Racing News

Tabulator was so wound up while scoring down that it took both trainer/driver Marvin Raber and Parade Marshal Missy Rothfuss to control him. But once Raber was able to redirect that energy to the matter at hand, the result was amazing -- a 17 length victory for “Marvelous Marvin” and Tabulator in Friday’s $10,000 C.K.G. Billings West Final at The Meadows.

Trainer Doug O'Neill had a big contingent of his Breeders' Cup hopefuls out for works on the morning of Oct. 25 atSanta Anita Park, led by Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (gr. I) winnerPrivate Zone.

Others on the track for O'Neill wereGoldencents (Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile), Bond Holder (Juvenile), Clenor(Juvenile Fillies Turf), Renee's Titan (Filly & Mare Sprint), and Concave(Juvenile Fillies).

Mizdirection tuned up for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) with a sparkling five furlongs in :57 4/5 Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park. With jockey Mike Smith in the irons, the mare toured the Santa Anita turf course in front of trainer Mike Puype, co-owner Bill Strauss, and bloodstock agent Alex Solis II.

"Look at how she did it—that's the key," said Puype. "He was never asking her for it. She is freaky good right now."

There may not be a throw-in as successful as Scandalous Hanover since the Philadelphia Phillies tossed in Ryne Sandberg with Larry Bowa in a deal they made with the Chicago Cubs in 1983.

Sandberg was a little known minor leaguer at the time who went on to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Scandalous Hanover was pretty much a bargaining chip that has turned into a burgeoning gold mine for trainer Casie Coleman.

“Honestly we kind of call her ‘Throw-in’ half the time because she really was a throw-in,” said Coleman, who has Scandalous Hanover and two other filly pacers in Saturday’s eliminations for the Lady Maud Stakes at Yonkers Raceway. “We took her as a package deal.”

This year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) may be shaping up as one of the most competitive fields of the Nov. 1-2 World Championships at Santa Anita Park. But Eddie Delahoussaye remembers a few other Distaffs just as memorable. 

The former jockey and Hall of Famer not only won two of them, he had a spectacular view of perhaps the greatest Breeders' Cup race in history. Delahoussaye piloted Princess Rooney, the very first Distaff winner in 1984, and Hollywood Wildcat, who won the race in 1993. He also rode Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Goodbye Halo to third in 1988, trying valiantly against two behemoths—Personal Ensign and Winning Colors.

Joshua Tree, winner of the 2012 and 2010 editions of the $1 millionPattison Canadian International (Can-IT) and second in the 2011 running, looks to defend his title in the Oct. 27 Woodbine event against 10 other invaders.

A field of 11 was drawn for the 1 1/2-mile turf event, with Stella Perdomo'sForte Dei Marmi the lukewarm 3-1 favorite on the morning line. Hyperand Slumber are among the American contingent. All carry 126 pounds, except 3-year-old Stormy Len (119) and the cross-entered filly Irish Mission (123), who could also run in the $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT) going 1 1/4 miles against her own division.

My Lady Day is no longer singing the blues.

After earning her first career win in memorable fashion in a five-horse photo at Lexington’s Red Mile, the 2-year-old filly pacer tries to make it two in a row in Saturday’s $83,600 Madison County at Hoosier Park.

My Lady Day, trained by Joe Holloway and driven by Andy Miller, is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line in the eight-horse field. Homer Hochstetler’s Sweetnsinful is the 2-1 favorite.

The Kindergarten Classic Series finals for 2-year-old male and female trotters were contested on Friday night (Oct. 25) at Vernon Downs. Southwind Spirit was a winner in the $217,500 contest for the boys while Goddess captured the $206,000 finale for the girls.

Southwind Spirit was a wire-to-wire winner in the male final, scoring in a time of 1:55 over a track rated "good." Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Stable 45, Southwind Spirit is a son of Muscle Hill-Spice On Ice. The win was his sixth in 12 trips to the post, with his share of the purse lifting his 2013 bankroll to $310,925.

Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables is no stranger to Breeders' Cup success. 

The leading juvenile consignor for two straight years, Dunne was well represented in the 2012 Breeders' Cup. Wavertree graduates includedHightail, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint; He's Had Enough, second in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), and Summer of Fun, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I).

Rahystrada, the only horse to win the Arlington Handicap three times, has been retired after finishing fifth in an allowance race Thursday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Owner Robert Courtney Jr. said he and trainer Scooter Hughes had “decided it’s time to give the horse a good life” in light of the two subpar performances that ended the 9-year-old gelding’s 46-race career. Rahystrada had finished 11th in the Aug. 17 Arlington Million in his previous start.

Gil Campbell's homebredScandalous Act, winner of her last three starts atCalder Casino & Race Course by a combined 22 lengths, got in her final drill in South Florida Oct. 25 before shipping west toSanta Anita Park for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).

With jockey Eduardo Nunez up, the 2-year-old filly went a half in :51 4/5 for trainer Kathleen O'Connell. Prior to her 5 3/4-length win in the $300,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, Scandalous Act went five furlongs in 1:03 1/5.

Susan Wantz's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) contender Dance to Bristol put in her final pre-race work at the Bowie Training Center Oct. 25, going five furlongs in a bullet :58 3/5.

Regular rider Xavier Perez was aboard for the move eight days before the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park. Trainer Ollie Figgins III said the solid breeze was planned to tighten the screws en route to the seven-furlong event.

"That is what we needed today," Figgins said. "I generally don't like to let her rock that much but I usually work her seven days out. Today we are eight so I wanted a little more."

Beginning tonight Woodbine Racetrack will be playing host to the Autumn Series featuring 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters as well as 3-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes.

Each series will consist of two preliminary legs and a final.

A quartet of divisions kicked off on Thursday evening.

He was riding in Seattle at the old Longacres Racetrack when this concept came along, the next big thing in horse racing. Now a Hall of Fame member, Gary Stevens remembers his 20-year-old fresh-faced self, thrilled at the opportunity to ride at least one of the races in the inaugural Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Exactly 99 Breeders' Cup mounts and eight wins later, Stevens returns off a seven-year absence, his comeback launched in January and already a huge success with victories in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and, more recently, the Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) aboard Mucho Macho Man. Will an arsenal of talented competitors—led by Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Beholder in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I)—bring him back to the winner's circle at Santa Anita Park Nov. 1-2?

Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will host two nights of qualifying races prior to the grand opening of its new facility. Those dates will be Thursday (Nov. 14) and Thursday (Nov. 21). Post time for the Nov. 14 qualifiers will be 7:15 p.m., while the Nov. 21 qualifiers will begin at 6 p.m.

These qualifiers will be the first races being raced out of the new facility. The box for both qualifiers closes Wednesday of the respective week at 10 a.m.

In addition to the qualifying races, these dates will be used as a “dry-run” as the Meadowlands prepares for its grand opening on Saturday (Nov. 23).

Barbara Matthews and her husband Tom had just returned from a trip to Italy, and the six-hour time change had wiped Tom out. He decided to go to bed early Saturday night and catch up on his sleep.

Yeah, that worked out real well.

A few hours later, the very loud phone in their South Carolina home wouldn’t stop ringing, causing Tom to stumble from the bedroom in a sleepy haze, worried sick about what was going on.