Racing News

More than $550,000 in total purses were up for grabs as part of a showcase of Delaware's top bred horses Wednesday (Oct. 21) Harrington Raceway.

Four $100,000 Delaware Breeders Fund (DSBF) final events were the centerpiece of the 13-race program, as well as their accompanying $20,000 consolations.

There was also $20,000 Open events for older horses, with preference given to those who were Delaware owned or bred.

Former claimer Royal Posse will try for his second straight stakes win against other New York-breds and third victory overall when he faces an expected eight rivals in the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap Oct. 24 at Belmont Park.

After being claimed for $20,000 May 31 by trainer Rudy Rodriguez for owners Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith, Royal Posse finished second in an allowance/optional claiming race for state-breds July 24 before winning under similar conditions for New York-breds Aug. 20 at Saratoga Race Course. The 4-year-old son of Posse   followed that effort with his first stakes win, a nose victory over Saratoga Snacks in the two-turn 1 1/8-mile Evan Shipman Stakes Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

Golden Horn, winner of the Epsom Derby (Eng-I) and Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), leads a 24-horse contingent of European runners who will be making their first North American starts of the year in the Breeders' Cup World Championships Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland. 

Anthony Oppenheimer's multiple group I winning son of Cape Cross has been entered in the $3 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I). If Golden Horn prevails in the Turf, he would become the first horse to complete the Arc/Turf double and help trainer John Gosden become the first British conditioner to earn more than £10 million in a year.

It was 15 years ago when Richard Mandella actually thought about leaving California and moving East. Obviously, that didn’t last very long. Mandella actually had those thoughts while in New Jersey prior to winning the 2000 Haskell Invitational with Dixie Union. It was during his brief stay in the Garden State that Mandella heard the call of the history sirens, who enticed him by putting him under their hypnotic spell and taking him back in time…way back.

Mandella, you see, is a racing history buff, and it is the East, not the West that is steeped in racing history, going back to the 19th century. Mandella had undergone a cathartic experience in a little central Jersey town called Jobstown, and it was actually difficult to determine whether his visit to Jobstown or winning the Haskell was the more memorable experience. - See more at: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2015/10/21/mandella-history-and-leaving-california.aspx#sthash.uGU5wWpk.dpuf

There is no denying that the international flair of the Breeders Crown Trot has led to considerable intrigue over the past few editions and this year’s contest on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack figures to be no exception. The small twist is that this year’s European “invader” is actually Creatine, a thoroughly blue-blooded American trotter.

After three seasons of racing stateside in the sport’s most prestigious events for trainer Bob Stewart and owner/breeder Adam Bowden’s Diamond Creek Racing, the 2013 Kentucky Futurity winner was sent overseas for a European trotting campaign in 2015, returning to U.S. soil only a few weeks ago.

Two $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for pacing and trotting mares, 4-year-olds and up, will be contested Friday night (Oct. 23) at Hollywood Dayton Racino. Post time is approximately 6:35 p.m. (EDT).

Igottafeelinfran, a winner of $436,520 lifetime, headlines of field of seven pacing mares in race nine for trainer Jim Daily and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. from post three as the morning line, 4-5 favorite. The 5-year-old daughter ofFeelin Friskie is owned by a trio of Ohio owners, Jerry Zosel, Kathy Ratcliff and Kimberly Dailey.

Competing in the Open and high conditioned ranks throughout most of 2015, Igottafeelinfran has been no worse than second in her last six starts, with seasonal earnings of $66,649. Lifetime she’s visited the winner’s circle a total of 24 times, with 15 seconds and 14 thirds in 76 career starts, and took her lifetime mark of 1:51.1 at Scioto Downs as a 4-year-old for these same connections.

Mary Jo Rheinheimer is not nervous. Not yet. But she will be. She always gets nervous when Freaky Feet Pete races.

There is no word from Freaky Feet Pete how he feels heading into Saturday’s $531,250 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male pacers. But if the colt does get nervous, it doesn’t affect his ability to win races. Twenty-four times in his career he’s gone to the starting gate, and 21 times he’s been first to the finish line.

Finding a horse that makes winning a habit is not unusual, but finding one in your backyard that becomes a local celebrity and brings you to the sport’s biggest stage is, well, a little freaky.

Led by Triple Crown winner American Pharoahand two-time Breeders' Cup champion mareBeholder a total of 200 horses, including 32 from overseas, have been pre-entered for the 2015 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 32nd Breeders' Cup, consisting of 13 grade one races with purses and awards totaling $26 million, will be held for the first time atKeeneland in Lexington on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct.31. There will be four Breeders' Cup races on Championship Friday and nine Breeders' Cup races on Championship Saturday.

It’s a tough question to answer summing up a human or horse’s personality in one word but Paula Wellwood had no problem describing 2-year-old trotting colt Marion Marauder, who has had the misfortune of chasing Southwind Frank around the track frequently this season, with pinpoint accuracy.

“He’s a terror,” said the colt’s co-conditioner. “He is constantly on the go, getting into everything and continuously trying to amuse himself. You have to watch him every minute and then when he decides something is not fun anymore, he’s out like a light.

“Whenever he decides he is done -- and it can be in an instant -- he is sleeping. You can yell at him, make all kinds of noise and try to do anything you can to get him up, but it will not happen. He is so much fun to be around and has one of the best personalities I have ever seen in a horse.”

Wayne Spalding and Faron McCubbins’ Bullards Alley, a three-quarter length winner of a first-level allowance Thursday at Churchill Downs, will be considered for a start in the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf (GIII) on Friday, Nov. 27, according to trainer Tim Glyshaw.

Bullards Alley ran down Flash Trading to win the 1 ¼-mile race in 2:04.88 after the race was transferred from the turf to the main track after overnight rainfall. It was the son of Flower Alley’s first victory since breaking his maiden at Indiana Grand in July.

Two-time graded stakes winner Gimme Da Lute was euthanized this week after he sustained a catastrophic leg injury following surgery to repair a fracture in one of his hind legs.

According to co-owner Mike Pegram, the 3-year-old son of Midnight Lute suffered a fracture in one of his back legs during training at Santa Anita Park Nov. 3, when he drilled four furlongs in :46 2/5, the fastest of 35 at the distance that morning. Surgery was successful to repair the injury, but Pegram said Gimme Da Lute severely broke his leg coming out of recovery.

When it became clear late last year that the top six finishers—all 3-year-olds—in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) would return to racing this season, the 2015 edition of North America's richest race promised to be a showcase of talented older runners.

Instead the handicap division this season has proved to be the latest reminder of how unpredictable horse racing can be. Of those top six finishers from last year, only fifth-place finisher Tonalist is among the pre-entries in this year's Classic.

The Kentucky Horse Park will unveil a memorial statue dedicated to the great Thoroughbred champion Cigar at 3 p.m. EDT Oct. 27.

Created by artist Douwe Blumberg, the statue will be placed at Cigar's gravesite at the Hall of Champions and features Cigar with jockey Jerry Bailey winning the 1995 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

One of the world's top Thoroughbred racehorses, Cigar died Oct. 7, 2014, at age 24. In May 1999, Cigar came to the Kentucky Horse Park to live out his retirement.

Ten Broeck Farm's Sunset Glow and Al Shaqab Racing's Osaila, the 2-3 finishers behind undefeated Lady Eli in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, headline a field of 14 3-year-old fillies and two also-eligibles for the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (gr. IIIT) Oct. 24 at Keeneland.

Run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the Pin Oak Valley View will go as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. EDT post time.

Two Hearts Farm and Don Janes' Fioretti, winner of Keeneland's Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II) on Oct. 3 in her most recent start, worked five furlongs Oct. 21 at The Thoroughbred Center north of Lexington.

"It was an awesome work," said jockey Sophie Doyle, who notched her first career graded stakes victory in the TCA. "She worked in company and (trainer) Anthony (Hamilton) got her in 1:02 and 2. I was confident before her last race and I am more confident now."

Kaleem Shah's two-time grade I winnerDortmund is scheduled to make his first start since his Triple Crown bid in the $70,000 Big Bear Stakes Oct. 24 at Santa Anita Park.

After an injury setback, the 3-year-old son of Big Brown   worked steadily over the summer at Del Mar and recently atSanta Anita Park, and appears to be geared up for his return for trainer Bob Baffert, with back-to-back bullet workouts Oct. 18 (five furlongs in :59 2/5) and Oct. 12 (four furlongs in :46 1/5).

James McIngvale's grade I winnerRunhappy continued to show his affinity for the main track at Keeneland Race Course the morning of Oct. 21, zipping six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I).

With a large group of onlookers observing, the 3-year-old son of Super Saver   was timed in fractional splits of :11 4/5, :23 2/5, :34 3/5, :46 2/5, and :58. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:23.

Conquest Stables' Conquest Daddyoturned in a solid work Oct. 21 atKeeneland, gearing up for a run in the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT). 

With jockey Joe Bravo in the irons just after the renovation break, the Summer Stakes (Can-IIT) winner went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 in company with fellow Mark Casse trainee Sky Fire. He broke off a few lengths behind his target and tracked that one all the way around the turn, then rolled past him mid-stretch to finish about three-quarters of a length ahead. Keeneland clockers caught the duo in :37 early on, with a gallop out in 1:14 4/5.

Godiva Seelster, a 5-year-old daughter of Camluck, extended her streak of getting purse checks to 69, covering her every start since the age of three, and did so with a lifetime best performance of 1:50.4 over a million dollar field, including arch rival Just A Bee (third this night) and Winbak Heavenly (chasing the winner home) on Tuesday (Oct. 20) at Pompano Park.

Mach It A Par and Jets Are On picked up the final two awards in the talented octet of Open pacing mares.