Wednesday, July 28, 2010

“HORSE RACING / Racing days are over for NorCal champ 'Chieftain'” plus 3 more

“HORSE RACING / Racing days are over for NorCal champ 'Chieftain'” plus 3 more

HORSE RACING / Racing days are over for NorCal champ 'Chieftain'

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 05:44 AM PDT

Vassar Photography / SFC

Bold Chieftain won 12 of his 21 career races in Northern California. "The fun we had with this horse I just can't put into words," trainer and co-owner Bill Morey Jr. said.

(07-27) 19:44 PDT -- Bold Chieftain, who maximized his California-bred status to earn $1,542,151 while winning 17 of 38 starts, has been retired after finishing last in the California Dreamin' Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar.

"The fun we had with this horse I just can't put into words," trainer and co-owner Bill Morey Jr. said. "It's just been a wonderful ride. It was a little gloomy the other day when he ran poorly, and I said, 'That's it.' I tried to remember the good days and not that day. He had so many good ones and very few bad ones."

Morey and his partners - Dwaine Hall, Ken Robinson and the late Ernie Langbein - also were the official breeders of Bold Chieftain because they own his dam, Hooked on Music.

"His legs are fine, but he has been bleeding (internally) on us, and we can't seem to control it," Morey said. "We gave him a little more medication when he ran the other day, but he was listless. The horse is retiring sound. His legs are fine, and he's not hurting."

Bold Chieftain, whose sire, Chief Seattle, was a son of Seattle Slew, began his racing career at Golden Gate Fields on Nov. 6, 2005. He ran third in his first stakes appearance, in the El Camino Real Derby in January 2006 at Bay Meadows, and won his first stakes - the Hayes Valley - in October that year, at Golden Gate.

He went on to win 12 more stakes, including the California Cup Classic and the California Dreamin' Handicap twice apiece - both restricted to Cal-breds. He enjoyed some of his greatest successes this year at the age of 7, collecting his richest purse in winning the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic and garnering his only graded victory in the Grade 2 San Francisco Mile.

"Every horse owner would love to have one of these in their stable at least once in their career," Morey said. "He's done everything we asked and more. He won on every surface from dirt to slop to various synthetics to turf. There wasn't a track he couldn't win on."

For the record, Bold Chieftain won six of 16 starts on grass, five of 12 of synthetics and six of 10 on dirt, including both of his races on wet tracks. Based at Golden Gate Fields for most of his career, he won 12 of 21 starts in Northern California.

Bold Chieftain finished worse than fourth only five times including an eighth-place finish in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Mile in his only appearance in a Grade 1 race.

"We did as good as we could to rack up the money we did and never left California," Morey said. "We won some very nice races in Southern California."

A stud on the racetrack, Bold Chieftain now will become one in earnest.

"We don't have it arranged yet where he will stand, but we do have a few coals in the fire," Morey said.

Sonoma County Fair: Previewing the latest horse-racing stop on the summer circuit. B6

This article appeared on page B - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Horse Racing Capsules: Pa. racetrack trainer accused of doping horses

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 08:27 PM PDT

GRANTVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania horse trainer was charged Wednesday with trying to rig races at Penn National Race Course by injecting horses with performance-enhancing drugs.

State police charged Darryl Delahoussaye, 47, of Harrisburg, with rigging a publicly exhibited contest, administering drugs to race horses, tampering with evidence and theft. Court records also spell his first name Darrel.

A Dauphin County grand jury investigation concluded that Delahoussaye gave horses banned items — including snake venom and an anti-inflammatory substance — before they raced at the track outside Harrisburg.

He also was charged with reselling three injured horses after promising they would be retired to a petting zoo, but at least one of those horses subsequently raced three times in Massachusetts, according to the grand jury report issued Friday.

State police said Delahoussaye had two employees remove evidence from a barn at Penn National in an attempt to foil investigators.

Delahoussaye was released on $20,000 bond. A district court official said he did not have a lawyer on file, and a listed phone number for him could not be located.

A horse-owner Delahoussaye had been working for, Michael Gill of Derry, N.H., was barred from Penn National in February after a series of horse breakdowns and a boycott by jockeys fearful for their safety.

Gill, who won 370 races last year and earned $6.7 million, is out of the horse racing business. Gill said Wednesday that, if the accusations against Delahoussaye are true, none of it was done at his request. Gill, who has not been charged, said he is not under investigation and has done nothing illegal.

Blue Chagall wins stakes at Del Mar

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Blue Chagall charged to the lead in the upper stretch and went on to win the $80,300 Wickerr Stakes bY 1¼ lengths at Del Mar on Wednesday.

Ridden by David Flores, Blue Chagall ran a mile on the Jimmy Durante turf course in 1:34.19 and paid $24, $10.80 and $5.60 at 11-1 odds.

Aggie Engineer returned $8.40 and $4.60, and 6-5 favorite Gallant Son paid $2.60 to show.

The victory was worth $48,180 for Blue Chagall, who has five wins in 22 career starts.

Joel Rosario rode three winners on the card.

Patrick Valenzuela finished third aboard Warrensmysterydice in the sixth race in his return to riding in Southern California. The 47-year-old jockey, with a history of alcohol and substance abuse, was granted a probationary license last week by the California Horse Racing Board. The group revoked his license in 2008 after he was arrested for drunken driving.

Valenzuela had been riding in Louisiana the last two years.

Perfect Shirl wins Lake George Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Perfect Shirl rallied to overtake Exclusive Love in the deep stretch and won the $150,000 Lake George Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday.

The Toronto-based Perfect Shirl, ridden by John Velazquez and sent off at odds of 9-1, finished three-quarters of a length in front of 57-1 long shot Exclusive Love. No Explaining, at 16-1, finished third, and 27-1 choice Khanord Kid was fourth, resulting in a $103,014 superfecta payoff.

It was Perfect Shirl's third straight victory, the first two coming at Woodbine in Canada. She ran 1 1-16 miles over a firm course in 1:41.28 and earned $90,000 for owner Charles Fipke.

Perfect Shirl paid $20.60, $12.20 and $8. Exclusive Love paid $43 and $17.80, and No Explaining returned $9 to show.

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Horse racing-Canford Cliffs my best ever, says trainer Hannon

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 08:59 AM PDT

Richard Hannon, a leading trainer for 40 years, declared Canford Cliffs the best horse he has ever had after the colt triumphed in the Group One Sussex Stakes on day two of the Glorious Goodwood meeting on Wednesday.

Ridden by Hannon's son-in-law Richard Hughes, Canford Cliffs, the 4-6 favourite, collared last year's winner Rip Van Winkle (9-4) in the closing 20 metres to win by a neck.

It was a breathtaking performance for the huge crowd watching the prestigious mile-event.

"He's a heart-attack jockey," quipped Hannon of Hughes, who is noted for late flourishes.

Canford Cliffs had three lengths to make up in the final 200 metres but accelerated brilliantly to add to his Irish Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes successes.

"He's the best horse I've ever trained. I don't think the track suited him... but if he comes home right I'll be happy," Hannon, 65, told Channel 4 Racing."

Hughes added: "He's a superstar. He's improved out of all knowledge."

Hannon has had thousands of horses through his hands over the years and Canford Cliffs was a 51st winner at Glorious Goodwood meetings.

(Writing by Dave Thompson; Editing by Ken Ferris. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

 

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Horse racing / Sonoma County Fair racing

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 05:47 AM PDT

When: Today through Aug. 15; dark Mondays and Tuesdays

Where: Santa Rosa

Post time: 12:45 p.m.

Thoroughbred stakes: Luther Burbank Handicap, Saturday; Wine Country Debutante, Aug. 7; Joseph T. Grace Handicap, Aug. 8; Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes, Aug. 14

Briefly: Lady Railrider, who hasn't raced since winning the Pacific Heights Stakes on Oct. 24 at Golden Gate Fields, will head the field in the $50,000-added Luther Burbank Handicap. Entries will be taken today for the 11/16 -mile grass race for fillies and mares, which drew 13 nominations. Despite being plagued by chronic quarter cracks (cracked hooves) on both front feet, Lady Railrider has won seven of 18 starts with five seconds and three thirds. "Right now her feet have grown out and are in good shape, and hopefully they stay that way," trainer Steve Specht said. "We've battled them all her life." Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer nominated two multiple stakes-winners: Christmas Ship and You Lift Me Up. ... Specht, a Santa Rosa resident, also will run unbeaten Luckarack in the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes. Luckarack won his debut in a $32,000 maiden-claimer and then captured the Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity. ... Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby as favored Lookin at Lucky finished sixth, and Lookin at Lucky won the Preakness as favored Super Saver finished eighth. The two colts begin the second half of their 3-year-old campaigns in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational Sunday at Monmouth Park.

This article appeared on page B - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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