Racing News

Wishing Stone, the international trotting winner of more than $2 million who started his 2013 campaign in March, seems to be ready to keep going on with it as some rich FFA events loom on the horizon. He stayed sharp with a 1:55.4 qualifying win Thursday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Matt Kakaley guided the 6-year-old son of Conway Hall to the lead just past the quarter and kept him rolling from there for trainer Ron Burke, snapping home with a :28.1 final quarter.

Stevensville, a Ray Schnittker pupil who heretofore probably had his most fame as the 67-1 shot who almost wired his field in the rainsoaked “can’t-see-‘em” race at Lexington, rallied from the pocket to catch highly-regarded Western Vintage by three-quarters of a length in 1:53 in a Q race containing freshman horses also looking at rich late-season opportunities.

Concert promoter Bill Graham once said of the Grateful Dead, “They’re not the best at what they do; they’re the only ones who do what they do.”

It seems like the same line could be modified to describe Foiled Again.

At the age of 9, Foiled Again is the only one who does what he does.

Four years ago the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA named an award in honor of the late Hall of Famer and former chapter president Phil Pines. Since then there have been some worthy recipients and this year’s, Derick Giwner, is no exception.

There were three reasons Tyler and Leigh Raymer selected Tirade Hanover at the 2011 Standardbred Horse Sale.

“My husband wanted a Crazed, he didn’t paddle in his video and he’s a brother to a pacer,” Leigh Raymer said. “And he’s a fast pacer, so that intrigued Tyler as well.”

The gelding has quietly accumulated $442,329 from a record of 23-12-4-4 while competing primarily in New York Sire Stakes company, but his next performance will be in the Hoosier State on Friday (Nov. 1) in the $286,500 Carl Erskine Trot where he will take on the Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot winners. Tirade Hanover will leave from post position four with David Miller in the bike and stands at 15-1 on the morning line.

Corey Callahan seeks a fifth consecutive leading driver crown at Dover Downs as the track opens for its 45th campaign on Sunday (Nov. 3) at 5:30 p.m., while Trace Tetrick will be added to the driver colony.

Callahan, who won 263 races last meet, will be tested by last meet’s runner-up, Ross Wolfenden, fresh from winning his third straight Harrington Raceway driver crown, while sharing top honors with George Dennis.

The strong driver colony includes Tony Morgan, winner of three of the last seven Dover championships, and former driving champions Tim Tetrick, Jim Morand and Hall of Famer Ron Pierce. Other top competitors will be Roger Plante, Daryl and Sean Bier, Vince Copeland, Allan Davis and Vic Kirby.

 Fresh off the two biggest wins in his career, Jerry Graham’s Photo Surprise continued his late season surge towards divisional honors among the Illinois conceived and foaled 2-year-old colt trotting set as he cruised to an easy 3-3/4 length victory in Wednesday’s (Oct. 30) $42,200 Cardinal Stake at Balmoral Park.

It is nothing out of the ordinary to see a field of eight horses assemble behind the Hoosier Park starting gate, but when the eighth race goes to post at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday (Oct. 31) racing fans will have the chance to see something they have never seen before. A field of eight grey pacers will line up behind the starting gate to contest the first annual $10,000 “Grey Ghost Halloween Pacing Derby” at Hoosier Park.

Hoosier Park’s Racing Secretary Scott Peine assembled a field of eight “ghostly” pacers in honor of the Halloween holiday. According to the United States Trotting Association, less than five percent of all harness horses are grey in color. Slated as the eighth race on the 14-race card, the “Grey Ghost Halloween Pacing Derby” has an estimated post time of 7:50 p.m.

Winner of two of her last three starts, including her most recent outing in the Sept. 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (gr. IIT), Florida-bred Egg Drop figures prominently among  a field of nine fillies and mares in the $150,000 Goldikova Stakes (gr. IIT) going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 3.

A 4-year-old daughter ofAlphabet Soup  , Egg Drop pressed the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar and took a hard-fought head decision over longshot Appealing, who is also entered in the Goldikova.

A dinner conversation in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. this summer turned a bit sour for trainer David Fawkes when the person he was talking to offered an unsolicited opinion on starting from the rail.

"The man said, 'The one hole? That's the kiss of death. No horse wins out of the one hole,'" Fawkes recalled of the conversation that took place the evening before he would saddle Bahamian Squall to a runner-up finish in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. "I said, 'Thanks.'"

For Fawkes the conversation felt like a bad omen and the next day he would watch as Bahamian Squall struggled for position.

Alpha and Golden Ticket made history 14 months ago when they became the first dead-heat winners of the prestigious Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. Both have had their ups and downs since then, and Fri., Nov. 1, the two will hook back up in the $1 millionBreeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).

It will be their first meeting since the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II), the first race for each after the Travers, when Golden Ticket finished third and Alpha checked in sixth.
 
"That's pretty neat," said Alpha's trainer, Kiaran McLauglin. "I'd take another dead-heat here."

Beholder not only brings her stellar record into the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), she has a first-class team behind her. It begins with her Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, and extends to the rest of his barn.

Mandella made history at Santa Anita in 2003, when he won a record four Breeders' Cup races in one afternoon. Ruben Mercado rubbed Johar, who dead-heated for first in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) as part of that incredible day, and he now grooms Beholder. 

Beholder's exercise rider, David Nuesch, wasn't working for Mandella at the time. He was finishing up his career as a jockey.

Laughing has not been a lot of fun to run against this year. A perfect four-for-four this season, Laughing enters the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) not as the favorite, but certainly as the one to catch. The fleet 5-year-old has led at every call in her last three races, all graded stakes scores in New York.

In addition to her speed, Laughing's main talent is her toughness. She has refused to let horses pass her in the stretch, and not just any horses. Graded stakes winners such ss Dayatthespa, Pianist, Stephanie's Kitten, and Tannery have all tested her in the lane, and none have been able to get the better of her.

James Kennedy had never driven the 4-year-old trotter Inside Broadway prior to opening night here at Cal Expo, but in the ensuing three weeks they have formed a solid partnership that resulted in a win at the head of the class last weekend.

Inside Broadway, who is owned, trained and was bred by Bob Johnson, checked in fourth in his first start at this stand after making an extended first-over move at the half, then was hard-used early in his next appearance and garnered the show money. In last week’s tour, the trotter flexed his muscles with Kennedy’s guidance and motored away to an impressive 2-1/2 length score.

“Bob really didn’t give me any instructions for that first start,” Kennedy related when asked about the Oct. 5 outing. “I came first-over with him out of last, he gave it a good try to deep stretch and then I got the impression he was a little short.

Ron the Greek, dominant winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) in his most recent start for trainer Bill Mott, has developed a quarter crack in his right front hoof and will miss the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Mott told reporters of the setback on the morning of Oct. 31, saying the foot developed an abscess a day earlier.

"Ron the Greek's out; he's got a quarter crack," the Hall of Fame conditioner said. "Long-term it's not a problem, but he's not going to run in the Classic."

Sandalonia, given a superb drive by Mickey McNichol, rolled by the 1-2 favorite J D Eleven Bells (Rick Plano) in mid-stretch to capture the $10,000 final of the Sunshine State Stake for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Pompano Park on Wednesday night (Oct. 30).

The consistent daughter of Six Of Diamonds, trained by Sandy Hollon for owner Heddy Nelson, pushed her scorecard to 3-3-2 in eight lifetime starts with a lifetime best performance timed in 1:57.4, lopping more than two seconds off of her previous best winning time.

Gold Star Jessica (Bob Williams, Jr.), off at 97-1, finished a fast closing third, just a length off the winner. Marion was fourth while Mustang Sally picked up the “nickel” in the field of nine.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs hosted the Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace--for all gray or roan horses. the race was held on Wednesday night, Oct. 30--what is traditionally known as Mischief Night. A field of eight ghostly grays were led in post parade by outrider Gary Scott, dressed as the Headless Horseman.

The Conger family is finding success in harness racing both on and off the racetrack.

Hudson, Ohio’s Jeff Conger trained Colby D to victory in the ninth race on Wednesday (Oct. 30) at Northfield Park, a mere two days after Harness Tracks of America announced that his daughter, Ashley, is one of three recipients of a $5,000 scholarship.

Wednesday’s (Oct. 30) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

It has been occurring for a long time and has been a problem that plagues half-mile tracks more than any other (though bigger tracks are not off the hook, either). I am talking about slow fractions, specifically the second quarter of races. 

Race after race at tracks like Freehold, Yonkers and Monticello to name a few, we watch as the fastest horse off the gate posts a reasonable first quarter on the tote board only to go two, and way too often, three seconds slower for the next quarter. 

Vagabond Shoes is a 6-year-old gelding who has raced in six different countries, but the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) entrant has never been better than he is now.

The Irish-bred son of 2002 Arlington Million (gr. IT) winner Beat Hollowarrived in the John Sadler barn this year. He was purchased by brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis (Hronis Racing) for about $100,000 at the Prix de lʼArc de Triomphe (Fr-I) 2012 racing age sale on the recommendation of bloodstock agent Hubert Guy, Sadler said Oct. 30.

George and Lori Hall'sVegas No Show will attempt to notch his third straight stakes victory when he faces seven others in the Nov. 2Discovery Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds is the sixth race on the card and has an approximate post time of 3:23 p.m. EDT. The race honors the great Discovery, the 1935 United States Horse of the Year owned and raced by Alfred G. Vanderbilt II.

Gary and Mary West'sPoker Player, fresh off a score over Polytrack at Keeneland in an off-the-turf Bourbon Stakes Oct. 6, may be a big deal Nov. 1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT).

The gray/roan colt--a 12-1 shot on the morning line—has been sent after the big money before and he'll take his best shot atSanta Anita Park in the $1 million race for 2-year-olds going a mile.

Trainer Wayne Catalano has put his cards on the table with Poker Player, who will break from post 11 in the 13-horse field. Poker Player will be ridden by Channing Hill, who has been aboard for the colt's two wins.