbega.

A son of Tiznow, Norumbega won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Saratoga last Aug.  29, giving hope that trainer Shug McGaughey had a talented 2-year-old who could develop into a Kentucky Derby prospect in 2013.

But as quickly as Norumbega surfaced, he was gone, suffering fractures in both hind ankles coming out of that race. While he didn’t need surgery, he did need significant time off.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 16:51

Belmont Park notes: Dayatthespa proves she's put tendon injury behind her

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Dayatthespa returned from a tendon injury to win Sunday's You Go West Girl Stakes by four lengths.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Yes, she was a Grade 1 winner running in a restricted stakes, but Dayatthespa’s victory in Sunday’s You Go West Girl Stakes at Belmont Park was impressive and significant.

In her first start since suffering a tendon injury in November’s Grade 1 Matriarch at Betfair Hollywood Park, Dayatthespa repelled a challenge from Kibosh at the quarter pole and drew clear to a four-length victory in the race restricted to New York-bred fillies and mares. She ran a mile in 1:33.52 over a firm turf course and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 16:23

Arlington Park notes: Calmer Than You gets second crack at Polytrack

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It was a good opening weekend at Arlington for trainer Jim DiVito, who won with three of the six horses he sent out, and DiVito has a good chance to start the second week of the meeting in similar style when he saddles Calmer Than You in the featured first race Wednesday.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 16:06

Preakness Stakes: Orb might face seven Kentucky Derby rivals, newcomer Departing

Barbara D. Livingston
Orb (left), won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday for his fifth consecutive victory and might face seven runners from that race May 18 in the Preakness.

Orb vanquished 18 horses in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, and as of Monday it looked like as many as seven of them would try again, and four newcomers were set to join the party, when the Triple Crown trail shifts to Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes on May 18.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 13:19

Churchill Downs: Super high five carryover of $303,033 awaits Thursday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With no perfect tickets sold Saturday for the $1 super high five wager on the Kentucky Derby, a carryover of $303,033 awaits Churchill Downs horseplayers Thursday following a four-day break in live racing.

The super high five will be held on the last of nine Thursday races. Entries for both the Thursday and Friday cards at Churchill were to be drawn Tuesday.

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 12:18

Hollywood Park: Liaison, Comma to the Top enjoy big Kentucky Derby Day

Benoit & Associates
Liaison, ridden by Martin Garcia, wins the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy for his second stakes victory in a row.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Two veterans with experience in the Kentucky Derby were the stars at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Sun, 05/05/2013 - 18:16

Belmont: Dayatthespa scores comeback win in You Go West

Chelsea Durand
After winning her first start of 2013 in the Go West Girl under Javier Castellano, Dayatthespa may be pointed to the Just a Game on June 8.

As widely expected, Dayatthespa  made a successful return to the races at Belmont Park on Sunday, laying just off early pacesetter My Jopia to the far turn, taking command on the turn, and shrugging off a challenge from Kibosh to win the $90,000 You Go West Girl Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.

Sun, 05/05/2013 - 17:44

Hollywood Park: Second win in Time to Leave easier for Teddy's Promise

Benoit & Associates
Teddy's Promise, ridden by Victor Espinoza, wins the Time to Leave by 4 1/4 lengths.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Teddy’s Promise won the $93,850 Time to Leave Stakes for the second consecutive year at Betfair Hollywood Park on Sunday. This year, she had a much easier win than her half-length score in 2012.

Sunday, Teddy’s Promise stalked the early pace shared by Magical Band and Hidinginplainsight, rallied on the rail on the turn and pulled away to win by 4 1/4 lengths without significant urging from jockey Victor Espinoza.