Santa Anita to honor Zenyatta with Grade 1 race November 25th, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Zenyatta is getting the Grade 1 race she won twice at Santa Anita renamed in her honor.

Track officials said Tuesday that the Ladys Secret will be renamed The Zenyatta beginning next fall. The race is for fillies and mares ages 3 and up run at 1 1-16 miles.

Zenyatta won the race the last two years. She capped her 14-0 career by beating the boys in the $5 million Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.

Ladys Secret won the Breeders Cup Distaff in 1986 and went on to be named Horse of the Year. She was owned by the late Eugene Klein and trained by D. Wayne Lukas.

A Santa Anita official says that at first Zenyattas owner Jerry Moss was reluctant to accept the offer of renaming the race because he was friends with Klein.

Princeville Condo wins Churchill Downs feature November 25th, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Princeville Condo swung out five wide after the eighth pole to split horses and draw away for a one-length win Tuesday in the $44,839 feature race at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old son of Morluc dropped from third to the rear of the eight-horse field at the top of the stretch before charging ahead for his ninth win.

Ridden by Francisco Torres, Princeville Codo covered the 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:50.81.

The winner earned $24,780 for owners Barr Three and Cherrywood Racing Stable II, bringing his career total to $136,670.

Princeville Condo paid $6.80, $4.20 and $2.80, while Sam P. returned $10.60 and $4 for finishing second by a nose to favored Silver Mountain, who paid $2.20 to show.

Talamo wins 5 and Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood November 23rd, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Jockey Joe Talamo won five races Sunday at Hollywood Park, including a victory on Bickersons in the $100,000 Moccasin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Talamo and Bickersons briefly ceded the lead on the backstretch but otherwise led throughout the seven-furlong race, beating Miss Heather Lee by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:22.49.

The stakes was Talamos fourth win of the afternoon. He returned immediately after to take ninth and final race on favorite A Jealous Woman. He had already won the days first, third and fifth races.

Bickersons, trained by Kelly Breen, paid $9, $5 and $3.20. Miss Heather Lee returned $5.40 and $3.60. It Tiz paid $3.20 to show. The favorite, Crisis of Spirit, was fourth.

It was the second career victory and the first stakes win for Bickersons, who finished a tired 10th on Nov. 6 in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. The victory was worth $60,000, raising her earnings to $149,180.

Keenelands November sales concludes November 23rd, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Keenelands November Breeding Stock Sale has ended with total receipts and the average price for the 13-day horse auction falling below figures from last years longer sale.

Total receipts for the auction held Nov. 10-22 were $159,727,800, down 14 percent from $185,552,300 grossed during last years 15-day sale. Average price of $57,477 decreased 6.5 percent from $61,462 reported in 2008.

A total of 2,779 horses sold versus 3,019 a year ago. Five horses topped the $1 million mark, compared to 19 in 2008.

The November sale was boosted by the near-record dispersal of the W.T. Young familys Overbrook Farm. With Eaton Sales serving as agent, Overbrook sold 148 horses for $31,760,000 and an average of $214,595.

Jockey Garrett Gomez recovering after spill November 23rd, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Jockey Garrett Gomez has taken off his scheduled mounts at Hollywood Park after escaping serious injury in a spill.

Gomez was resting Sunday, a day after being released from a hospital. His agent Ron Anderson says X-rays on Gomezs shoulder and elbow were negative.

He says Gomez will return to riding later this week. Gomez is second among the nations jockeys in earnings with more than $17 million in purses.

Gomezs horse in Saturdays ninth race at Hollywood Park broke down in the stretch, sending him to the ground. His mount, a 2-year-old filly named Bonnie Brown Eyes, was seriously injured and died.

Reba is Tops takes Hollywood Park feature November 21st, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Heavy favorite Reba is Tops won for the 10th time in 20 career starts Friday night with her victory in Hollywood Parks $47,000 allowance feature.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Reba is Tops was third in the early going, took the lead by a head at the top of the stretch and easily held off Annihilation to win by 1 3/4 lengths, covering six furlongs on turf in 1:09.18.

The winner paid $4.80, $3 and $2.40. Annihilation paid $4.60 and $2.80, while Rainbows Song returned $3.40 to show.

Reba is Tops, a 5-year-old mare trained by Mark Glatt, has finished out of the money only twice in her career. She earned $28,200 for Fridays win, taking her lifetime total to $282,277.

Havens Honey wins Churchill Downs feature November 21st, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Havens Honey pulled past three leaders at the eighth pole to win the $44,098 Klein Family Learning Center Purse for fillies and mares Friday at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old daughter of E Dubai, ridden by Calvin Borel, finished a length in front of Perfect for You after racing 1 1/6 miles in 1:45.88.

She paid $15, $6.60 and $4, while Perfect for You returned $3.60 and $2.60. Susies Gal was 4 3/4 lengths back and paid $2.80 to show.

Havens Honey, owned by Cindy Jones, earned $24,780 to increase her career total to $166,134 for her fifth win in 15 starts.

Bittel Road wins Big As Monarchs Maze Stakes November 21st, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Bittel Road beat Pitched Perfectly by one length Friday in the $70,700 Monarchs Maze Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

The race, originally scheduled for the turf, was shifted to the main track following heavy overnight rain. Bittel Road, running for the first time on dirt after nine races on either grass or synthetic tracks, made a smooth transition to the new surface for his fourth win in 10 starts.

In his first race since May 1, Bittel Road ran the one mile on the fast track in 1:36.80 with John Velazquez aboard. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Bittel Road paid $7.10, $4.60 and $2.70. Pitched Perfectly returned $9.80 and $4.30. Retriever paid $2.50 to show.

Bestdressed takes On Trust Handicap November 15th, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Bestdressed came from last on the turn for home for a 2 1/2 -length victory over Enriched in the $75,000 On Trust Handicap on Saturday, giving both trainer John Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario their third win of the day.

The 5-year-old gelding Bestdressed sat well back in the field of seven in the early going, swung to the outside for the stretch run and easily raced to the front, covering seven furlongs in 1:27.65.

Bestdressed paid $12.60, $6.20 and $3.20 as the second choice. Enriched held on for second with Garrett Gomez up, paying $7 and $3.20

The favorite and defending champion in the race, Star Nicholas, was third and paid $2.60.

Bestdressed won for the sixth time in 38 starts and snapped an eight-racing losing streak stretching back to February. He earned $48,450 for Saturdays win, raising his lifetime earnings to $326,373.

Sadler and Rosario also combined to win Saturdays third race with Twirling Candy, and each won another race separately.

Sweet Repent, Too Many Toyz win at Calder November 15th, 2009 | Horse Racing news | No Comments »

Sweet Repent won the $200,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap and Too Many Toyz took the $200,000 Carl Rose Classic at Calder on Saturday, highlighting a day of eight Florida Stakes races.

A pair of long shots won two other races, Wild Mia captured the $100,000 John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf at odds of 28-1 and Hear Ye Hear Ye won the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile at odds of 20-1.

Sweet Repent was a 3 1/4-length winner over 6-5 favorite Jessica Is Back in the 1 1/16th-mile Elmer Heubeck for fillies and mares. The winner returned $9 for a $2 win bet. The winning time for the 3-year-old daughter of Repent was 1:46.74.

Too Many Toyz outdueled 3-5 favorite Its A Bird for a one-length win the 1 1-8th-mile Carl Rose for older horses. Dream Maestro was third. Too Many Toyz, a 6-year-old son of Northern Afleet, won in 1:54.88 for his 11th victory in 35 starts.

The other winners were Lost Soldier in the $150,000 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup; Pashito the Che in the $150,000 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap; Carphonic in the $150,000 Joe OFarrell Juvenile Fillies; and Bim Bam in the $100,000 Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf Sprint.