Baffert Aims For Victory With Massive Drama In The $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park

Posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007

Unbeaten Massive Drama will face 13 rivals as he tries to hold on to his winning streak with a victory in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park Saturday, December 22.

Trainer Bob Baffert is aiming for a record-tying fourth CashCall Futurity victory with Massive Drama. He earned his first in 1997 with Real Quiet, who went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, falling a nose short of sweeping the 1998 Triple Crown when he was caught at the wire by Victory Gallop in the Belmont Stakes.

Bob Baffert, who also saddled Captain Steve and Point Given to win the Cashcall Futurity in 1999 and 2000 can match D. Wayne Lukas with four winners in the prestigious Grade I event if he is successful this Saturday as Hollywood Park’s 32-day Autumn Meet comes to a close.

Massive Drama, a son of Kawain owned by Zayat Stables, broke his maiden on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park on October 26, then scored a front-running victory under Kent Desormeaux in the Hollywood Prevue at seven furlongs on November 22.

The 27th running of the Cashcall Futurity lines up as follows from the rail out:

  1. Sierra Sunset ridden by jockey Russell Baze
  2. Massive Drama ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux
  3. Overextended ridden by jockey Martin Garcia
  4. Eaton’s Gift ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano
  5. Indian Sun ridden by jockey Alex Solis
  6. Slew’s Tiznow ridden by jockey Joseph Talamo
  7. Tres Borrachos ridden by jockey David Flores
  8. Colonel John ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani
  9. Shore Do ridden by jockey Michael Baze
  10. Monba ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez
  11. Old Man Buck ridden by jockey Patrick Valenzuela
  12. Into Mischief ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza
  13. Meal Penalty ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez
  14. Referee ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux

The main competition for Massive Drama is expected to come from Colonel John, a winner of two of three starts for trainer Eoin Harty, Bob Baffert’s chief assistant when Silver Charm and Real Quiet won back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1997 and 1998.

Colonel John, a son of Tiznow owned by WinStar Farm, ran a three-length victory in the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park in November at the CashCall Futurity distance of 1 1/16 miles.

Todd Pletcher, North America’s leading money-winning trainer with purses totaling more than $27.8 million, has three entrants in the CashCall Futurity, headed by unbeaten son of Maria’s Mon, Monba. Garrett Gomez, en route to his second straight title as the nation’s leading jockey and his second consecutive Autumn Meet title, has the mount. Monba won broke his maiden October 17 at Keeneland, before winning a one-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs on November 24.

Pletcher will also send out Referee and Meal Penalty, who suffered his first loss in three starts while finishing third behind Massive Drama in the Hollywood Prevue.

Into Mischief, the Hollywood Prevue runner-up, will try to turn the tables on Massive Drama as well. The son of Harlan’s Holiday has worked well for trainer Richard Mandella in preparation for the rematch.

Shore Do, a new arrival in the Bobby Frankel barn, will try to rebound after finishing eighth on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Slew’s Tiznow finished second in the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland while making his most recent start on October 6.

Old Man Buck is the winner of the Grand Canyon Handicap over a yielding turf course at 1 1/16 miles November 24 at Churchill Downs.

Eaton’s Gift has won his last two starts, the latest over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on November 10.

Indian Sun, trained by Dan Hendricks, shifts to Cushion Track after finishing second on turf in the one-mile Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park on November 23.

Northern California-based Sierra Sunset has won two straight stakes including the Cal Cup Juvenile.

Overextended finished fifth in the Delta Jackpot.

Tres Borrachos aims for his second straight victory after breaking his maiden on November 23 at 1 1/16 miles on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track.

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Gulfstream Park 2008 Race Meet

Posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

Gulfstream Park’s 2008 Race Meet starts Thursday, January 3. The opening-day card features the inaugural South Beach, the first of six stakes to be contested the first four days of the meet. 2008 Gulfstream Park Stakes schedule includes a trio of half-million dollar events and the sixth running of the Sunshine Millions.

“The focus will be on competition – every day, every race – and stakes races are the marquee events,” Gulfstream Park Racing Secretary Bill Couch said. “After a spring and summer of race analysis and conversations with horsemen, we decided to experiment with a few things, and I have every confidence that the adjustments we have made will be well received by fans and horsemen.”

Gulfstream Park has been a proving ground for classic-bound 3-year-olds throughout its history and the Florida Derby has been the nation’s foremost prep race for the Kentucky Derby, the first leg in the Triple Crown Trail. In its 55-year history, 38 3-year-olds have come out of the Florida Derby to win 51 Triple Crown events.

As it was when master horsemen Michael Matz guided Barbaro to a Florida Derby-Kentucky Derby double in 2006, the Florida Derby will be run five weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby.

A major change effects the $150,000 Holy Bull, a Grade 3 stakes that has served as a prep for future Florida Derby winners Hal’s Hope, Harlan’s Holiday and Friends Lake and as a prep for future Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin, Funny Cide and Barbaro.

In recent years it has served as a lead-in to the Fountain of Youth. Whereas in 2008 the Fountain of Youth will be run Sunday, February 24, the Holy Bull, to be run Saturday, April 12, will be contested after the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby.

The distance as well as the date of the Holy Bull has been changed: Lengthened to 1 3/16 miles, the race is only a sixteenth shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which will be run three weeks after the Holy Bull.

It thereby becomes the continent’s longest graded Kentucky Derby prep.

The Sunshine Millions has proven to be one of the most popular events at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. The eight-race series carries purses worth $3.4 million. Each racetrack hosts four events on a rotating basis: This year Gulfstream Park will host the Sunshine Millions Turf and the Distaff, each worth $500,000; the Sunshine Millions $300,000 Sprint, and the $250,000 Dash. Race day is Saturday, January 26.

The third $500,000 race on the schedule is the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, won last year by defending Horse of the Year Invasor. In recent years the Donn has served as a springboard to the Dubai World Cup, which Invasor also won before his retirement in late spring. The Donn Handicap will be contested February 2.

Gulfstream Park 2008 Stakes Schedule

Date Race Division Purse Distance
Jan. 3 South Beach 4 & up, F&M $50,000 1 1/16 miles turf
Jan. 4 Canadian Turf Handicap (G3) 4 & up $100,000 1 1/16 miles turf
Jan. 5 Hutcheson (G2) 3-year-olds $150,000 7 furlongs
Mr Prospector Handicap (G3) 4 & up $100,000 6 furlongs
Jan. 6 Sabin Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $150,000 1 1/8 miles
Hal’s Hope Handicap (G3) 4 & up $100,000 1 1/8 miles
Jan. 12 Old Hat (G3) 3-year-old fillies $100,000 6 furlongs
Jan. 13 First Lady Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $100,000 6 furlongs
Jan. 26 Sunshine Millions Day
Distaff 4 & up, F&M $500,000 1 1/8 miles
Oaks 3-year-old fillies $250,000 6 furlongs
Sprint 4 & up $300,000 6 furlongs
Turf 4 & up $500,000 1 1/8 miles turf
Jan. 27 Appleton Handicap (G3) 4 & up $150,000 1 mile turf
Feb. 2 Donn Handicap (G1) 4 & up $500,000 1 1/8 miles
Swale (G2) 3-year-olds $150,000 7 furlongs
Feb. 3 Suwannee River Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $100,000 1 1/8 miles turf
Feb. 9 Forward Gal (G2) 3-year-old fillies $150,000 7 furlongs
Feb. 16 Hallandale Beach 3-year-olds $75,000 1 1/16 miles turf
Feb. 17 Hurricane Bertie Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $150,000 7 furlongs
Feb. 23 Gulfstream Park BC Turf (G1) 4 & up $350,000 1 3/8 miles turf
Feb. 24 Fountain of Youth (G2) 3-year-olds $350,000 1 1/8 miles
March 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) 4 & up $350,000 1 3/16 miles
March 2 Davona Dale (G2) 3-year-old fillies $150,000 1 mile
Mac Diarmida Handicap (G3) 4 & up $150,000 1 3/8 miles turf
March 8 Richter Scale BC Handicap (G2) 4 & up $225,000 7 furlongs
March 8 Very One Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $100,000 1 3/8 miles turf
March 9 Rampart Handicap (G2) 4 & up, F&M $200,000 1 1/8 miles
March 15 Shirley Jones BC Handicap (G2) 4 & up, F&M $200,000 7 furlongs
March 22 Skip Away Handicap (G3) 4 & up $150,000 1 1/8 miles
March 29 Florida Derby (G1) 3-year-olds $1 million 1 1/8 miles
Bonnie Miss (G2) 3-year-old fillies $150,000 1 1/8 miles
Palm Beach (G3) 3-year-olds $150,000 1 1/8 miles turf
March 30 Orchid Handicap (G3) 4 & up, F&M $150,000 1 1/2 miles turf
April 5 Pan American Handicap (G3) 4 & up $150,000 1 1/2 miles turf
April 12 Holy Bull (G3) 3-year-olds $150,000 1 3/16 miles

“Gulfstream’s stakes program is rich in history and opportunities and, in examining the stakes schedules from past years, we thought that running six or seven stakes in one day diluted the product,” Gulfstream Park President and General Manager Bill Murphy said. “These races have a rich tradition and we, as racefans, wanted them to be savored the way they were meant to be.”

The four Sunshine Millions Day races remain intact and there will be three stakes Florida Derby Day, with two stakes scheduled for January 5 and 6 (opening weekend), February 2 (Donn Day) and March 2. Gulfstream Park closes Sunday, April 20.

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Santa Anita’s “Super High Five” Wager

Posted on Monday, December 17th, 2007

Santa Anita which opens its 71st Winter/Spring Meet on December 26 will offer horse racing fans the $1 Super High Five exotic wager. The Super High Five will be offered on the last horse race each day and will require fans to select the first five finishers in their exact finish order.

It is expected that the Super High Five will generate some huge payoffs, as there is a high degree of difficulty involved and there is a carryover component to the wager. If no one correctly tabs the first five finishers, the entire Super High Five pool will be carried over to the next racing day. There will be no consolation payoffs.

Due to the implementation of the Super High Five, there will be no Superfecta offered on each day’s last race.

Santa Anita will operate this coming season with a Thursday through Monday regular work week. First post time on opening day is 12 noon.

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Country Star Wins Hollywood Starlet

Posted on Saturday, December 15th, 2007

Country Star lived up to her name as she finished with an impressive 2 3/4-length victory with jockey Rafael Bejarano in Saturday’s $431,500 Hollywood Starlet at Hollywood Park.

The even-money favorite of the public, the dark bay filly came into the Hollywood Starlet after winning the 1 1/6 mile Alcibiades by one length on Keeneland’s Polytrack in October. Country Star was even more impressive this time at the Hollywood Starlet as Rafael Bejarano had her comfortably placed in fifth in the field of nine 2-year-old fillies on the backstretch. She moved into contention while four-wide turning for home, gained the lead in mid-stretch and easily pulled clear.

Trained by Bobby Frankel, Country Star covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.54 and paid $4, $3 and $2.40. Grace and Power ridden by jockey Michael Baze returned $9.20 and $5.60. The Golden Noodle with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard paid $4.80 to show.

The performance of Country Star in the Hollywood Starlet stirred talk of next year’s Kentucky Oaks, but Rafael Bejarano said, “Oaks? She’s going to be the next Kentucky Derby winner.”

Other 2-year-old fillies that also ran in the Hollywood Starlet are Set Play, Foxy Danseur, Time Reveals All, Sunday Geisha, Grace Anatomy and Spritely.

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Hawthorne’s 2008 Stakes Races Schedule Released

Posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2007

Hawthorne Race Course announced its 2008 stakes schedule after final approval from the Illinois Racing Board. Both the Spring and Fall meets are included.

The spring season, which commences on Friday, March 7, will as usual be highlighted by the $500,000 Grade II Illinois Derby to be contested on Saturday, April 5.

2007 Illinois Derby winner Cowtown Cat went on to compete in this year’s Kentucky Derby, and in many prior years, the Illinois Derby has been a significant prep to the Run for the Roses.

In 2001, War Emblem won the Illinois Derby and then proceeded to capture both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in his next starts. 2006 Illinois Derby Winner Sweetnorthernsaint was the Kentucky Derby post time favorite in his next start, but finished seventh.

One significant change in the spring stakes schedule is in the form of a name change.

On April 19, the inaugural $200,000 Grade III Bill Hartack Memorial Handicap will be the new name of the race formerly known as the National Jockey Club Handicap. The race is in memory of Bill Hartack, the five-time Kentucky Derby winner who passed away last month. The race is for colts and geldings three-years old and up.

The Grade III $200,000 Sixty Sails for fillies and mares three-years old and up will also be run on April 19. 2007 winner, Kettleoneup, later went to Churchill Downs and captured the Grade II Falls City Handicap.

The Illinois Breds will continue to have their day in the sun as well, when Illinois Champions Day returns on Saturday April 26. Six $100,000 stakes restricted to state-bred Thoroughbreds will highlight the card.

In all, $1,575,000 in stakes purses will be offered in the spring, which includes the $75,000 Jim M. Levitch Illinois Owners Handicap, set for its initial run on Illinois Derby Day.

Hawthorne Spring 2008 Stakes Schedule

When the fall meet begins on Friday, September 26, Hawthorne will be poised for the $500,000, Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup, which will take place the next day, Saturday, September 27.

The prestigious event for equines three-years old and up has attracted some of the finest horses in recent years, including this year’s winner, Student Council. Following his powerful “Gold Cup” win, Student Council ventured overseas and competed in the $2.3-million Japan Dirt Cup. A.P. Arrow, who finished third to Student Council, promptly went to Churchill Downs and won the Grade II Clark Handicap.

The Hawthorne Gold Cup, in its own right an important race, has consistently been used as a stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup and other significant autumn races.

“We’ll continue to keep the Gold Cup in the national spotlight by providing a lucrative purse and a timeframe that will allow this race to always be an ideal prep for the Breeders’ Cup,” said President and General Manager Tim Carey. “The race has already establishing a pretty good history and I look forward to its continued success.”

Two other stakes races will continue to be a part of Hawthorne Gold Cup day, both of them on grass.

The $100,000 Indian Maid Handicap for fillies and mares three-years old and up and the Grade III Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap will be co-features on the undercard.

Turf sensation and recent winner of the $2-million Canadian International, Cloudy’s Knight, competed in the Robert F. Carey in 2006.

Other stakes for the fall session include the $250,000 Grade III Hawthorne Derby for three-year old grass specialists. This year’s victor was Bold Hawk, a well-bred runner with a bright future. The race is scheduled for Saturday, October 11.

The Phil Georgeff Festival of Racing will return on Saturday, November 1, and will give Illinois bred Thoroughbreds another opportunity for black type, with six $100,000 races.

Two-year old Illinois Breds will get a chance to stretch their young legs beyond a sprint, in the Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante and the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity, for the girls and boys respectively.

The $75,000 Mary D. Keim Illinois Owners Stakes will be a new addition to the fall program and will be run on Hawthorne Derby Day.

Hawthorne Fall 2008 Stakes Schedule

This post was modified from Hawthorne’s release.

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Spritely To Run in Hollywood Starlet

Posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2007

Spritely, trained by Todd Pletcher and undefeated in two starts, will run in the $421,500 Hollywood Starlet for 2-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track. The 1 1/16 mile Hollywood Starlet on December 15 will be her stakes debut and she will be ridden by leading jockey Garrett Gomez.

The daughter of Touch Gold and Wood Sprite (by Woodman), a $480,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland, is owned by Edward Evans. Spritely began her career in September with a maiden win at 5 1/2 furlongs at Turfway Park. She returned nearly two months later to capture a seven-furlong allowance heat at the home of they Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, on November 9. Spritely drew the rail for the Hollywood Starlet and will be racing against 8 other horses.

Among Spritely’s biggest rivals are Alcibiades Stakes winner Country Star and Del Mar Debutante winner Set Play trained by Peter Miller. Both are grade I winners on synthetic surfaces.

Country has been working consistently well on the Cushion Track for trainer Bobby Frankel at Hollywood Park for the past month including a :47 3/5 four-furlong blowout December 10. Jockey Rafael Bejarano has been aboard for each of Country Star’s races.

Set Play upset the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante at 14-1 on Polytrack September 3 for trainer Peter Miller and the Gerson Racing team. However, the Florida-bred daughter of Van Nistelrooy has lost three races in a row since, including an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in her only start on a dirt surface at Monmouth Park. Trying grass for her most recent try, she was outrun by 1 1/2 lengths by Sea Chanter in Hollywood’s one-mile Miesque and finished third.

Brice Blanc will be riding Set Play who starts from the far outside post.

Another horse to run in the Hollywood Starlet is Foxy Danseur who is coming from a victory as the 4-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Sharp Cat, the leading prep race for the Hollywood Starlet. Together with Set Play, she is Hollywood Starlet’s most experienced runner with seven lifetime starts.

The horses that will run in the Hollywood Starlet from the rail out are: Spritely ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, Grace Anatomy ridden by jockey Mike Smith, Foxy Danseur ridden by jockey Tyler Baze, Time Reveals All ridden by jockey Joseph Talamo, Sunday Geisha ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani, Country Star ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano, The Golden Noodle ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux, Grace and Power ridden by Michael Baze, and Set Play ridden by jockey Brice Blanc.

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Keeneland 2008 Spring Meet Features $4.3 Million in Stakes Purses

Posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

Eighteen stakes worth a record $4.3 million, and enhanced graded status for the Maker’s Mark Mile, Appalachian and Fifth Third Elkhorn stakes, highlight Keeneland’s 2008 spring race meeting, to be held April 4-25.

Sixteen of the 18 stakes carded for the spring are graded. Three of those stakes were recently upgraded for 2008 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The Maker’s Mark Mile, for four-year-olds and up, was elevated from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status; the Fifth Third Elkhorn, for four-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, was promoted from Grade 3 to Grade 2; and the Appalachian, for three-year-old fillies at one mile on the grass, earned Grade 3 status.

Purse money for the Maker’s Mark Mile was increased from $250,000 to $300,000, while the Appalachian, Shakertown (G3), for three-year-olds and up at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, and Doubledogdare (G3), for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, each increased from $100,000 to $125,000.

Three-year-olds will take center stage in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, April 5, and the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday, April 12, traditional preps for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1). James Tafel’s champion Street Sense made his final start before his Derby victory in last year’s Blue Grass, finishing second by a nose to Silverton Hills LLC’s Dominican.

Keeneland hosts an additional classic prep, the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington (G2), for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, on Saturday, April 19.

“Keeneland enjoys great support from its owners and trainers, which allows us to present some of the most competitive racing in North America,” said W. Rogers Beasley, Keeneland’s Director of Racing. “Such a rich and diverse stakes schedule offers exciting opportunities for our horsemen as well as our race fans.”

In other changes for the spring, the Appalachian and $150,000 Ben Ali (G3), for four-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, were each moved up one week on the stakes calendar to April 17 and April 20, respectively. The distance for the opening day Central Bank Transylvania (G3), for three-year-olds has been lengthened from one mile to 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Additionally this spring, Grey Goose Vodka will sponsor the $150,000 Grey Goose Bewitch (G3), for fillies and mares four-years-old and up at 1 1/2 miles on the turf.

2008 Keeneland Spring Stakes Schedule

This post came from Keeneland’s official release.

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