Friday, July 30, 2010

“Horse of Year to run next at Saratoga” plus 2 more

“Horse of Year to run next at Saratoga” plus 2 more

Horse of Year to run next at Saratoga

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 01:07 PM PDT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP)—One of racing's biggest names will run at the country's premier meet after all.

Rachel Alexandra, the reigning Horse of the Year, will make her next start in the Personal Ensign Stakes on Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course, principal owner Jess Jackson announced in a statement issued Friday.

After defeats in her first two starts of the year, the 4-year-old filly, who completed her championship season last year with a dramatic victory over older males in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, has won her last two races, including the Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park last weekend.

She also beat the boys in the Preakness last year, part of a championship run that included wins in all eight of her starts.

When Jackson put her in the Lady's Secret Stakes, there was some doubt about whether Rachel Alexandra would run at the 40-day Saratoga meeting, despite stabling there all summer.

"Rachel feels very much at home among the great Saratoga fans," said Jackson, who owns the filly with Harold McCormick. "It's an historic race named after a great champion. The timing is right for Rachel. She's been coming back into her stride and this will help her prepare for the rest of her campaign and the Breeders' Cup later this year."

The Personal Ensign is named for the filly who in 1988 was undefeated in 13 starts, with a victory over males in the Whitney Handicap. The Grade 1 Personal Ensign will be run the day after the $1 million Travers Stakes, the traditional centerpiece of the summer meeting.

"We're delighted that Mr. Jackson has decided to race Rachel Alexandra in the Personal Ensign," New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward said. "Her historic victory in the Woodward last year was one of the highlights of the Saratoga meet, and we expect her appearance at the Spa this year to be just as compelling."

The Personal Ensign will be Rachel Alexandra's first start of the year in a Grade 1 stakes and her first test of her career at 1 1/4 miles.

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Horse Racing Capsules: Horse of Year to run next at Saratoga

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 07:56 PM PDT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — One of racing's biggest names will run at the country's premier meet after all.

Rachel Alexandra, the reigning Horse of the Year, will make her next start in the Personal Ensign Stakes on Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course, principal owner Jess Jackson announced in a statement issued Friday.

After defeats in her first two starts of the year, the 4-year-old filly, who completed her championship season last year with a dramatic victory over older males in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, has won her last two races, including the Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park last weekend.

She also beat the boys in the Preakness last year, part of a championship run that included wins in all eight of her starts.

When Jackson put her in the Lady's Secret Stakes, there was some doubt about whether Rachel Alexandra would run at the 40-day Saratoga meeting, despite stabling there all summer.

"Rachel feels very much at home among the great Saratoga fans," said Jackson, who owns the filly with Harold McCormick. "It's an historic race named after a great champion. The timing is right for Rachel. She's been coming back into her stride and this will help her prepare for the rest of her campaign and the Breeders' Cup later this year."

The Personal Ensign is named for the filly who in 1988 was undefeated in 13 starts, with a victory over males in the Whitney Handicap. The Grade 1 Personal Ensign will be run the day after the $1 million Travers Stakes, the traditional centerpiece of the summer meeting.

"We're delighted that Mr. Jackson has decided to race Rachel Alexandra in the Personal Ensign," New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward said. "Her historic victory in the Woodward last year was one of the highlights of the Saratoga meet, and we expect her appearance at the Spa this year to be just as compelling."

The Personal Ensign will be Rachel Alexandra's first start of the year in a Grade 1 stakes and her first test of her career at 1 1/4 miles.

Jim Dandy, Diana Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Belmont Stakes runner-up Fly Down is the favorite for Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in a race that serves as a prep for the $1 million Travers on Aug. 28.

While Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky are running in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on Sunday, the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy drew a field of nine 3-year-olds.

The Jim Dandy shares top billing Saturday with the $500,000, Grade 1 Diana Handicap, which will be run over the main turf course at 1 1/8 miles and drew seven fillies and mares including Forever Together, who will attempt to win the race for an unprecedented third consecutive year.

The Nick Zito-trained Fly Down, who will be ridden by Jose Lezcano, will break from the extreme outside post position in the Jim Dandy. Fly Down has not competed since placing behind Drosselmeyer in the Belmont Stake and was given a fast half-mile workout Monday.

"He's coming off a 1½-mile race and you have to do things like that," said Zito, who will also saddle long shot Miner's Reserve in the Jim Dandy. "Obviously, we know his fitness level. We're hoping he's a little sharp for the race. He's a very good horse. He looks good."

Except for Aikenite, who finished 10th of 12 in the Preakness, none of the others named to start raced in the Triple Crown series. The Irish horse Steinbeck, however, is an unknown. The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt is without a major victory racing in England and Ireland, and is making his first start on dirt.

The 6-year-old Forever Together, female turf-course champion in 2008, has twice finished second this year, defeated in each race by one of the nation's leading turf-course females.

She fell a half-length short of overtaking Wasted Tears in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April and missed by the same margin in May at Hollywood Park, where she was defeated by Tuscan Evening in the Gamely Handicap. Julien Leparoux, who missed the Gamely because of an injury, will be reunited with Forever Together for the Diana.

"She's consistently been running in Grade 1 races and the occasional Grade 2," trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. "If you wanted to be harsh, you could criticize her for not having enough punch, but I don't think that's the case. She's been the victim of pace-less races."

Proviso and Phola, winner and runner-up in the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park; Dynaslew, winner of the Beaugay Handicap, also at Belmont; and Shared Account, winner of the All Along Stakes at Colonial Downs in her last start, will try to deny Forever Together a record third straight title.

Zenyatta completes workout at Hollywood Park

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Undefeated Zenyatta breezed six furlongs at Hollywood Park in what was expected to be her final workout before her next scheduled start.

Zenyatta completed the distance in 1:13.60 on Friday morning over her home track under regular rider Mike Smith. Her time was the fourth-fastest among 13 horses at the distance.

Although trainer John Shirreffs has not confirmed it, Zenyatta is expected to run in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 7. She has won the race the last two years.

Zenyatta set a North American record with her 17th consecutive victory in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park in her previous start June 13.

4,857 horses listed for Keeneland yearling sale

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Keeneland says nearly 5,000 horses are expected to go through the auction ring at its annual yearling sale in September.

The Lexington racetrack said in a news release that it has catalogued 4,857 horses for the sale, which begins Sept. 12. This year's sale features a new format with the first two sessions held at night.

Horses by 294 stallions are being offered in the sale, including yearlings from 121 of them in the first week alone. Of the 40 leading active stallions ranked on the General Sires List, 38 will be listed in the auction.

There are 2,562 colts, 2,292 fillies and three geldings.

Alumni of the sale who are current racing stars include Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Zenyatta.

My Dinah wins Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — My Dinah wore down Meese Rocks in the final strides to win the $70,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for fillies and mares bred in New York on Friday at Saratoga.

Jose Espinoza rode the 5-year-old mare, trained by Kathleen Feron. My Dinah ran 7 fulongs in 1:22.96 to win by a head, her first victory of the year. She earned $42,000 for Akindale Farm and paid $16.20, $6.20 and $4.80.

Meese Rocks paid $4.10 and $3.40, and Eager Emma, third in a field of seven, paid $5.90.

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Horse racing: Trainer Jack Coatney dies

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 07:55 PM PDT

Jack Coatney, a trainer at Prairie Meadows, died Tuesday at Iowa Methodist Hospital at the age of 76. No cause of death was given.

Coatney is survived by his wife, Betty, who also trains at Prairie Meadows. The couple won the 1999 Prairie Meadows debutante with Tumbleweed Dancer. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Prairie Meadows' event center in suite A.

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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