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October 10, 2014 3:58 PM
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The Jim McKay Maryland Million has attracted 188 pre-entries to the nine stakes races on the Oct. 18 card at Laurel Park. The post-position draw for the $1 million day, anchored by the $150,000 Classic, will be held at noon, Wednesday, Oct. 15 EDT in Laurel Park's Tips Restaurant. First post on Maryland Million Day is 12:15 p.m. EDT. The Maryland Million is a program of races restricted to the offspring of Maryland-based stallions and was first introduced in 1986. Maryland-sired Thoroughbreds are nominated before they become 2-year-olds and remain eligible for life to run in the Maryland Million races.
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October 10, 2014 3:56 PM
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Ron Burke brings 16 horses to Balmoral Park for Saturday's American National Stakes card and could leave with the most single-year purse earnings of any harness racing trainer in history. Burke established the record of $22.2 million last year and entered Friday with $21.6 million. Saturday's card at Balmoral features eight American Nationals for trotters and pacers and purses in excess of $1.3 million. "I really thought (breaking the earnings record) would be the hardest thing for us to do,” said Burke, who last year became the first trainer to win 1,000 races in a season and has 872 victories this year. "But we got off to such a good strong start this year, better than even normal, and that made a lot of difference.
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October 10, 2014 1:47 PM
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Ron Burke brings 16 horses to Balmoral Park for Saturday’s (Oct. 11) American-National Stakes card and could leave with the most single-year purse earnings of any harness racing trainer in history. Burke established the record of $22.2 million last year and entered Friday with $21.6 million. Saturday’s card at Balmoral features eight American-National Stakes for trotters and pacers and purses in excess of $1.3 million. “I really thought [breaking the earnings record] would be the hardest thing for us to do,” said Burke, who last year became the first trainer to win 1,000 races in a season and has 872 victories this year. “But we got off to such a good strong start this year, better than even normal, and that made a lot of difference.
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October 10, 2014 1:46 PM
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In a movie, Belle Gallantey's rags to riches 2014 season would end with a victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), but in real life her connections are taking time to make sure the 1 1/8-mile race Oct. 31 at Santa Anita Park is her best option.
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who has never saddled a Breeders' Cup horse, said Belle Gallantey is his best bet for this year but that he and owners Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith, will make a final decision in the next few days on the 5-year-old After Market mare who has won grade I stakes in two of her past three starts.
Rodriquez acknowledged their decision could be influenced by the status of five-time grade I winner Close Hatches, who finished fourth in the Spinster Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 4 at Keeeneland. A representative of Close Hatches' owner Juddmonte Farms said after the race that the 4-year-old First Defence filly would be evaluated before any decision is made on the Distaff.
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October 10, 2014 12:59 PM
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Much the best in the British Columbia Derby (Can-III) last time out, Alert Baysteps in against older horses for the first time in the $100,000 British Columbia Premier's Handicap (Can-III) Oct. 13 atHastings Racecourse.
The BC Premier's is the seventh on a special eight-race Columbus Day program at the Vancouver track, with a 4:50 p.m. PT scheduled post. Also on the card is the $100,000 Ballerina Stakes (Can-III) for fillies and mares, which is two races earlier.
In spite of facing older horses, Alert Bay was assigned top weight of 119 pounds in the 1 3/8-mile Premier's, a quarter of a mile longer than the son of City Zip has ever tried. He won the 1 1/8-mile B.C. Derby Sept. 14 by two lengths as the 3-2 choice after opening a big lead and coasting home over the late-running Koffee Grinder, who also is in Monday's field.
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October 10, 2014 12:58 PM
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Three-year-old Ole's Miss, recent winner of the British Columbia Oaks, tackles older fillies and mares for the first time while making her graded stakes debut in the Ballerina (Can-III) Oct. 13 at Hastings Racecourse.
The special eight-race Columbus Day card also features the $100,000 British Columbia Premier's Handicap (Can-III). The $100,000 Ballerina, race 5 at 1 1/8 miles, is set for a 3:50 p.m. PT post.
Ole's Miss, trained by Tracy McCarthy for Canmor Farms, is the lone sophomore in the seven-horse field. The Hastings-based daughter of Officer has been a gem of consistency with five wins, two seconds, and two thirds in nine lifetime starts with $185,982 in earnings.
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October 10, 2014 12:57 PM
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Shelikescandy was the sweetest of all, winning the $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes – Green Acres Final for three-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday (October 9) at Freehold Raceway.
The daughter of Chocolatier-Bancroft Hall, driven by Steve Smith and trained by Dawn Anderson, bested a field of three in a non-wagering event. She stayed flat; the other two starters did not. The margin of victory was 14 ¾ lengths and for a clocking of 2:03.3.
Revergreen (Revenue S-Paradise Valley) was second and Coin Collector (Chocolatier-Cash Cow) was distanced.
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October 10, 2014 12:56 PM
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SS Poseidon, winner of the $40,000 Harold Dancer Trot, is the 6-5 morning line favorite in the $33,500 New Jersey Futurity for two-year-old trotters, the third race on Friday (October 10) at Freehold Raceway.
The Futurity, restricted to New Jersey-sired trotters, is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
SS Poseidon (Muscle Hill-Silverstar Volo), coupled in the wagering with Firestop (Muscles Yankee-Silicone Valley), will leave from post one with Steve Smith driving for trainer Erv Miller. He has two wins, four seconds and a third in nine starts this year, banking $88,505 for Paymaq Racing of Long Grove, IL and Shim Racing LLC of Deerfield, IL.
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October 10, 2014 12:55 PM
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Waterdown, Ontario horseman Dustin Jones will be the first to acknowledge the wisdom of the old axiom “never look a gift horse in the mouth.” His talented 2-year-old trotting colt Dont Rush, who next starts on Saturday night in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals at Mohawk Racetrack, was born as a result of a gift to Jones from legendary French horseman Jean Pierre Dubois.
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October 9, 2014 4:27 PM
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Ackeret became the first winner for freshman sire Mach Ride when he rallied from fifth to score a three-length victory in his career debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race Thursday, Oct. 9, at Belmont Park.
Ackeret is just the second starter for Mach Ride, who stood the 2014 season for $2,000 at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla. Mach Ride, an 11-year-old son of Pentelicus, won six stakes races including the 2007 Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. II) at Calder Race Course.
Mach Ride has nine current 2-year-olds in his first crop. Bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm, Ackeret is the first starter for the winning Touch Gold mare Lady Zieg.
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October 9, 2014 2:04 PM
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Market Share, the 2013 Hambletonian winner and victor in the $235,000 American National for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, returns to Balmoral Park on Saturday night (Oct. 11) in Race 9 to defend his crown in the $166,300 American National Aged Trot.
Owned by Richard S. Gutnick of Pennsylvania, TLP Stable and J Augustine of New Jersey, Market Share will leave from post five in the field of eight trotters. "Never, never in a million years did we dream that Market Share could be this kind of horse,” Toscano offered. “He's just one of those horses that enjoys his work and tries real hard. It's surprising, but that's a good thing.”
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October 9, 2014 2:03 PM
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White Bliss, the rare all-white Standardbred in the stable of trainer Ake Svanstedt, made his first trip to the track Thursday (Oct. 9), finishing fourth in a qualifier at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
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October 9, 2014 12:05 PM
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Each year Batavia Downs signature event is the $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace. The race which is named for the former chairman of the board of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, owner of Batavia Downs Gaming, has played host to some of the biggest names in harness racing. The $6-million man, Foiled Again, won the race twice in 2009 and 2013 and Aracache Hanover set the all-time track record of 1:51.1 with his victory in 2011. This year's edition will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18, and the condition sheet has already been released so that any interested horsemen can enter their horses as early as Thursday.
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October 10, 2014 3:56 PM
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Two-million dollar winner Father Patrick invades the Chicago racing scene on Saturday (Oct. 11) night, headlining a field of ten sophomore trotters in the $203,000 American National 3-Year-Old Colt Trot, slated as the fourth race on the big American National Night program. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras, Father Patrick is owned by the Father Patrick Stables of East Windsor, NJ and to date has earnings of $2,036,258.
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October 10, 2014 1:47 PM
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Winning a grade I stakes is a big deal for an owner. It's even bigger when the winner is a homebred.
Such was the case Oct. 4 at Belmont Park when Jay Em Ess Stable won the $500,000 Frizette Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont Park with By the Moon, who was bred by Jay Em Ess' Samantha Siegel. In her previous start, the filly by Indian Charlie out of theMalibu Moon mare By the Lightfinished second in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, where she broke her maiden in her career debut.
The Siegel family has owned 15 grade I winners. But By the Moon is its first homebred.
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October 10, 2014 1:46 PM
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Ben Baillargeon will send out a quartet of starters in this Saturday’s (Oct. 11) C$250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals at Mohawk and will be looking for a little bit of luck along the way.
The post position gods weren’t kind to Baillargeon as his two best chances Saturday evening drew posts nine and 10, while his other two starters drew post position seven.
However, bad post positions or not, Baillargeon’s starters all appear to have a chance to be a factor on Saturday evening.
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October 10, 2014 1:46 PM
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In The Arsenal was away from the races for seven weeks this summer because of illness, but the layoff might have turned into a blessing in disguise.
During the recently completed Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile in Lexington, In The Arsenal won divisions of the Bluegrass and International Stallion stakes. He won his Bluegrass split in a national season’s best 1:49.4 for a 2-year-old pacer and captured his International Stallion division by a length over Cartoon Daddy as previously unbeaten Artspeak went off stride in the stretch and finished third.
On Sunday (Oct. 12), In The Arsenal faces another undefeated colt – Yankee Bounty – in the first of three Historic-Goshen Cup divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
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October 10, 2014 12:58 PM
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There were four divisions of the Acorn Stakes (part of the Historic Series) for 2-year-old filly trotters contested on Thursday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia. They each went for a purse of approximately $25,000. In the first division, it was emerging superstar Wild Honey (Yannick Gingras) going gate-to-wire for her eighth career win of just nine starts. The daughter of Cantab Hall never left a doubt, winning by four lengths, stopping the clock in 1:55.2. She is owned by Takter, Liverman, and the Fieldings, and is trained by Jimmy Takter. Pad Princess (Marcus Miller) was second, while Miss Andover (Jeff Gregory) finished third. The winner paid $2.10 to win. In the second division, it was Bluestone Farms and Fredericka Caldwell's Bright Baby Blues (David Miller) going every step of the way for the win. The daughter of Andover Hall picked up her second career win, returning a handsome $18.00 win mutuel to her supporters. Sarcy (Yannick Gingras) took advantage of the perfect trip to be second, while Josie's Joy (Corey Callahan) finished third. Bright Baby Blues is trained by Joe Holloway. She completed the mile in 1:55.
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October 10, 2014 12:57 PM
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Thursday's (Oct. 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrah's Philadelphia, Colonial Downs, Vernon Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
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October 10, 2014 12:57 PM
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or every big-name contender expected to arrive at the Breeders' Cup World Championships every season, there are several whose connections agonize over the decision to send them there. How will a runner handle the step up in class? Is shipping an issue? What if the potential starter still needs to be nominated as a horse of racing age? What if all three questions must be answered?
James Covello and his partners are currently weighing the chance to compete on Thoroughbred racing's biggest stage with stakes-placedRiver Rocks, a runner they believe is on the upswing, against the risks they would take to put him in the toughest race of his career—the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I).
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October 10, 2014 12:56 PM
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Swynford Stakes winner Conquest Boogaloo will stretch out to a route for the first time when he faces an expected 10 other Canadian-bred juveniles in the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes Oct. 12 at Woodbine.
Conquest Stables’ Conquest Boogaloo enters off a pair of victories at seven furlongs on the Woodbine Polytrack, including a two-length score in his most recent start, the Swynford Sept. 7. Trained by Mark Casse, the Scat Daddy colt has worked twice at Woodbine since that winning effort.
Bred in Ontario by James and Janeane Everatt, Arika Everatt-Meuse, and Tim Meuse, Conquest Boogaloo sold to his current owners for $190,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
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October 9, 2014 4:28 PM
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Coming off a victory in the Noble Damsel Stakes (gr. IIIT) in her U.S. debut, George Bolton and Peter Leidel's Annecdote tops a solid field of 12 older fillies and mares entered in the Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 12.
At 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course with a purse of $200,000, the Athenia is the ninth on a 10-race card, with an approximate post time of 4:58 p.m. ET.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Christophe Clement, Annecdote, a group III winner in Great Britain last year, went from last to first to secure the Sept. 13 Noble Damsel at a mile on the Belmont turf. She defeated pacesetter Byrama, a grade I winner who also returns in the Athenia, by 2 3/4 lengths.
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October 9, 2014 4:27 PM
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This Week: Historic Series, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester, Pa., and American-National finals, Balmoral Park, Crete, Ill.
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October 9, 2014 2:04 PM
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There wasn’t much doubt about Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) winnerCarpe Diem right from the minute he was born at Beau Lane’s Woodline Farm near Paris, Ky.
“Beau called me the first day and said he was a beauty,” said Bob Cummins, who with his wife, Annette, bred the colt in the name of their Coffee Pot Stable. “The mare (Rebridled Dreams) was getting good horses (stakes winners Doncaster Rover and J.B.’s Thunder) and it was a good nick.”
Indeed, daughters of Unbridled's Song cross well with Giant's Causeway , producing 36% winners, 8% stakes winners, and 6% graded stakes winners, so the breeders made the right call.
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October 9, 2014 2:03 PM
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The second leg of the Annette Funicello and Bill Conlin Pacing series and the Kent Fox Memorial Race for Open II trotters headline the Saturday (Oct. 11) program at the Watch and Wager LLC meet at Cal Expo. First post for the 14-race card is 6:15 p.m. Racing will be conducted on Saturday nights in October, expanding to Saturday and Sunday programs in November. Plans then call for a three-night a week schedule beginning December 26 with Friday racing added to the mix. Last week’s opening legs of the Funicello and Conlin saw driver/trainer Steve Wiseman capturing both divisions of the former and one of the two divisions of the Conlin with Wild About Eagle and Razzle Be Dazzed posing following the two Funicello events and Winsmith Syd in one of the Conlin divisions.
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