Players & Cappers!
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With shortening strides in deep stretch on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse, reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Vodka charged toward an elusive victory in the $5,471,264 Japan Cup (Jpn-G1), the country’s signature race.
The five-year-old Tanino Gimlet mare surged to a commanding lead in deep stretch and appeared destined to nail down a career-defining win, but such victories rarely are that easy, especially in a race that was a few hundred meters longer than Vodka’s best distance.
Oken Bruce Lee uncoiled an explosive rally from the outside and steadily inhaled Vodka’s advantage with ground-devouring strides as 98,811 fans roared in anticipation of a thrilling finish. Jockey Christophe Lemaire, riding Vodka for the first time, went to left-handed urging to make sure she saw her late-closing challenger and with one desperate, final surge she held on to win by the slimmest of margins.
“I knew that the last 100 meters was going to be the toughest and also acknowledged a strong charge coming from behind, so I gave her the whip and prayed her to hold on and she did—which proves what a fantastic mare she is,” Lemaire said.
Vodka, who in 2007 became the first filly in 64 years to win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), completed the 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) race in 2:22.40 on firm turf to become the first Japanese-bred female to win the Japan Cup and stake her claim as the greatest racemare in Japanese history. Trained by Katsuhiko Sumii for owner Yuzo Tanimizu, she finished fourth in the 2007 Japan Cup at three and third last year, beaten by less than two lengths on both occasions.
“Though Vodka has won many Group 1 titles, the Japan Cup was special to me in that after having finished third and fourth in this truly international and prestigious race, somewhere in the back of my mind there was always this unfinished job we had to finish,” said Tanimizu, who will wait to determine if Vodka will remain in training. “Credit goes to my trainer and especially the stable staff that have put such hard work into making this happen.”
Classic winner Oken Bruce Lee deserved a better outcome after a visually impressive late charge, finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of classic-winning three-year-old filly Red Desire. Two-time Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Conduit (Ire), purchased to stand the 2010 breeding season at Big Red Farm in Japan, broke slowly and encountered traffic in the stretch of a fourth-place finish.
“He broke poorly; he didn’t respond as he usually does,” jockey Ryan Moore said of Conduit, who scored a repeat win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 7. “He may have been tired not having enough time from his last start.”
Augustin Stable’s Grade 1 winner Just as Well finished a respectable seventh in the 18-horse field, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Interpatation finished in a dead heat for 14th, and Grade 1 winner Marsh Side finished 17th. Screen Hero, winner of the 2008 Japan Cup, flattened out in the stretch and faded to 13th, but the day belonged to fan favorite Vodka.
Vodka earned $2,886,609 to boost her career bankroll to $13,102,306, passing Admire Moon, Zenno Rob Roy, Curlin, Makybe Diva, and Deep Impact to move to second on the list of the world’s all-time leading earners. She trails only T.M.Opera O ($16,200,337). Bred by Country Bokujo, Vodka is out of the Rousillon mare Tanino Sister. She has amassed ten wins in 25 starts, including a victory in the 2008 Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Jpn-G1) and back-to-back editions of the Yasuda Kinen (Jpn-G1) in ’08 and ‘09.
“It was a close race and I was left in suspense,” Sumii said of the long delay the stewards needed to confirm the winner in a close photo finish. “It was very moving for me, as well as the stable staff, to be able to share the glorious outcome in this race.”
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Lezcano amassed $406,830 during the time period, boosted by victories in the Remsen Stakes (G2) and Fall Highweight Handicap (G3).
Lezcano rode Cherokee Country to victory in the Fall Highweight on November 26 at Aqueduct then followed with a 4¾-length romp aboard Buddy’s Saint in the Remsen two days later at the Jamaica, New York, track.
Lezcano and Buddy’s Saint partnered to win the Nashua Stakes (G2) by a visually impressive 12 lengths earlier in November.
The 24-year-old rider is enjoying one of his best seasons to date. Through Monday, Lezcano has won 27 stakes, including 11 graded stakes.
Born in Panama and now living in Plantation, Florida, Lezcano started his U.S. riding career at Gulfstream Park before becoming a mainstay at the Meadowlands. Lezcano won the 2006 riding title at the Meadowlands and Tampa Bay Downs.
Air Forbes Won, the 1982 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) favorite who sired 49 stakes winners, was euthanized Nov. 19 at age 30 because of complications from the infirmities of old age. He resided at John J. Greely III’s Wintergreen Farm near Midway, Ky., where he had stood at stud.
Campaigned by Edward Anchel, Air Forbes Won was a hot item going into the Run for the Roses, a race won by his sire, Bold Forbes, in 1976. Air Forbes Won had captured all four starts, including the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Gotham (gr. II) Stakes, and was attempting to became the fifth Wood Memorial winner since 1975 to win the Derby and the second Ohio-bred to win the historic event (the first was Wintergreen in 1909). Bold Forbes won the 1976 Wood.
Sent off at 5-2, Air Forbes Won shared the lead with the filly Cupecoy’s Joy and El Baba near the quarter pole but weakened and finished ninth behind winner Gato Del Sol. Air Forbes Won missed the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont (gr. I) Stakes, then finished second in the Pennsylvania (gr. III) and Ohio (gr. II) Derbys. He came out of the last race with a tendon injury and was retired shortly after. Trained by Frank LaBoccetta, he exited with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $237,700. He was syndicated for $60,000 a share.
Air Forbes Won’s stakes winners include grade I winners Mercedes Won and Yanks Music. A millionaire, Mercedes Won was Canada’s champion 2-year-old male of 1988 and was a leading juvenile in the United States. He won the Hopeful (gr. I) and Sanford (gr. II) Stakes at Saratoga. At 3, he captured the Florida Derby (gr. I).
Yanks Music was voted champion 3-year-old filly of 1996 after exhibiting a show of force in New York. She won the Alabama, Beldame, and Mother Goose Stakes and the Ruffian Handicap, all grade I events.
Air Forbes Won sired a career total of 100 stakes horses and the earners of $29.4 million.
Bred by Howard B. Noonan, Air Forbes Won was produced from the Tobin Bronze mare Bronze Point.
Since trainer James Cassidy switched The Usual Q. T. to the turf to break his maiden in August, all the California-bred son of standout sire Unusual Heat has done is win. He ran his streak to five races against a powerful field Nov. 29 in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) (VIDEO).
Always looking like the winner, Victor Espinoza guided the Usual Q.T. past 75-1 shot Acclamation inside the eighth pole and he was not challenged. The gelding won by 1 1/2 lengths while completing the 1 1/4-mile event for 3-year-olds in a time of 1:59.69 over firm ground. That was a couple of ticks off the stakes record of 1:59.35 established by Showing Up in 2006.
"Everything went my way,” Espinoza said. “At the half-mile, he was just cruising, I mean really, really strong. In the middle of the turn, I looked back and nobody was coming. I had so much horse, I was just waiting for somebody to come up behind me, but there wasn't anybody. Turning for home I let him go and he just cut. The way he ran today was unbelievable.”
Being a Cal-bred, the Usual Q.T., who went off at odds of 9-2 in spite of his gutty victory in the Nov. 7 Oak Tree Derby (gr. IIT) in his last start, is usually overlooked, Cassidy readily acknowledged.
"He had a perfect trip,” Cassidy said. “He was loaded down the backside. Coming down the stretch, I think if he gets beat, he has to fall down because I know what he can do down the stretch. He’s an absolute amazing horse. It’s a shame he’s a Cal-bred because they kind of look down their nose at Cal-breds. But he beat an awful good field today.”
The Usual Q.T. is owned by Don Van Kempen with partners Michael Nentwig, George Saadeh, and Thomas Braden.
Race favorite Battle of Hastings closed much ground to be second but was no threat to the winner. Acclamation finished third, with New York invader Al Khali fourth.
The Usual Q.T. lost the first five races of his career -- including four runner-up finishes -- and is unbeaten since. He defeated state breds three times at Del Mar and Santa Anita, capped by a win in the Cal Cup Mile Handicap, before his victory over open company in the nine-furlong Oak Tree Derby.
In that race, the Usual Q.T. battled to get the lead mid-stretch and managed to hang on by a head over the late-running Battle of Hastings. With the added furlong in the Hollywood Derby, fans favored Battle of Hastings, who went off at 5-2.
In a 12-horse field, Straight Story took the early lead over Acclamation and dual grade I winner Take the Points and was in control after a half-mile in :48.35. Mike Smith, aboard Straight Story, attempted to slow the pace on backstretch but David Flores aboard Acclamation would have none of it, pushing the leader into the final turn and emerging with the lead approaching the stretch. The six-furlong split was 1:12.82. The Usual Q.T., stalking along the inside in third with Take the Points, moved out three wide for the drive, sweeping past the tiring Straight Story and taking aim at Acclamation.
The Usual Q.T. was soon in charge and was not to be denied while edging clear under urging from Espinoza. Battle of Hastings, ninth with a quarter-mile to run for Garrett Gomez, launched his powerful late bid to get second by a half-length over the tiring Acclamation, who nonetheless nosed Al Khali for third.
In a scene that has been played out on four continents over the past four years, Vodka, Japan’s reigning Horse of the Year, had most of the 98,811 the fans at Tokyo Race Course cheering wildly as she barely held on to win the Nov. 29 Japan Cup (Jpn-I). She ranks among other recent femme fatales Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, and Rags to Riches, Zarkava, Goldikova, and Makybe Diva.
Ridden for the first time by Christophe Lemaire, favored Vodka, who had finished fourth and third, respectively, in the last two runnings of the 2,400-meter Japan Cup (about 1 1/2 miles), finally found the winner’s circle, but only by a nose, defeating second choice Oken Bruce Lee by the narrowest of margins.
The 5-year-old Vodka raced forwardly about four or five lengths off the pace and launched her bid shortly after turning into the three-furlong straight. She charged to the front from between horses with 300 meters to run and quickly opened a clear lead. The huge crowd erupted when it became apparent Vodka was on her way to a comfortable victory. But Oken Bruce Lee, who had to go some 10-wide at the head of stretch after rallying rom third last in the 18-horse field, was closing even more powerfully for jockey Hiroyuki Uchida.
Oken Bruce Lee came flying down the center of the course, chopping into Vodka’s lead with every stride. Most thought he had gotten the nod, but, after several minutes to examine the photo, it was Vodka whose number went up, much to the delight of the crowd.
With her victory, Vodka, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, has now won seven grade or grade I races. After two defeats this fall in the Mainichi Okan (Jpn-II) and the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Jpn-I), Sumii made the call to put Lemaire in the irons, replacing the mare's longtime rider, Yutaka Take.
“Stretching her out has always been the issue with her,” he said. “The change in jockeys definitely had something to do with it, but Lemaire happened to be free and it was my decision.”
Another Japanese-trained filly, 3-year-old Red Desire, ran on well to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths. British-trained Conduit, winner of back-to-back runnings of the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT) and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-I), finished fourth, but was never a threat in the final race of his career. Conduit is set to stand stud at the Big Red Farm in Hokkaido next year.
That was the best finish among the five foreign horses. Just as Well ran seventh, Scintillo was 11th, Interpatation came in 14th, and Marsh Side was 17th.
Commenting on the close finish, Lemaire said, “At the post I thought we had won, but just after the post I wasn't so sure. Those last 100 meters were so long. I know she has a lot of fans and a lot of support; she is a fantastic horse and deserves to win this race. I am very happy for all of her fans. She has courage.”
It was reported that Vodka returned after the race bleeding from the nostrils. She was ruled out for the next month, meaning she will not run in the 2,500-meter Arima Kinen (Jpn-I) at Nakayama, the year’s grand finale. It could also mean that the Japan Cup was Vodka's final race.
The victory had Vodka's connections hanging in suspense.
“It's not good for your heart," owner Yuzo Tanimizu said. "I had complete faith in the horse, but I was nervous. Winning the Japan Cup means a lot to me, because we finished third last year and fourth the years before. We came back this year to pick up what we feel like we left behind. But I knew this year was different from the moment she set foot on the course. When the result finally came out, I was relieved."
Commenting on Vodka's future, he said: “I think we’re nearing the time where we have to make some kind of decision. I’ll talk to the people at the stable about it first because they know her better than anyone. It’s all up to the horse, but we just always try to take it one race at a time.”
As for Conduit, jockey Ryan Moore Moore said: “He broke poorly and he didn't respond as he usually does. He may have been tired, not having enough time from his last start.”
Vodka is 10-for-25 for her career. The victory, worth nearly $2.8 million, boosted her earnings to about $13 million.
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Hialeah Park opened its Quarter Horse meet on Nov. 28 before an overflow crowd that track officials estimated at 26,874, based on turnstile counts at one of the entrances and the number of cars in parking lots.
"Ir waa everything that we hoped for," Hialeah Park president and owner John J. Brunetti said following the end of the eight-race card.
Before the start of the day’s races, he estimated the crowd was between 15,000 and 20,000. Earlier in the week, Brunetti had projected an attendance of more than 10,000 for the Hialeah, Fla., track’s first racing since its last Thoroughbred meet in 2001.
With its opening day in the books, Hialeah Park will hold a 40-day Quarter Horse meet through next Feb. 2 while hoping that Florida politicians will allow it to return to Thoroughbred racing, on a limited basis, and add a casino with Las Vegas-style slot machines.
"Today proves that there is an interest in racing being held here in Hialeah," Brunetti said. "This points out that Hialeah Park has an important place in the racing industry in Florida."
Racing industry officials joined racing fans and those out for an "event" on a clear day with temperatures in the low 70s.
Several complimented Brunetti on the work done since late summer to restore a large portion of Hialeah’s grounds and building.
"It looks beautiful," said Sam Gordon, president of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.
"It was amazing walking in here," said Thoroughbred trainer Tim Ritvo. "It was like a blast from the past."
Racing officials and fans watched and roared as Hialeah’s starting gate sprung open at 1:09 p.m. for the first race.
Definatly Maybe took the lead midway through the 300 yard race and beat London Express by three-quarters of a length.
Definatly Maybe paid $10.00, $4.40 and $3.80. The 2-year-old gelding is trained by Manuel Mata and was ridden by Jose Ranilla.
This Flights for You won the day’s feature $25,000 Bienvenido de Nuevo Stakes. The 4-year-old colt ran 300 yards in 15:32 seconds under jockey Thomas Byrd. He is trained by Donnie Strickland.
For opening day and all of its 40-day quarter horse meet, Hialeah has opened the clubhouse portion of its building but not the grandstand.
It was standing room only in the 6,500 seat clubhouse. Fans also were elbow to elbow in the apron area, and crowds milled inside on the first two floors.
A large crowd also was in the paddock area, many wearing souvenir tee-shirts. The supply of 10,000 shirts was gone prior to the first race.
Some observers said Hialeah’s building looked more modern and spruced-up than in 2001.
Hialeah had about 75 betting windows open -- with long lines for windows staffed by pari-mutuel clerks but shorter ones at self-service terminals.
Starting early in the day, there were reports of some fans being shut out from betting. Otherwise, there appeared to be no major glitches.
"We had a few wrinkles with the betting lines and some long lines for valet parking," Brunetti said. "But you have to expect a few things on a day like this. People understood that this was our first day back in eight years."
Many fans apparently were there for the event, and not for wagering. Most kept their seats and standing spots through the early races, soaking up the atmosphere on a day where Brunetti could not have asked for a better script.
But the festive day still left questions of how much wagering can be expected on Hialeah Quarter Horse races--on-site and at the more than 100 racetracks and OTB sites around the country that are taking its simulcast signal.
Data from Equibase show wagering of $31,400 on the opening day’s first race and of $32,500 on its feature. Wagering per race was from the $20,000 to $35,000 range. On-site and simulcast breakdowns were not available.
Brunetti said many of the opening day attendees are long-time racing fans, who will be back on a regular basis during the meet.
"There is pent-up demand for gaming" in Hialeah and neighboring parts of Miami-Dade County, he said.
Under its agreement with the Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association, Hialeah will pay total purses of $4 million--averaging about $100,000 per day.
Combining purses with costs of renovations, Brunetti has said he expects to lose $15 million or more preparing for and running the 40-day meet.
Last March 16, Hialeah received a Quarter Horse permit from the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering. It is a holding a 40-day meet, through next Feb. 2, with a hope that it will lead to a return of Thoroughbred racing and to a casino.
A pending state law would allow Hialeah to have up to half its races as thoroughbred races with the other half as quarter horse races in future meets. Under that law, Hialeah’s holding of Quarter Horse races also would permit it to build a casino with Las Vegas style slot machines.
Enactment of the law is being held up amid a dispute between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida legislature over terms of a gaming compact for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
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Ridden patiently by Shaun Bridgmohan, Kodiak Kowboy swept past Bribon and Vineyard Haven in deep stretch to win the $300,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) (VIDEO) by three-quarters of a length at Aqueduct Nov. 28.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, a freshened Kodiak Kowboy made it consecutive grade I victories for owners Fox Hill Farm and Vinery Stables. The 4-year-old son of Posse --Kokadrie (by Coronado's Quest) captured the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) over a sloppy Belmont Park strip Oct. 3.
With his fourth win in eight starts this year, Kodiak Kowboy is a leading contender for an Eclipse Award as the nation's top sprinter. Kodiak Kowboy won the Carter Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct in April.
Kodiak Kowboy completed the one-turn mile in 1:35.57 over a main track labeled "fast" but not playing that way. Bribon finished second by a head, with Vineyard Haven, part of Godolphin's 11-10 coupled entry with Pyro, running third.
“That’s three grade I’s this year, we couldn’t be happier," said Tom Ludt, president of Vinery Stables. "He was a little closer to the pace than normal, but he was just sitting there so comfortably. Shaun rode a great race. This horse has been so good for us. Now, he’s going home to be a dad.”
Fourth after a half-mile, Kodiak Kowboy was held on the inside by Bribon and jockey Rajiv Maragh as Vineyard Haven dueled with Driven by Success through quarter-mile fractions of :23.69 and :46.80. The outlook began to change when Driven by Success tired at the rail and Bribon moved up three wide to challenge Vineyard Haven after six furlongs in 1:11.54.
That created an opportunity for Kodiak Kowboy, who was switched to the outside by Bridgmohan for room in upper stretch. As Bribon surged to the front over the battling Vineyard Haven at the furlong pole, Kodiak Kowboy ranged up on the outside, getting a head in front less than 100 yards from the wire. He inched away in determined fashion under right-handed urging.
"I had such a great trip," Bridgmohan said. "I was just very patient with him, and when I asked him, he responded like the professional he’s always been. What a nice horse.”
Met Mile Handicap (gr. I) victor Bribon yielded grudgingly to finish second after looking like a winner in the stretch. A game Vineyard Haven was followed by Vacation, Pyro and Driven by Success.
“He ran great," said Bribon's trainer Robert Ribaudo, who added that the 6-year-old would return to training after a break in 2010. "We were a little concerned because the track seemed to be putting up some slow times, but the track didn’t seem to bother him."
“He ran hard all the way to the wire, and it’s unfortunate he didn’t win,” said Maragh. “He ran too good to lose, but there can only be one winner.”
Bred in Kentucky by Hartwell Farm, Kodiak Kowboy scored his 11th lifetime triumph in 23 starts while banking $1,663,363. The Cigar Mile win was worth $180,000. The bay colt sold for $70,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in August 2006.
Sent off as the third choice among five betting interests, Kodiak Kowboy carried high weight of 120 pounds and paid $8.70, $4.10 and $2.10 while heading a $22.60 exacta. The French-bred Bribon, rebounding from a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Woodbine Mile (Can-IT) in his last start Sept. 20, returned $3.40 and $2.10. The 3-year-old Vineyard Haven, who came into the race off back-to-back grade I wins for Godolphin, was $2.10 to show.
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Summer Bird, winner of the grade I Belmont Stakes, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, was withdrawn from the Dec. 6 Japan Cup Dirt after suffering an injury in a workout. at Hanshin Race Course.
According to owner Dr. K.K. Jayaraman, the son of Birdstone came back from his work Nov. 29 showing signs of lameness.
“Tim (trainer Ice) called me and told me what happened and that X-rays had revealed a small chip in the right carpal fetlock joint,” Jayaraman said. “It’s only the size of a pea, but he’s obviously out of the race.
“We will bring him back home in a couple of days and send him to one of the farms in
Summer Bird’s most recent effort was a solid fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), in which he was beaten three lengths by Zenyatta.
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Three-year-old Blame ensconced himself as a leading player in next year's national handicap picture when he seized the lead from fellow sophomore Misremembered at the eighth pole and held on for a neck victory in the $460,600 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (gr. II) (VIDEO) at Churchill Downs Nov. 27.
Trained by Albert Stall Jr. and owners/breeders Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, Blame closed his 2008 campaign with back-to-back grade II victories at nine furlongs after also capturing Keeneland's Fayette Stakes (gr. II) on Polytrack Oct. 31. The son of Arch --Liable, by Seeking the Gold, has won four of six starts this year with one second and one third.
"He just continues to get better and better," Stall said. "He’s a wonderful looking horse with a tremendous pedigree. We’ve just spaced his races and taken our time with him and pointed to the end of the year and a 4-year-old type of campaign. He’s shown up every time.”
Breaking from post 5 in a 14-horse field with Jamie Theriot aboard, Blame was stuck wide in eighth on the clubhouse turn but was able to get a position four wide on the backstretch. Bidding five wide on the final turn, Blame maneuvered between horses in upper stretch to challenge Misrembered and 41-1 Anak Nakal approaching the eighth pole.
After putting his head in front, Blame took control but had to dig in over the final sixteenth against Misremembered. The latter surged past Etched to get the lead at the quarter pole and battled Anak Nakal through the lane, fighting back along the inside for jockey Victor Espinoza after Blame took over. Blame held on under strong urging from Theriot.
“He took me to the lead well within himself,"Theriot said. "Once he gets in front he starts to look around and loses a little bit of interest. I felt the horse on the inside start coming to me, and my horse started to dig in when he felt the pressure. He kept giving me more. We could have went around again and the outcome wouldn’t have changed. That’s how he does it. This was a very good field of horses he beat today. You will probably be seeing a lot of him as a 4-year-old.”
Multiple grade I winner Einstein, who had to overcome the far outside post in the big field and top weight of 123 pounds, rallied for third under Rajiv Maragh, finishing a half-length behind the winner. Giant Oak overcame a slow break to run fourth.
The winning time for the 1 1/8-mile late season test was 1:49.39.
Macho Again, the 7-2 choice, raced at the back of the pack in 13th for six furlongs, made a mild move while wide on the final turn and finished ninth with no late kick.
The 112-1 outsider Anarko established the lead while posting sensible fractions of :23.69 and :47.60 before giving way to Etched, who completed six furlongs in 1:12.60 but could not handle the pressure from Misremembered, who was always close to the pace. The Southern California-based colt, coming off a victory in the Indiana Derby (gr. II) for trainer Bob Baffert in his only prior start on dirt Oct. 3, took a narrow lead into the stretch.
"He was there – he just came up short and got beat by a nice horse," Baffert said. "We’re just mad that we didn’t bet that good 3-year-old exacta there.”
Baffert said Misremembered would be freshened up for the Santa Anita series for 4-year-olds this winter.
Blame broke his maiden in his second start as a 2-year-old. Never worse than third in eight lifetime races, Blame ran his career mark to 5-1-2 while boosting his earnings to $616,747. The Clark victory was worth $259,872. Prior to his Fayette win, the bay colt ran second in the Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs. He has won two of three starts at Churchill for Stall.
Stall said Blame would spend the winter at Fair Grounds and noted that the Breeders’ Cup is at Churchill next year. "He could do a number of things. He’s done everything; he’s won on [synthetic surfaces] and he’s run well on the dirt. It’ll be fun talking about it.”
Sent off as the second choice, Blame carried 118 pounds and paid $10.80, $6, and $4.20. Misremembered, winner of the Swaps Stakes (gr. II) at Hollywood Park this summer, returned $10.20 and $6.40 and rounded out a $129 exacta. The 7-year-old Einstein, ridden by Maragh for the first time, rebounded from his 11th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 7 with a big effort. He paid $4.60 to show.
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"I'm so happy," Ascanio told TVG while fighting back tears. "I don't want to get mushy (about Frankel), but I'm sure he gave a little push."
In the winner's circle later, he added, "Bobby told me to get him ready. Be positive, he is training good. He was right. The horse was doing good. My job was to continue training. I’m just happy to win for him."
Ascanio held his 15-month old grandson, Jonathan, in the winner’s circle and was joined by his wife, Maureen, and other family members.
"This is very emotional for me," Talamo said. "Bobby's the one who brought me out here (from Louisiana). If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."
Frankel won a record 17 stakes during the Hollywood Park Turf Festival. The Hall of Fame conditioner died of leukemia Nov. 16.
Ever a Friend finished second in the Citation, with Cowboy Cal running third. Favored Blue Chagall made a strong bid on the final turn while four wide but faded in the homestretch, finishing last of eight. The final time was 1:40.48 over firm going.
Fluke scored his first American stakes victory in the Citation. A grade III winner in his native Brazil in 2008, the 4-year-old son of Wild Event began the year with Frankel at Santa Anita, winning one of two starts before shipping east. In his only other U.S. stakes try Fluke finished a well-beaten fifth in Keeneland's Maker's Mark Mile (gr. IT) in April before relocating to New York.
"Early in the year I saw he won that race and I thought he would be a nice horse at the end of the year," Ascanio said. “He was more rank (early in the year). He is tough to ride in the morning and hard to settle. He (Talamo) did a good job.”
After posting a pair of close runner-up finishes in optional-claiming allowance events at Belmont Park and Saratoga over the summer, Fluke sparkled in his most recent start, a one-mile optional claimer at Belmont Sept. 18 that he won by 3 1/4 lengths. He returned to Southern California in late October and put in four solid timed workouts over Hollywood's Cushion Track prior to his break-out victory in the Citation.
"I watched the replay of his last race and man, he came home in :22," Talamo noted. "I'm not going to say that we knew he was going to win, but we came in with a lot of confidence. He's a real nice horse and I think he's going to go on to do some big things. They weren't really going all that fast, but into the turn I could see some of them were making early moves. In the stretch it was just a matter of finding a seam, and when he found one he really took off."
Ever a Friend and Enriched vied for the early lead with Cowboy Cal tugging his way along in third before Enriched, a 4-year-old half-brother to California star Lava Man, took control and dictated the pace through quarter-mile splits of :23.71, :48.42, and 1:12.14. Enriched continued to show the way into the stretch as Ever a Friend, a three-wide Cowboy Cal and a four-wide Blue Chagall progressed.
Fluke, who broke from the rail, stalked along the inside in fifth and needed room. He found it when Talamo switched out slightly for the drive. The sharp-looking dark bay took control efficiently after exploiting the opening between horses.
Ever a Friend stayed on well for second with Joel Rosario aboard, edging Cowboy Cal and Rafael Bejarano by three-quarters of a length. Proudinsky, a second horse in the field from the former Frankel barn, made a mild move in the stretch and was a neck back in fourth. He was followed by Enriched, Skyrush, Monzante, and the favorite.
Both Rosario and Bejarano said that the early bid from Blue Chagall on the turn forced them to move as well or risk being shut off in the lane.
Driving into the south parking lot at Hialeah Park Nov. 23, one could see a large satellite dish that was not there several weeks ago and a Teleview Racing Patrol truck. There were several dozen cars in the lot, compared with the handful you usually would find in recent years.
Those were the first clear signs that racing will indeed resume Nov. 28 at the historic Hialeah, Fla., track.
Hialeah’s first meet since 2001 will be solely for Quarter Horses - on 40 race days through Feb. 2, 2010.
Track owner and president John J. Brunetti is still waiting for Florida’s politicians to determine whether Hialeah will be able to return to Thoroughbred racing, with up to half its races in future meets, and build a casino with Las Vegas style slot machines. A state law that passed this year would allow that expansion for Hialeah. Enactment of that law is being held up amid a dispute between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida legislature over terms of a gaming compact for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Brunetti has told The Blood-Horse he considers the first Quarter Horse meet “a mean to an end.” He expects to lose $15 million or more preparing the property for and running the 2009-2010 meet.
But Hialeah is making its new horsemen feel they are a main immediate and future attraction.
“Sam Abbey (racing secretary) and everyone else at Hialeah have all been great and are treating me better than I have ever been treated at a racetrack,” said Larry Devereaux, who has trained numerous Quarter Horse graded stakes winners.
To get ready for Quarter Horse racing, workers on were still painting some portions of Hialeah’s clubhouse Nov. 23. Most of that section of the building will be open, but the grandstand will be closed during the meet.
Other workers were putting in wiring around the building and up to restaurants on the third floor. Others were getting escalators ready or were installing self-service betting machines. Bunting was already hung over the balconies facing the paddock. The tropical trees have been trimmed in the paddock area, where testing was being done on the electronic tote board near the life-size statue of Citation.
Quarter Horses have already begun training on the dirt track and their trainers were giving the same praise for its consistency and apparent safety for horses that Thoroughbred trainers often talked about, Abbey said.
“The level of excitement keeps rising every day, here and around the country,” said Randy Soth, Hialeah’s vice president and general manager. “I’ve had people call from several states, saying they are coming here and want to know where they can find hotels.”
Fans will find that Hialeah has done an impressive partial reconstruction over two months. But expectedly, it has not yet returned to its grand appearance from the 1990s and earlier.
Details of Hialeah’s meet are on its Web site http://www.hialeahparkracing.com/.
Here are some highlights of what to expect:
Schedule:
First post time is 1:05 p.m. for the Nov. 28 eight-race card. On other days, first post will be at 2:05 p.m.-with racing Saturdays through Tuesdays. Each card will have eight races, Soth said.
Hialeah officials expect an opening day crowd of 10,000 or more-with many there for the event and not especially for racing. Hialeah will hold weekend concerts and other promotions to attract fans later in the meet.
The opening day card has drawn 63 entries. That includes a maximum 10 in the featured $25,000 Bienvenido de Nuevo Stakes. The race is 300 yards, for 3-year-olds and up.
Hialeah’s races will be at distances from 220 yards to 1,000 yards. Races on the straightaway will be as long as 660 yards. The only one-turn races will be at 1,000 yards.
Horses and Trainers:
Hialeah has put up 800 temporary stalls. Almost 300 horses were on site as of Nov. 23.
About 150 were en route from other states, Abbey said. He expects to have 800 horses on site by early December.
“It appears it will be very representative of a top-tier meet,” Soth said.
The attractions are racing at Hialeah and the fact that several major Quarter Horse tracks have ended their seasons, he said.
Lone Star Park’s Quarter Horse meet ends Nov. 28.
Devereaux races at Lone Star and other tracks on the Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico circuit. He arrived at Hialeah during the week of Nov. 16 and plans to have some of his top horses among his approximately 20 at the track.
Paul Jones, a six-time winner of the American Quarter Horse Association’s award as champion trainer, plans to have 26 horses at Hialeah. But he said he will keep his top horses at his base at Los Alamitos in Los Alamitos, Calif.
The Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association expects there will be 30 or fewer Florida-breds racing at Hialeah.
Florida’s last Quarter Horse meet was in 1991 at Pompano Park, the harness track in Pompano Beach.
The Florida Quarter Horse industry hopes Hialeah’s meet will provide it incentives for breeding, said Dr. Steve Fisch, a veterinarian who is president of the Florida QHRA.
Four organizations that have Quarter Horse permits from the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering and are considering new construction. Thus, owners from Florida and other states hope Hialeah could be the start of a Quarter Horse circuit in Florida, Soth said.
Wagering:
The defection of both Quality Road and Munnings has left the $300,000 Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile (gr. I) with a field of just six—and only five betting interests—but the Nov. 28 race at Aqueduct still packs plenty of star power.
The Cigar Mile is last of four graded stakes on the Aqueduct card and is slated for a 3:38 p.m. EST post.
$300,000 Cigar Mile (gr. I, Race 9, 3:38), 3YO and up, 1 Mile (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Driven by Success (NY), R A Dominguez, 114, B N Levine
2. Kodiak Kowboy (KY), S Bridgmohan, 120, S M Asmussen
3. Pyro (KY), R Migliore, 120, S bin Suroor
4. Bribon (FR), R Maragh, 119, R Ribaudo
5. Vineyard Haven (FL), A Garcia, 118, S bin Suroor
6. Vacation (KY), 114, J Velazquez, C R McGaughey III
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Take the Points, winner of a pair of grade I stakes in his last two starts, will renew acquaintances with Virginia Derby (gr. IIT) winner Battle of Hastings and five other graded winners in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Nov. 29 at Hollywood Park.
Liam,
I am very disappointed at all this. I bring players to your site & promote it well. If your banning me for this weak excuse the you need to ban others that I have seen post links as well. At least my links promote your site. I even promote you on my Twitter everyday that I post here as well as on my sites & my "Live" Webcam shows. Just ask any of your members that saw my show how much I promoted you. It seems you are either trying to find a reason to ban me or your listening to some Jealous ass cry baby's that cant post a winner if there was only 1 horse in the race! There is so much political BS that goes on in this forum it's just crazy that you would ban a Winning poster who brings his Winning Selections, entertainment & posted results of his plays all the time. Now whats wrong with this picture? I am just a player who posts his picks on your site who causes no problems. It's just those few Cry Baby's you have here & obviously cater to by doing this to me for some weak excuse reason! If it is for what you say it is, the links then why did you not ban me after Breeders Cup? Why now?? ...
I would really like to see some dates of these link offenses you say I did as well.
I enjoy some of the good guys there that are true players & know how to behave as players not immature kids. This makes no sense & I will speak my mind & do my thing without your site to do it at! I will let it be known that I think this is just Bull Shit!!
Your just too Ban Happy IMHO! This is really a Weak move!
Regards,
Ultimate Selector!
With all this being said I will be setting up elswehere, maybe right here at my own site & get away from this ridiculous B.S.
I will also do my "Live" webcam shows as well!
It's time for a change for the Ultimate Selector! & just take more control of his own ways & post my Winning Selections where I can't be censored or banned by immature jealous losers!
I am so fed up with all the political BS that goes on in these forums. I have been working with a major company for the last 2 weeks & I may have a very nice Gig with them as we are working out the details & negotiate ideas. So stay tuned for some announcement unveiling just when & who it is.
I remain confident & encouraged as I keep my readers & followers informed to take this ride with me on the Profit Train! Allll Aboarrrd!
Respectfully - Professionally,
Ultimate Selector! 
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