Racing News

One of the many four-legged new faces here at Cal Expo this season is Axle, a 4-year-old trotter who is making himself very much at home since relocating from Minnesota and is fresh from getting his picture taken last weekend.

Axle was claimed for $5,000 at Running Aces in August and has since won two of his four starts while carrying the banner of Dave Siegel, Bob Thronson, Greg Robinson and George Reider, with the latter handling training duties.

Axle clicked in his first start for the new connections at Running Aces while equaling his lifetime mark of 1:57.4 in the process. He met some tough types in his initial two outings at this meet and then got some class relief last weekend and prevailed with some aggressive handling by owner/driver Siegel.

The 30th edition of the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) will be broadcast live in primetime Saturday, Nov. 2, culminating 9 1/2 hours of Breeders' Cup World Championships coverage over two days by the NBC Sports Group from Santa Anita Park. 

All 14 Breeders' Cup races will be televised live by NBC and NBCSN, although the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) will not be included in the regular broadcast. For the first time, live Breeders' Cup bonus coverage will air during NBCSN's 3 p.m. Nov. 2 Notre Dame—Navy pregame show. In the first segment of the pregame show, NBCSN will televise live the $2,000,000 Juvenile Fillies, which has a 3:05 p.m. EDT post time.

Former trainer Michael Dickinson figures to pay close attention to Secret Circle when the 4-year-old Eddington   colt starts in the XpressBet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) for trainer Bob Baffert Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Winner of the 2011 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint, Secret Circle will try to win the 2013 Sprint off a single prep race in 1 1/2 years, an accomplishment that would be similar to Dickinson saddling Da Hoss to victory in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) after a single start since the 2006 edition of that race. 

Don't Spank Me, craftily handled by Bruce Ranger, captured the $10,000 final of the Sunshine State Stake for 3-year-old fillies, scoring a gate-to-wire win in 1:54.4 on Wednesday (Oct. 23) at Pompano Park.

The Capital Request filly, owned by Jean Carter along with trainer Wayne Carter, grabbed the racetrack as the gate opened and wired together fractions of :28.4, :58.4 and 1:26.3 and pinned a 3-1/4 length defeat on arch-rival Tashia (Stephane Lareau). Dandee Diamond (Wally Ross, Jr.) finished third while Track Girl and I Spy A Gator also earned checks in the field of six.

The win extended her winning streak to three and pushed her lifetime bounty to $52,687.

Tim T, driven by Tom Sells, and Tea Party Express, catch-driven by Rick Plano, took their respective divisions of the $10,000 Sunshine State Stake finals at Pompano Park on Monday night (Oct. 21).

Tim T, a 3-year-old gelded son of Basil, narrowly escaped with his win, decided by a diminishing head over the late surging Railee Kwik (Bruce Ranger) in 1:57.3 in the stake for sophomore trotting colts and geldings. Sky Crest (Plano) was third in the mile after pressing the issue early while Goucher (Wally Ross, Jr.) and Without Hesitation (Dan Harvey) picked up the final two awards in the septet.

Tuesday's (Oct. 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Northfield Park and The Meadows.

The Breeders' Cup announced Oct. 15 that a star-studded concert has been planned to enhance the Breeders' Cup World Championship festivities.

Hosted in collaboration with Hip Card Productions at Santa Anita Park Nov. 2, the event is called Songs in the Saddle: The Infield Music Fest, and will be an all-day celebration featuring a lineup of notable rhythm and blues, bluegrass, and indie rock musicians. Scheduled to appear are Kristin Chenoweth, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Macy Gray, Joan Osborne, Dame and Jenny O.

And then there was one.

As in one point separating filly trotter Bee A Magician from colt pacer Captaintreacherous at the top of this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.

Both horses won their respective eliminations for the Breeders Crown finals Saturday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Bee A Magician cruised to her 14th win without a defeat in her elim while Captaintreacherous raced first over to win his division.

Fiesta Camcun and Tim T were the stars at their respective gaits on Monday night (Oct. 14) as Pompano Park extended their racing schedule to three nights per week.

Fiesta Camcun, trained by Paul Bernardo for owner Diane Hellen, was given a picture perfect drive by Stephane Lareau and roared by pacesetting Bombilla Hanover, driven by Bruce Ranger, to score by three parts of a length in 1:53.1 in the pacing feature for the mares. Young American was third for Bryce Fen

Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford added another driving victory in this year’s C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series when he won with his own Garbarino in a time of 2:04.4 at the Fairfield County Fair in Lancaster, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 10).

It was Oldford’s ninth Billings victory in 2013 and 16th overall this season. It was also the third consecutive win by Garbarino in Billings competition.

Chocolate Delight could sweeten his bankroll on Friday (Oct. 25) in the $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes–Green Acres final for 3-year-old trotting colts at Freehold Raceway.

The son of Chocolatier, driven by Jim Meittinis and trained by Oyvind Hegdal, has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of six. The gelding will leave from post three.

They thunder down the stretch, a sea of grey and white, a ghostly apparition of horses! It’s time again for the Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The renowned record-breaking track will play host to all grey or roan horses on Wednesday (Oct. 30), otherwise known as “Mischief Night.”

Rick Kane, Pocono’s Director of Racing, will be accepting entries for the race through the racing office number at 570.831.2228 this Friday (Oct. 25). Anyone interested should contact the race office earlier. Horsemen may also check for updates through the text message service. Those not opted in may text “Pocono” to 84700 to sign up.

Local harness racing fans are in for a treat Wednesday night (Oct. 23) as Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., North America's leading driver in victories thus far in 2013, is scheduled to be in the sulky in nine of 12 races at Batavia Downs. First post is set for 6:30 p.m.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey set yet another milestone at Keeneland when their homebred gelding Captain Cook raced to victory in the ninth race on Sunday. It marked win number 13 for the Ramseys, which broke the previous mark of 12, which they also set.

According to the Daily Racing Form, this latest Keeneland title will mark the seventh time this year they set a record for wins at an individual meet. The Ramseys were leading owners at Gulfstream Park, Keeneland (spring), Churchill Downs (spring), Saratoga, Kentucky Downs, and Churchill (September).

A dozen races are on tap Saturday night for the running of the 30th Breeders Crown at Pocono Downs. More than $5.6 million will be up for grabs during the championship races.

Somwherovrarainbow goes for her second Breeders Crown win, this time in the 3-Year-Old Filly Pace. With Montrell Teague driving, the filly will start from post 8 in the nine-horse field. Somwherovrarainbow won last year's 2- Year-Old Filly Pace, but is 12-1 in the morning-line this time.

A pair of fillies have been scratched from their respective Breeders Crown races this Saturday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Royal Assets, trained and driven by Ray Schnittker, finished fourth in her elimination and drew the eight post in the final of the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly trot but was scratched this morning.

Maybe it was fitting, or maybe just by chance, but when Ciuffetelli and Shambo win races on Columbus Day it makes one sit up and take notice.

“Tough Tony” Ciuffetelli won the first Billings Trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Monday (Oct. 14) with CSI What’s My Name while “Christopher Columbus” Shambo copped the second division with George’s Vacation.

It was the first Billings victory for each driver.

Commander defended his title in the British Columbia Premier's Handicap (Can-III) (VIDEO) whileMadeira Park secured the first graded stakes win in her career in theBallerina Stakes (Can-III) (VIDEO) Oct. 14 atHastings Racecourse.

In the Monday evening races at the Vancouver track, North American Thoroughbred Horse Company's Commander secured the 10th stakes win of his career when he scored a front-running victory as the 122-pound highweight in the $96,600 Premier's. With Aaron Gryder showing the way, Commander enjoyed a clear lead at every point of call and the 5-year-oldBroken Vow gelding posted a 1 1/4-length victory over 8-5 favorite Title Contender, completing the 1 3/8-mile race in 2:16.15.