Curlin Wins Horse of the Year; 2007 Eclipse Award Winners Announced

Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Winners of 2007 Eclipse Awards were announced Monday night, January 21, in the 37th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

With an overwhelming vote of 249, Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin got the 2007 Horse of the Year honors outnumbering Rags to Riches (12 votes), 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor (2 votes), Corinthian, English Channel and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense with 1 vote each.

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners are:

Two-Year-Old Male: War Pass, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes winner as well as one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders.

Two-Year-Old Filly: Indian Blessing who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Monmouth Park.

Three-Year-Old Male: Curlin whose 2007 campaign included winning the Arkansas Derby and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Three-Year-Old Filly: Rags to Riches who beat the boys in the Belmont Stakes.

Older Male: Lawyer Ron, Woodward and Whitney winner.

Older Female: Ginger Punch, Breeders’ Cup Distaff champion.

Male Sprinter: Midnight Lute, Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner.

Female Sprinter: Maryfield, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner.

Male Turf Horse: English Channel.

Female Turf Horse: Lahudood.

Steeplechase Horse: Good Night Shirt

Owner: Shadwell Stable.

Breeder: Adena Springs.

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Jockey: Garrett Gomez, leader in earnings last year.

Apprentice Jockey: Joe Talamo

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners were voted upon by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF) and National Turf Writers Association.

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New York Racing Association (NYRA) Gets Another Extension

Posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been given another extension to continue racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga race tracks until February 13.

NYRA has held the franchise since 1955 and it expired December 31 last year. Racing continued at Aqueduct after it reached a temporary agreement with the oversight board and the state to continue racing at least through January 23. Gov. Eliot Spitzer and state officials extended NYRA’s temporary operation beyond the Wednesday deadline.

Negotiations still continue between the state, NYRA and its competitors over the long-term franchise deal to run thoroughbred horse racing in the state of New York for as much as 30 years. Spitzer and legislative leaders haven’t been able to agree on whether to keep NYRA or choose a successor.

Steven Duncker, NYRA Chairman, says the extension is acceptable while a long-term agreement is negotiated.

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2007 Eclipse Awards on January 21

Posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2008

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners together with the 2007 Horse of the Year finalists will be announced at the 37th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 21 at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Curlin is the favorite to win Horse of the Year. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Curlin had an impressive 2007 campaign. Curlin has won the Arkansas Derby, Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Preakness Stakes in May and captured the Breeders’ Cup Classic five months later.

In addition to likely being named Horse of the Year, Curlin also is one of three finalists for Top 3-Year-Old Male. Also nominated in that category are Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Hard Spun.

Belmont Stakes winner, Rags to Riches is the favorite to win Top 3-Year-Old Filly. Also in that category are Octave and Panty Raid.

Top older male nominees include 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Corinthian, and Woodward and Whitney winner Lawyer Ron.

Older female nominees is topped by Breeders’ Cup Distaff champion Ginger Punch. Hystericalady and Nashoba’s Key were the other female candidates.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders War Pass is the Top 2-Year-Old Male favorite. Also nominated were Kodiak Cowboy and Pyro.

Indian Blessing, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is among the nominees for Top 2-Year-Old Filly along with Country Star and Proud Blessing.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute is nominated for Top Male Sprinter. Idiot Proof and Fabulous Strike were also nominated.

Top Female Sprinter finalists include Dream Rush, Maryfield and River’s Prayer.

Breeders’ Cup Turf winner English Channel headlines the nominees for Top Male Turf Horse. After Marker and Kip Deville also are listed in that category.

Female Turf Horse nominees are Lahudood, Nashoba’s Key and Precious Kitten.

Good Night Shirt, McDynamo, Planets Aligned are in the Steeplechase Horse category.

Owners who are included in the finalists are Maggi Moss, Shadwell Stable, Stronach Stables.

Top Breeders Eclipse Award category include Adena Springs, William S. Farish and Martin and Pam Wygod.

Curlin’s trainer Steve Asmussen has been nominated in the Trainer category along with 3-time Eclipse winner Todd Pletcher and Kiaran McLaughlin.

Leader in 2007 earnings jockey Garrett Gomez is the favorite to win top Jockey. Robby Albarado, Curlin’s regular rider, and John Velazquez also were nominated.

Nominated in the Apprentice Jockey are Tyler Pizarro, Alonso Quinonez and Joe Talamo.

All awards are voted on by turf writers and racing secretaries at National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) tracks.

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Trick’s Pic Wins Santa Anita Park’s Tuzla Handicap

Posted on Saturday, January 19th, 2008

The 6-1 shot Trick’s Pic won the $110,300 Tuzla Handicap at Santa Anita Park’s turf course on Saturday, January 19.

Victor Espinoza, subbing for Corey Nakatani who broke a collarbone in an accident, rode Trick’s Pic for the first time. “Doug (O’Neill) told me the main thing with her is to keep her nice and relaxed and to try and get her to settle. She came out of the gate running, but I dropped the reins and she settled on her own. The speed in the race helped me. They came back and it worked out.”

Trick’s Pic ran 1 mile in 1:35.09 and paid $14.40, $7.40 and $5. The 21-1 I Can See under jockey Jon Court rallied to second and returned $18.80 and $8.80. 5-2 favorite Good Mood with jockey Michael Baze paid $3.60 to show.

Trick’s Pic trainer Doug O’Neill, who took over training of the dark bay from Jenine Sahadi less than a month ago, says, “Victor (Espinoza) gave her a great ride. We’re a little bummed Corey (Nakatani, named to ride before he suffered a broken right collarbone in a training mishap at Hollywood Park this morning) got hurt this morning and wasn’t able to ride, but the owners are giving half of what Victor makes to Corey.”

Four-year-old and up fillies and mares that also raced in the Tuzla Handicap at Santa Anita Park were: Shermeen, Audacious Chloe, Unspoken Word, Political Web and Live Life.

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Jockey Corey Nakatani Breaks Collarbone

Posted on Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Jockey Corey Nakatani broke his right clavicle Saturday while working a filly for trainer Kristin Mulhall at Hollywood Park.

Doctors at Centinela Hospital estimated the 37-year-old jockey could miss two to three weeks, said his agent, Craig O’Bryan.

Kristin Mulhall said the filly broke her right front cannon bone and had to be euthanized.

Corey Nakatani is Santa Anita Park’s leading rider in 1995-96 and 1999-00. He had five wins, our seconds, and five thirds from 54 mounts at Santa Anita’s winter meeting through Friday, January 18.

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McCann’s Mojave & Nashoba’s Key Among 136 Pre-Entries at Sunshine Millions

Posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008

The 6th annual Sunshine Millions, the 8-race event that pits Florida-bred horses against California-breds with $3.6 million in purse money, will be run at both Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park on January 26, and a total of 136 horses were pre-entered. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn this Sunday.

“We are extremely pleased with the large number of pre-entered horses,” said Santa Anita Racing Secretary Rick Hammerle. “We have 72 horses pre-entered to run here at Santa Anita and 64 have pre-entered to run at Gulfstream. We’re confident we’re going to have full fields in eight races”

The $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic, for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, will highlight the 4-race Sunshine Millions program at Santa Anita Park. Millionaire McCann’s Mojave, an 8-year-old California-bred son of Memo, will defend his Sunshine Millions Classic title and will again be ridden by Frank Alvarado and is trained by Steve Specht. “Alvarado worked him and he went super,” said Steve Specht after McCann’s Mojave worked a mile at Golden Gate Fields. “He went off easy, I had him in 50 and change the first half and he came home the last quarter mile in 23 and three. He’s ready.”

A total of 26 horses were pre-entered for the Sunshine Millions Classic, which will be limited to 12 horses. By virtue of their graded stakes earnings for 2007, the top six Florida-breds are Buzzard’s Bay, Diamond Stripes, Electrify, Go Between, Going Ballistic and Gotcha Gold. Other prominent Florida-breds who were pre-entered but are not guaranteed starting positions are Iamawildandcrazyguy, Summer Book and Sweetnorthernsaint.

In addition to McCann’s Mojave, other California-breds who are expected to start are Bilo, a grade I stakes winner who, at the age of 8, has never routed and will make his first start for trainer Mike Mitchell, Bold Chieftain, Celtic Dreamin, Freesgood, and Now Victory, who defeated McCann’s Mojave at 1 1/16 miles in the December 26 Forty Niner Handicap at Golden Gate Fields. Now Victory, who was ridden in his last start by Russell Baze, will be handled by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

The filly Nashoba’s Key, who also was pre-entered in the Sunshine Millions Classic, will likely run instead in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf which attracted 12 pre-entries, according to her trainer Carla Gaines. “We’re going to look at both races, but most likely she’s going to run on the grass. She’s undefeated on the grass here and it’s a $500,000 race, so it’s probably the obvious spot at this stage.” The Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf will be run at 1 1/8 miles and is for 4-year-olds and up.

A dozen distaffers were pre-entered and among those who figure to face Nashoba’s Key are Quite a Bride, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly by Stormy Atlantic, and the Florida-bred Placid Lake, who is trained locally by Vladimir Cerin.

The $300,000 Sushine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint will also be run at Santa Anita and it attracted 19 pre-entries. Last year’s winner, the Don Chatlos conditioned Shaggy Mane, will defend her title at six furlongs. Dearest Trickski, a Florida-bred who has risen from the claiming ranks to win the La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita on December 29, is likely to run for trainer John Sadler. The Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint is for 4-year-olds and up.

Santa Anita Park will also host the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash at 6 furlongs. Georgie Boy, a California-bred gelding by Tribal Rule, has been idle since winning the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and is expected to run for trainer Kathy Walsh. A total of 15 horses were pre-entered in the Sunshine Millions Dash, which is for 3-year-olds.

The four Sunshine Millions races to be run concurrently from Gulfstream Park are the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff for 4-year-old fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs and the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

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El Gato Malo Listed As 2008 Kentucky Derby Contender

Posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2008

San Rafael Stakes winner, El Gato Malo, “The Bad Cat” has been listed as one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders.

The currently unbeaten El Gato Malo holds a race record of 3-0-0 and has a graded stakes earnings of $90,000. His first win was in the Maiden Special Weight last year where he rode out to victory at Hollywood Park on November 18. El Gato Malo’s next win came from the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on December 15. While in the San Rafael Stakes last January 12, El Gato Malo burst out and dominated Santa Anita Park with an irrefutable 6 1/4 length victory.

El Gato Malo is being trained by Craig Dollase for West Point Thoroughbreds. His sire, El Corredor, never ran past a mile. He scored his most notable victories at that distance, in the Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) and consecutive runnings of the Del Mar Handicap (gr. II), but also captured the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien Handicap (gr. II) in a blazing 1:20 2/5 at Del Mar.

A half brother to Dominican who stayed 1 1/8 miles well enough to deny subsequent Kentucky Derby hero Street Sense in last year’s Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), but was a well-beaten 11th when trying 1 1/4 miles in the Run for the Roses.

Superior racehorses are capable of outrunning their pedigrees, but El Gato Malo will have to earn his way into that category if he has any pretensions of staying 1 1/4 miles on the 2008 Kentucky Derby to be held at Churchill Downs on May 3.

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