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Santa Anita Stakes Action
Three Major Stakes Added this Weekend
This weekend, Santa Anita plays catch-up on its Stakes schedule. After three important stakes races were canceled because of weather-related problems at Santa Anita last week, they return this week. They were postponed when the main track’s Pro-Ride racing surface failed to drain properly after heavy rain hit Southern California.
The three rescheduled stakes races are the $250,000 Grade I Las Virgenes for 3-year-old fillies, the $150,000 Grade II Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds, and the $200,000 Strub for 4-year-old.
Those three races join the $250,000 Grade II Santa Maria Handicap featuring the return to action of Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Life Is Sweet.
The Lewis, at 1 1/16 miles over the Pro-Ride, kept its “big three” of Kentucky Derby hopefuls, American Lion, Tiz Chrome, and Dave in Dixie together in the small lineup. Tiz Chrome, also from the Baffert stable, and American Lion remain the marquee horses in the Lewis. Both are listed at 20-1 on the opening line of the 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, as is Dave in Dixie. Both of the lightly-raced favorites will be making their two-turn debuts in the Lewis.
American Lion has not been out since winning the seven-furlong Hollywood Prevue. Julien Leparoux keeps the mount on the son of Tiznow broke his maiden at Keeneland by nearly seven lengths prior to the Prevue.
Tiz Chrome, also a son of Tiznow, is two-for-two. The bay colt won the Stuka Stakes at Hollywood Park in his first start on December 19th.
Dave in Dixie, has not been out since a sixth-place finish in Oak Tree’s 1 1/16-mile Norfolk Stakes, in just his second race.
In the redrawn Lewis, Dave in Dixie, Tiz Chrome, and American Lion occupy the three inside starting stalls. To their outside the undefeated Caracortado, coming off a stakes win at the Lewis distance over California-breds, has reeled off four victories in a row for trainer and breeder Michael Machowsky. Tango Tango completes the field.
The Las Virgenes kept its field of six together for the one-mile Pro-Ride race, with heavy favorite Blind Luck drawing the rail in her bid for a third grade I victory. Blind Luck, who is nominated to the Santa Anita Derby, is expected to be an overwhelming favorite against five rivals in the Las Virgenes.
With Rafael Bejarano aboard for the first time, Blind Luck demolished a strong field by seven lengths over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track.
Blind Luck’s other grade I win came in Oak Tree’s Oak Leaf Stakes on Oct. 4. She was victorious by 2 1/2 lengths over Always a Princess. It was her two-turn debut. Blind Luck rebounded from her troubled setback as the 7-2 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winning the Hollywood Starlet at 1 1/16 miles in December. Blind Luck will carry high weight of 122 pounds in the Las Virgenes with Bejarano back in the saddle.
The Strub, at 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic oval, maintained a 10-horse field with Misremembered the likely favorite. Crisp, trained by Sadler, figures to be the second choice and is coming off a rallying one-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel in her stakes debut in January.
Misremembered, winner of Hollywood Park’s Swaps Stakes last July and runner-up to speedster M One Rifle when favored in Santa Anita’s Malibu Stakes, is the probable choice in the Strub.
Misremembered has been first or second in seven of his nine starts with the only exceptions being his maiden debut and a challenge against older horses in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic when a 3-year-old last year.
Misremembered will take earnings of $698,589 into the Strub from a 4-3-0 record in his nine races. Victor Espinoza rides the chestnut ridgling who will share high weight of 121 pounds with Rendezvous, the only other graded stakes winner in the lineup.
Rendezvous has won four of 16 starts for earnings of $358,505. Rendezvous, who will be ridden by Bejarano, is winless in three starts since scoring a 22-1 upset in the Del Mar Derby on grass last September.
Smart Bid, weighted at 119 pounds with Mike Smith to ride, edged Rendezvous for the place in the San Fernando Stakes. Smart Bid shows earnings of $198,918 from a 3-2-2 record in nine starts.
Southwest Stakes
West Coast Invaders Look Tough
Amid Mondays President’s Day Sales… Oaklawn Park’s $250,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes will be run. Started in 1968, this race has been won by recent Kentucky Derby hopefuls, such as, Old Fashioned, Denis of Cork, and Lawyer Ron and won by 2004 Derby Winner – Smarty Jones.
The one-mile race, will be run Monday, is the first of two graded preps for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Leading the way in the 2010 Southwest Stakes are Conveyance, Cardiff Giant, and Domonation, the first three finishers from last month’s Grade 3 San Rafael at Santa Anita.
Cardiff Giant invades off a runner-up finish in the San Rafael, a one-mile synthetic-track race that Conveyance won on the front end. Christian Santiago Reyes, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice, has the mount on Cardiff Giant.
Domonation has Corey Nakatani, the leading rider at Oaklawn after moving his tack here from Southern California, as the jockey.
Among the locals set to start are Moojab, an impressive debut winner at Aqueduct who will be ridden by Channing Hill. Dublin, winner of the Grade I Hopeful, also is expected, with Terry Thompson to ride for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Dryfly, winner of the $100,000 Smarty Jones last month at Oaklawn, is another probable, with Calvin Borel to be aboard for trainer Lynn Whiting.
Pleasant Storm and Kitty’s Turn, who finished second and third in the Smarty Jones, are both being pointed to the Southwest. Pleasant Storm is to be ridden by Bryan McNeil. Robby Albarado has the mount on Kitty’s Turn, trainer Gary Thomas said.
Cool Bullet, the $60,000 Sugar Bowl winner at Fair Grounds, is under consideration for the Southwest, according to trainer Steve Margolis.
Tampa Bay Downs
Sam Davis Stakes – A Two Horse Race
This Saturday the $200,000 Grade III Sam Davis Stakes looks like a two-horse race, as undefeated Uptowncharlybrown and Delta Jackpot winner Rule top a field of only seven 3-year-olds. The 1 1/16-mile Sam Davis serves as a prep for the track’s marquee race, the Tampa Bay Derby, on March 13th.
Rule will break from the rail with jockey John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher and will make his 3-year-old debut in the Sam Davis.
Rule’s main rival Uptowncharlybrown, will race from post 6 with regular rider Daniel Centeno aboard. Uptowncharlybrown has won two starts, both on the Tampa Bay Downs.
The remainder of the field includes the once-beaten Schoolyard Dreams, who’ll race in blinkers for the first time, as well as Tristen’s Mambo, Middle of the Nite, Silver Craft, and African Moon.
The full field for the Sam Davis is below:
|
PP |
Horse |
A/S |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
M/L |
| 1 | Rule (KY) | 3/C | J R Velazquez | 122 | T A Pletcher |
8/5 |
| 2 | Schoolyard Dreams (KY) | 3/C | C H Velasquez | 116 | D S Ryan |
6/1 |
| 3 | Tristen’s Mambo (KY) | 3/G | L R Goncalves | 116 | G Carwood |
20/1 |
| 4 | Middle of the Nite (KY) | 3/C | E S Prado | 116 | T Albertrani |
9/2 |
| 5 | Silver Craft (KY) | 3/C | J L Castanon | 116 | A L Reinstedler |
8/1 |
| 6 | Uptowncharlybrown (KY) | 3/C | D Centeno | 118 | A S Seewald |
2/1 |
| 7 | African Moon (KY) | 3/C | J Lopez | 116 | D Bennett |
15/1 |
Around the Track
Info for the Race Handicapper
-Hawthorne
Chicagoland’s Hawthorne Race Track re-opens this Friday for its 2010 Spring Meet. Hawthorne will race only three days per week – Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday – during February. Tuesdays will be added during four-day March racing weeks, Sundays when the schedule expands to five-day weeks in April. Closing day is April 10.
-Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Lookin At Lucky is the favored individual horse, but the mutuel field is the favored wagering interest in the opening pool of the 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager that began its three-day run on Friday, Feb. 12.
Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed ‘all others’, which consists of all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the pool’s 23 individual betting interests, as the 5-2 morning line favorite for KDFW Pool 1. The three-day pool opens at noon EST on Friday, Feb. 12 and wagering will continue at racetracks, satellite wagering outlets, and online through 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14.
The Derby Future bet is a $2 minimum “win” wager. The minimum wager for a straight exacta, which requires the bettor to select the Kentucky Derby’s top two finishers in the exact order of finish, is $2, while the minimum for exacta boxes and wheels is $1.
The winning payouts in all KDFW wagering pools are determined by the odds in place at the conclusion of each respective pool. There are no scratches or refunds on any wagers made during the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future pools. If it is determined during those pools that one of the individual horses has suffered an illness, injury or other circumstance that will prevent that horse from competing in either race, wagering on that betting interest will be suspended at that point.
Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is set for March 5-7, while the final pool is scheduled for March 26-29.
-Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 (Feb. 12-14) Opening Odds
1. Aikenite (30-1)
2. American Lion (20-1)
3. Buddy’s Saint (12-1)
4. Concord Point (30-1)
5. Conveyance (12-1)
6. Dave In Dixie (20-1)
7. Drosselmeyer (20-1)
8. Dryfly (20-1)
9. Dublin (15-1)
10. Eskendereya (20-1)
11. Jackson Bend (12-1)
12. Lookin At Lucky (8-1)
13. Make Music For Me (50-1)
14. Maximus Ruler (50-1)
15. Noble’s Promise (15-1)
16. Ron the Greek (30-1)
17. Rule (12-1)
18. Stay Put (50-1)
19. Super Saver (15-1)
20. Tiz Chrome (20-1)
21. Uptowncharlybrown (50-1)
22. Vale of York (30-1)
23. William’s Kitten (30-1)
24. All Other 3YOs (5-2)
-Rachel Alexandra vs Zenyatta – Part XXIV
The principal owner of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra said his filly won’t run against undefeated champion Zenyatta in the Grade I Apple Blossom, but proposed a three-race series in which the two talented female runners would meet.
In a news release issued Feb. 10, Jackson said if training and racing schedules as well as purse money can be worked out, the three-race series would hopefully take place.
A week ago, Oaklawn Park said it would boost the purse of the Apple Blossom on April 3rd to $5 million from $500,000 if both horses competed. However connections for both horses see this as an unreasonable time frame.
Thoroughbred Stakes Action
Weekend Stakes Action
BetAmerica.com offers fantastic stakes action this week with Valentine’s Day and President’s Day everyone can get in on great racing action. Watch and wager on these stakes races all on BetAmerica.com.
Saturday – February 13
- Fair Grounds: Pelleteri Stakes, $60,000, 4&up, f/m, 8.5f.
- Gulfstream Park: Sprint Championship – G2, $150,000, 4&up, 7f.
- Gulfstream Park: Hurricane Bertie Stakes – G3, $125,000, 4&up, f/m, 6.5f.
- Laurel Park: Barbara Fritchie Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3&up, f/m, 7f.
- Laurel Park: John B. Campbell Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, 9f.
- Oaklawn Park: Martha Washington Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 8f.
- Santa Anita: Las Virgenes Stakes – G1, $250,000, 3yo f, 8f.
- Santa Anita: Santa Maria Handicap – G2, $250,000, 4&up, f/m, 8.5f.
- Santa Anita: Strub Stakes – G2, $200,000, 4yo, 9f.
- Santa Anita: Robert B. Lewis Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f.
- Santa Anita: Baffle Stakes, $55,000, 3yo, 6.5f (turf).
- Sunland Park: El Diario Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, f/m, 6.5f.
- Tampa Bay Downs: Sam F. Davis Stakes – G3, $200,000, 3yo, 8.5f.
- Tampa Bay Downs: Endeavour Stakes – G3, $125,000, 4&up, f/m, 8.5f (turf).
- Tampa Bay Downs: Suncoast Stakes, $50,000, 3yo f, 8f.
- Turf Paradise: Phoenix Gold Cup, $75,000, 4&up, 6f.
- Turf Paradise: Sun City Handicap, $25,000, 4&up, f/m, 8f (turf).
- Turf Paradise: Turf Paradise Handicap, $25,000, 4&up, 8.5f (turf).
- Turfway Park: Dust Commander Stakes, $50,000, 4&up, 8f.
Sunday – February 14
- Gulfstream Park: Coconut Grove Stakes, $125,000, 3yo f, 8.5f (turf).
- Santa Anita: La Canada Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo f, 9f.
- Sunland Park: Curribot Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, 8.5f.
Monday – February 15
- Laurel Park: General George Handicap –G2, $150,000, 3&up, 7f.
- Oaklawn Park: Southwest Stakes – G3, $250,000, 3yo, 8f.
- Santa Anita: Buena Vista Handicap – G2, $150,000, 4&up, f/m, 8f (turf).
- Santa Anita: San Vicente Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 7f.
Tuesday – February 16
- Fair Grounds: Mardi Gras Stakes, $60,000, 3yo f, 5.5f (turf).
Harness Stakes Action
This Weekend’s Stakes Action
BetAmerica.com still has great harness action from the East Coast to the West Coast, from Canada and the U.S.
Watch and Wager on these great Harness tracks this week:
- The Meadowlands
- Dover Downs
- Lebanon Raceway
- Northfield Park
- Kawartha Downs
- Pompano Park
- Saratoga Harness
- Yonkers Raceway
- Georgian Downs
- Flamboro Downs
- Balmoral Park
- Maywood Park
- Cal Expo
- Fraser Downs
