Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

Seattle Fitz has Florida in his sights

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With limited and not very lucrative options available in the Northeast, Aqueduct Handicap winner Seattle Fitz is likely headed to south Florida, where he could make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Seattle Fitz won his first graded stakes Saturday, when he held off a late charge from Evening Attire to take the Grade 3 Aqueduct Handicap by a nose. Seattle Fitz was coming off losses in graded events such as the Fayette, Clark, and Queens County handicaps.

Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

NYRA numbers dip

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It was a tough year for the New York Racing Association in more ways than one.

In addition to being indicted and fined $3 million for fraud in 2003, the NYRA also suffered declines in attendance and handle for the year when compared with 2002. Daily average all-sources handle was off 1.8 percent from $11,148,698 to $10,953,180. Total all-sources handle was down 4.1 percent from $2,854,065,170 to $2,738,294,945.

Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

Yearly Report wins Santa Ynez

Yearly Report and House of Fortune are both eligible to run in Saturday's Sunshine Millions, but their connections did not want to ship them across the country to Gulfstream Park.

Instead, the California-bred 3-year-old fillies remained at Santa Anita for Monday's Grade 3, $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes, in which they ran one-two, with Yearly Report winning by four lengths.

Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

Gulfstream: Tap Day by a head

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Tap Day proved as tenacious as he is talented, holding off several challenges through the stretch en route to a head victory over Zakocity in the $66,300 Dave Feldman Stakes at Gulfstream.

The Feldman was switched from the turf to a sloppy main track due to heavy showers that struck midway through the card.

Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

Fair Grounds: Longshot romps

Put Me In had never won a stakes race, and went off at odds of 22-1 in the Dr. A.B. Leggio Handicap at Fair Grounds. On the other hand, Eddie Martin was riding her. Martin won six races on Sunday's card, tying a Fair Grounds record, and guided Put Me In ($47.20) to a surprisingly easy 4 1/2-length win over Leslie's Love in the $60,000 Leggio.

Mon, 01/19/2004 - 00:00

Two tickets hit record Aqueduct carryover

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The largest payout in the 18-year history of the pick six wager in New York was paid on Saturday at Aqueduct with two winning tickets worth $1,120,287 each.

One of Saturday's winning tickets belonged to J. Randy Gallo, who made the bet through the Bettor Racing OTB, which he owns in Sioux Falls, S.D. Gallo, a professional horseplayer, declined to reveal how much he wagered.

Sun, 01/18/2004 - 00:00

Jockey Rivera involved in spill

ALBANY, Calif. - Jockey Jose Luis Rivera Jr. was taken to Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley for precautionary X-rays and a CAT scan after Brave Solution broke down in Sunday's sixth race at Golden Gate Fields.

Rivera was examined for possible head, neck and chest injuries after Brave Solution fell. Brave Solution, a 3-year-old colt, suffered fatal injuries and had to be euthanized.

Sun, 01/18/2004 - 00:00

Victory Encounter rallies to win

ARCADIA, Calif. - When Island Fashion, the expected heavy favorite, scratched from Sunday's $150,000 , the Grade 2 race was gutted, leaving seven runners who collectively had never won a graded stakes race. The only one who had even won a restricted stakes, Victory Encounter, proved the beneficiary, as she rallied for a 1 1/4-length victory over favored Personal Legend.

Sun, 01/18/2004 - 00:00

On to New Orleans for Sir Cherokee

Coady Photo
Sir Cherokee leads Freefourinternet at the wire in the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. The colt will now be pointed to the New Orleans Handicap.

Sir Cherokee punched his ticket to the Grade 2, $500,000 New Orleans Handicap with a rousing, three-quarter length win over Freefourinternet $100,000 at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. It was another two and a half lengths back in third to Dusty Spike.

Sun, 01/18/2004 - 00:00

Britt's Jules prevails in Triple Sec

Britt's Jules remained perfect at Delta Downs on Saturday night when he outdueled Next Bandit in deep stretch to win the $40,000 by a neck. It was another seven and a half lengths back in third to Iron Expectations.

Britt's Jules($4), racing in fog and over a muddy track, contested the pace from the start in the five-furlong race for 3-year-olds and covered the distance in 59.03 seconds. The win was the fourth in his nine-race career, and his third at Delta, where he also won an allowance in track record time on Nov. 5, and the $40,000 Delta Beau on Nov. 29.