JC / Railbird

Races/Results Archive

Tagg Sweeps Stakes

– There were only two graded stakes across the country on Saturday, but trainer Barclay Tagg took both, winning the Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct with Dave and the Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill with Bit of Whimsy. Dave, making his first graded stakes appearance in 34 starts, was an upset victor at 14-1. Bit of Whimsy, coming off a win at Keeneland last month, was the 8-5 favorite. “She’s had a terrific year,” said Tagg of ‘Whimsy, in his usual understated way (ESPN). The 3-year-old filly is 4-for-7 since making her career debut on April 1. In the past seven months, she’s finished in a dead heat with Rutherienne in the G3 Sands Point, run second to the ill-fated Alexander Tango in the G1 Garden City, and won the G1 QEII Cup last month. She’s now the best 3-year-old turf filly in training, and fortunately, it looks like we’ll see more of her. Tagg is sending Bit of Whimsy to Gulfstream this winter to prep for a 2008 campaign.
– Jockey Garrett Gomez tied Jerry Bailey’s record for most stakes wins in a year on Saturday, scoring his 70th with Hucking Hot in the Skirball-Kenis Stakes at Hollywood. As impressive as Dave looked kicking clear in the Red Smith or Bit of Whimsy did digging in to hold off Ciao in the Mrs. Revere, neither looked as good as Hucking Hot sitting patiently behind a wall of traffic, then splitting horses in the stretch to get the win. “There was a tiny hole at the top of the stretch and when I pointed her for it, she accelerated like it was the size of the Grand Canyon,” said Gomez of the filly’s bold move (LA Times).

Posted in Races/Results on November 11, 2007

Weekend Notes

– Trainer Carla Gaines and jockey Joe Talamo had a very good afternoon at Del Mar, pairing up for three wins, including one in the feature. Boxed in on the rail by Victor Espinoza aboard Balance, unbeaten Nashoba’s Key made up ground fast over the Polytrack stretch to win the Hirsch going away. “I was so confident,” said Talamo after. “She has a kick that is out of this world” (Blood-Horse). Final time for the race, the first for Nashoba’s Key over the surface, was 1:48.29. The four-year-old filly is now 6-for-6.
– Any Given Saturday looked fantastic scoring his first G1 victory in the Haskell at Monmouth today, accelerating with ease in the stretch and finishing 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Hard Spun. Favored Curlin, making his first start since his hard-fought nose loss to Rags to Riches in the Belmont, was third, which didn’t please Steve Asmussen. “He ran the worst race of his career and we have to find out why,” the trainer grumbled after (DRF). With the Travers three weeks away, it’ll be interesting to see what news come out of Asmussen’s barn about Curlin’s condition and schedule, as it will be to hear whether or not Any Given Saturday will run at Saratoga. Trainer Todd Pletcher would only say after the colt’s decisive win that the Breeders’ Cup was a target.
– Dream Rush followed up on her win in last month’s Prioress with another stakes victory on Saturday in the Darley Test at Saratoga. It was a nice race for her, but an even better one for runner-up Boca Grande, a filly who showed promise winning the Demoiselle last year, then returned to run sixth in the Forward Gal, her first race as a three-year-old, and finished third in her last, the Mother Goose. By A.P. Indy, out of Country Hideaway — a full sister to BC Distaff winner Pleasant Home and a member of a very classy female family that includes champions Sky Beauty and Gold Beauty — Boca Grande may well be a late blooming talent.
– Bob Baffert’s unraced $4.6 million Vindication colt Maimonides, scratched from an opening day start at Del Mar, could debut at Saratoga as early as this Wednesday (DRF). The two-year-old belongs to Ahmed Zayat, who withdrew his stock from Del Mar in a huff last week after an argument with track president Joe Harper over the Polytrack surface.

Posted in Races/Results on August 5, 2007

Octave Wins CCAO

– At Belmont, Rags to Riches understudy Octave won an unexciting renewal of the Coaching Club American Oaks, tracking pacesetter Folk’s ambling fractions of :23.91, :48, 1:12.25, and 1:36.47 before drawing away at the eighth pole to win by half a length over the late closing Lear’s Princess, who may have earned a Saratoga start on the strength of her stretch run. “Our filly ran a great race,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “Maybe we’ll have to look at the Alabama now” (Blood-Horse).
The CCAO was Octave’s second Grade 1 win in a row; the Todd Pletcher-trained filly took the Mother Goose easily last month. She’s now won the first two legs of the Triple Tiara. To claim the third, she’ll have to start in the Alabama.
– A bizarre incident in Belmont’s sixth resulted in Pasqualina being declared a non-starter when she left the gate without rider Alan Garcia, who appeared to reach out for the right side of the stall at the break. Garcia came off the horse, slammed into the gate, and fell to the ground; Pasqualina chased the rest of the field around the track. Both jockey and horse were apparently fine, with Garcia riding his remaining mounts for the afternoon.
– Poor Fleetheart. The filly was thoroughly schooled in her first turf and stakes try at Del Mar today in the Osunitas Handicap. Breaking from the outside, another first for her, Fleetheart was positioned well off the pace through the first three quarters, looking uncomfortable the whole time, then found herself squeezed between two rivals at the top of the stretch. She finished last, losing her first race in five starts. Kris’ Sis won, paying $9, while even-money favorite Double Trouble finished third.
– Add to your watch list: More Happy. The two-year-old filly by Vindication, trained by Bob Baffert, debuted in Del Mar’s fourth today, which she won in a quick 1:05.7 by a neck over Foxy Danseur. More Happy is first-crop sire Vindication’s third winner from eight starters.
– Dreaming of Anna, sent off as the 3-1 third favorite, won the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs (BRIS).

Posted in Del Mar, Races/Results on July 21, 2007