Racing News

Parklane Eagle squeezed off the cones, roared through the stretch and scored in 1:53, fastest division in Wednesday’s $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake at The Meadows.

The event for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers was conducted over five splits, with UF Larry Alltheway, R N Nate, Lyons Geoff Jnr and Letsmakeawish taking the other divisions. Dave Palone enjoyed a stake triple behind Lyons Geoff Jnr, Letsmakeawish — both for trainer Ron Burke — and UF Larry Alltheway.

Parklane Eagle got away first for Tony Hall but gladly accepted cover from PV Dragon. The son of Somebeachsomewhere-River Hanover was stronger in the lane, defeating his rival by a length, with Bee Happy Dan third. Hall had never before driven Parklane Eagle but got some advice from Peter Foley, who conditions the colt for Shirley LeVin.

There were five divisions of Stallion Series action for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers contested at Harrah's Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 6), each carrying a purse of $20,000.

In the first division, it was Winchester Baye Acres' Spaghetti Eddie utilizing a well-timed move to score the victory. The son of The Panderosa was guided to the outside by Hall of Famer Dave Miller just beyond three-quarters, and went on to win by one length, for his third career victory, in 1:51.3. Hemingway finished second, while race favorite Brioni finished third.

In the second division, it was Sean Liam Q scoring the victory. The son of McCardle seized command quickly after the quarter, and never looked back, stopping the clock in 1:52.2. Long shot Workandplayhard was second, while Jins Shark finished third. Sean Liam Q is owned by Steve Stewart, Don & Michael Robinson, and the Bourbon Creek Stables, trained by Ross Croghan, and was driven by George Napolitano Jr.

Enterprising and Argyle Cut, separated by a neck when first and second, respectively, in the opening day Oceanside Stakes, square off again as turf racing returns to Del Mar Aug. 9 in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT).

The 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds attracted a small field of six. The fifth on the card with a 4 p.m. PDT tentative post time, it is one of three turf heats scheduled Saturday after an absence of grass racing since Aug. 1.

The temporary cancellation of racing on the newly installed grass course came as the result of numerous breakdowns during the first two weeks of the popular summer meet that began July 17. Four horses have been euthanized as a result of accidents and a fifth was seriously injured in a race July 31, leading to the decision.

Silver Max, who last fall beat two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in an off-the-turf edition of the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. I), won't have that rival to contend with Aug. 9 in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IIT) at Saratoga Race Course.

Rapidly closing in on the $2 million mark in earnings, 5-year-old Silver Max makes his second start of 2014 as the 122-pound highweight in the Fourstardave, to be contested over Saratoga's inner turf course. Wise Dan will sit out the race as he continues to progress in his comeback from May 16 colic surgery.

Last year, Silver Max won the Bernard Baruch (gr. IIT) over yielding turf later in the Saratoga season after Wise Dan sailed to his second Fourstardave win. Following a fourth behind that rival in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT), Silver Max went to the shelf. He came back this season with a powerful wire-to-wire score June 28 in the Firecracker Stakes (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs.

Although Iowa Oaks (gr. III) winner Size is 3-for-4 in her career and Iowa Oaks runner-up Ria Antonia won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and was second in this year’s Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), the $100,000 Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) at Monmouth Park Aug. 9 is far from a two-horse race.

The 10-horse field also include the second, third, and fourth-place finishers in the Delaware Oaks (gr. II). And trainer Larry Jones believes he is sitting on a keg of dynamite, waiting to unleash Tapit   filly Cassatt, even though she hasn’t been farther than six furlongs in her two starts this year, and has never run in a stakes.

To show the depth of this field, you also have Saintly Joan, who has a stakes victory over the track in the Little Silver, and Offlee Golden, who has placed in stakes in her past two starts.

For Foiled Again, it’s summertime and nothing is easy. But trainer Ron Burke is confident the 10-year-old pacer will return to prominence again.

 The three-time defending Dan Patch Award winner for best older male pacer, Foiled Again has won four of 14 starts this year and earned $300,100, but last visited the winner’s circle in mid-April. He will try to snap a 10-race skid when he heads to Saratoga Casino & Raceway for Saturday’s $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial. The entry box for the Gerrity closes at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Headlining Mohawk Racetrack’s Monday night (Aug. 11) program were six $16,380 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series events for 2-year-old pacing fillies, and while she wasn’t the swiftest winner, Wicked Speed’s win in the fifth flight pushed her record to a perfect three-for-three with two of those victories coming in Grassroots action.

With Scott Young handling the driving assignment for his father, trainer Bob Young, Wicked Speed came first-over in the final half and wore down leader Marachere (Jody Jamieson) late in the mile to win by a half-length in 1:57.4. Fiftyshadesofbay (Rick Zeron) finished third in the race, which was conducted over a track rated 'good' and a second off due to rainy conditions.

Bob Young also co-owns the victorious daughter of Mach Three with partner Status Stables Inc. Wicked Speed, who also won in Grassroots action at Clinton Raceway on July 20 and has now earned $18,420, was bred by GBW Breeding Farms Inc. and was purchased for $10,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Wicked Speed’s dam is the Western Hanover mare Pannie Oakley ($106,925).

 Ballare Hanover garnered her first career stakes victory by following cover and brushing through the slop late to score in 1:58.1, fastest division in Monday’s (Aug. 11) $60,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake at The Meadows.

The event for 3-year-old filly trotters was contested over three divisions, with Mariah De Vie and Silent Opera K taking the other splits. Tony Hall enjoyed a stakes double behind Ballare Hanover and Silent Opera K among his five wins on the 16-race card.

Although Ballare Hanover had won four of 11 previous starts, she had come up short in stakes. That ended Monday when she used the first-over cover of Czech It Out to get into striking position, then erased a two length deficit in the lane to overtake the leader, Steppin Out, and down her by a neck. Donato’s Dream was third.

Staffan Lind might have felt a little sick when he saw the result of the Peter Haughton Memorial earlier this month, but the trainer is hoping Billy Flynn’s future is the remedy.

Billy Flynn, a 2-year-old male trotter who is undefeated in four races, was not staked to the Haughton because of an injury he suffered soon after being purchased as a yearling for $120,000 at the 2013 Lexington Selected Sale.

But in his second start, in a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on July 15, Billy Flynn beat Haughton champion Centurion ATM by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.4 at The Meadows. Haughton runner-up Uncle Lasse finished third.

Following up on a runner-up effort at Royal Ascot in June, well-traveled Sunset Glow dominated the field in the $200,000Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) at Del Mar Aug. 6, leading all the way for a 3 1/4-length victory (VIDEO).

Victor Espinoza rode the stout daughter of Exchange Rate   to an easy win over four rival 2-year-old fillies for trainer Wesley Ward and Ten Broeck Farm. Taking the early lead from even-money favorite Caval, Sunset Glow dictated terms through quick opening splits of :22.30 and :45.30, and shook loose leaving the turn after Caval threw in the towel.

Sunset Glow won it on her own, coming off the rail in upper stretch while completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.61. Cinderella Stakes winner La Grange, who stumbled a bit at the start of the Sorrento, came on to take second by 5 1/4 lengths over the stalking Heart of Paradise. Sharla Rae and Caval, who was eased home by Elvis Trujillo, were next in a field shrunk by the scratches of Conquest Eclipse andWindy Forecast.

Skyway, who gave trainer Mark Casse his first Del Mar victory in the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II), is expected to return in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) on the meet's closing day Sept. 3.

The 2-year-old New York-bred son of Sky Mesa  , owned by John C. Oxley, was a 1 1/4-length winner,  covering the 6 1/2 furlongs on Polytrack in 1:16.67. He defeated the Doug O'Neill-trained duo ofHenry's Holiday and Bad Read Sanchez, who finished second and third, respectivley, in the Aug. 3 heat.

"He came out of it just great," Casse said the morning of Aug. 6. Then the six-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's top trainer reached into his pocket for the wooden clip he carries with him to touch for luck. "If all goes well, he'll go next in the Futurity." 

As a precursor to the return of Yonkers Raceway’s International Trot next season, the Raceway is planning to host an Invitational Trot this fall.

The date is Saturday night (Oct. 25), the evening coinciding with the finals of both the Yonkers Trot and Messenger Stakes (along with their companion filly events).

The purse would be commensurate with the quality of the field, and the best trotters in North America are requested to RSVP. Please contact the race office at 914.457.2627 for more information, or the race office may very well be getting in touch with you.

Cheyanna Patrick is doing double duty on the education front, honing her skills as a jockey and laying the groundwork for a possible career as a lawyer.

It's a heavy load for the 17-year-old daughter of Gary and Cindy Patrick, who are based as usual at Indiana Grand Race Course. But she seems to have it all figured out despite her age.

"I never wanted anything to do with riding until last year," she said. "Our gallop help quit, and my dad told me to get the tack on and gallop some horses. I really liked it. Then my dad asked me if I wanted to ride in races."