Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Potential Starters For 2008 Belmont Stakes
Posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008
Travel arrangements were made for Casino Drive and Spark Candle, 2 potential starters for the 2008 Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7 ,at Belmont Park.
Owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa will ship both horses to Aqueduct on Wednesday, April 30, the Opening Day of Belmont Park’s 49-day Spring/Summer Meet. Casino Drive and Spark Candle are expected to enter quarantine at the Big A by 1 a.m.
Casino Drive is sired by 2008 Horse of the Year, Mineshaft. His dam is the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour, who is also the dam of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil (by Seeking the Gold) and 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches (by 1992 Horse of the Year and Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy).
Rags to Riches became only the 3rd filly in history and the first in 102 years to win the 1 1/2-mile “Test of the Champion,” when she beat eventual 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, last year’s Preakness winner, by a head.
Casino Drive has had only one race in his career, that being an 11 1/2-length victory at Kyoto on February 23, where he covered the about nine furlongs in 1:54 2/5. He is expected to prep for the Belmont Stakes in the $200,000 Peter Pan (gr. II) for three-year-olds at 9 furlongs on Sunday, May 10 at Belmont Park.
Spark Candle is a son of A.P. Indy out of Hall of Famer Serena’s Song, who retired in 1996 with 11 Grade 1 victories and record earnings for an American filly or mare ($3,286,388). Unraced since December, Spark Candle has a record of 1-2-0 from 5 starts, 4 on turf and 1 on dirt. His lone dirt race is where he finished a dismal 12th-place finish at Nakayama. Spark Candle’s only victory came at a 1 1/4 miles in Tokyo last October.
Casino Drive and Spark Candle are both Kentucky-bred and were purchased at the 2006 Keeneland September Sale for $950,000 and $1.5 million, respectively.
The Belmont Stakes 140 will be the centerpiece of a huge day at Belmont Park, North America’s largest racetrack. It will top a day of six graded stakes races, including four Grade 1 races.
Edited press release from www.nyra.com.
"Potential Starters For 2008 Belmont Stakes" was posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pm and is filed under Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Previous Horse Racing News Entry:
Behindatthebar Wins Coolmore Lexington Stakes April 19 at Keeneland
Next Horse Racing News Entry:
Trainer Carl Nafzger, Jockey Egar Prado Lead Hall of Fame