JC / Railbird

Races/Results Archive

Saturday Race Results

– From maiden winner to stakes winner and on the Derby Trail for sure: Doctor Decherd wins the Aventura by a nose.
– A fresh High Limit is a winning High Limit: Coming off a three month layoff, the Bobby Frankel-trained four-year-old eked out a victory in the San Pasqual, his first since last year’s Louisiana Derby.
– High Limit’s win was one of five for jockey Pat Valenzuela yesterday. Another was Itty Bitty Pretty’s mild upset over Sabatini in the Santa Ysabel.
– Funny Cide continues to confound: The six-year-old gelding raced near the back throughout the Mr. Prospector Handicap and finished second to last in his first start in seven months. Gaff won the race in a quick 1:08.5.

Posted in Races/Results on January 8, 2006

Weekend Results

Barbaro, “the most interesting little-known horse in the country,” won the Tropical Park Derby at Calder on Sunday by three and three-quarter lengths, bringing his record on the turf to 3-for-3. “He’s obviously a very talented horse,” said trainer Michael Matz, who’s contemplating trying the three-year-old on the dirt next. Matz has been doing well at Calder recently — Barbaro’s win was the fourth for the trainer in as many starts.
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At Santa Anita, Badge of Silver took to the turf in his debut on that surface, winning the San Gabriel Handicap on Sunday. “The race went exactly the way I thought it would,” said trainer Bobby Frankel. “I was a little concerned about the soft going, but he’s a good horse and he’s got a good turn of foot. We’ll probably stay on turf with him.” In Saturday’s La Brea, Pussycat Doll so dominated the field that trainer Bob Baffert headed to the winner’s circle when the filly passed the eighth pole. “I knew it was over…. She ran like she’d been training.”
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Trainer Mark Shuman headed into the Maryland Juvenile on Saturday wildly optimistic about Travelin Leroy’s chances in the race, and the public agreed, betting the two-year-old down to 3-5, but it was the overlooked Vegas Play trained by Grover Delp that won the stakes.

Posted in Races/Results on January 2, 2006

Diplomat Lady Upsets

Trainer Christopher Paasch thought he had something special in Diplomat Lady after the two-year-old filly bounced back from two defeats at Del Mar to win a six-furlong allowance race in 1:09.4 at Hollywood Park last month, earning an 85 Beyer for the performance. On Sunday, he knew for sure that he did when longshot Diplomat Lady broke on top of a crowded Starlet field and won the race by a neck over favorite Balance. Diplomat Lady’s win gave Paasch his first grade one victory. “I feel like jumping out of my skin,” said a very happy Paasch after. The filly was the longest shot to ever win the Starlet, paying $80.
Jockey Tyler Baze professed no surprise at Diplomat Lady’s performance:

Runner-up Balance, undefeated going into the Starlet, rated in third for much of the race, until the stretch when she made a very game effort to challenge Diplomat Lady for the lead. Diplomat Lady pulled away and it looked for a second that Balance might try again; she didn’t. The filly was clearly second best yesterday. Third place finisher Sabatini might be one to watch in future races — near the back of the field for most of the race, she made up nearly 13 lengths in the stretch.
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Diplomat Lady wasn’t the only upset winner in Sunday stakes. Banjo Picker, a 47-1 shot, won the Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct.
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Aqueduct’s winter break begins today; racing will resume on December 28 with a stakes race for New York-breds, a Pick 6 carryover, and quite possibly, a bankruptcy filing for NYRA. “How did things go so far?”

Posted in Races/Results on December 19, 2005

Purge Upsets in Cigar

Trainer Todd Pletcher may have struck out in the Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday despite having three of the five starters in the race (which was won by the Richard Dutrow-trained Wonder Lady Anne L), but the loss was more than made up for with wins in the day’s two other stakes. Heavy favorite Bluegrass Cat easily won the Remsen going gate-to-wire. The two-year-old has now won three straight and is Pletcher’s early Kentucky Derby hope. In the Cigar, longshot Purge scored an upset with an impressive come from behind rally in the stretch. It was the last race of the four-year-old’s career, which must be something of shame for his trainer. “I realize more why he did what he did today and why we didn’t do better with him the rest of the year,” Pletcher said. “Last year … I felt he could be as good as any older horse in the country. Things just didn’t jell early in the year.” At least things came together at the end. With a grade one win in his record, Purge is retiring to stud at the Vinery.
At Churchill Downs on Saturday: The unbeaten French Park ran down She Says It Best to win the Golden Rod Stakes. “She worked hard,” said jockey Mark Guidry. “She never gave up, just never gave up.” Private Vow redeemed his disappointing turn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and trainer Steve Asmussen is looking ahead to May. “He won a nice race,” said Asmussen. “He’s 4–for-6, a multiple graded-stakes winner and won a two-turn stakes at Churchill…. Now, without a doubt, you figure out how do you get back here on the first Saturday in May with the most horse possible? That’s definitely our quest.”

Posted in Races/Results on November 28, 2005