Archive for the 'Stakes Races' Category
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IEAH Stables and partners’ 5-year-old Benny the Bull is the top-ranked sprinter in North America while riding a four-race international win streak going back to last year, and appears set to take a big step in a championship season bid in the $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course on ‘Summit of Speed’ day, Saturday, July 12.
Benny the Bull is among the best known nominees for the four Graded stakes worth a total of $1.3 million to be run on Calder Race Course’s popular ‘Summit’ program, which also includes the $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1), $250,000 Carry Back Stakes (G2) and $250,000 Azalea Stakes (G3) in addition to the Smile Sprint, all to be run at 6 furlongs.
The Smile Sprint and the Princess Rooney are designated 2008 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Division ‘Win and You’re In’ events, with the winner of each race automatically qualifying for a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, respectively. The $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held October 24-25 at The Oak Tree Racing Association meet at Santa Anita Park.
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Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion led wire-to-wire in the $750,000 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, July 5. The United Nations Stakes is one of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races giving Presious Passion a starting berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.
Trained by Mary Hartmann and ridden by Eddie Castro, Presious Passion covered 1 3/8 miles on turf and paid $29.60, $8.80 and $5.40. A neck behind, Strike a Deal with jockey Jose Lezcano up returned $4 and $3. Equitable, under jockey Kent Desormeaux, showed $4.20.
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Paul Reddam’s Notional, ridden by jockey Joe Bravo, won the $300,000 Salvator Mile Handicap at Monmouth Park Saturday, July 5. The Salvator Mile Handicap is one of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “win and you’re in” races meaning Notional gets to start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.
Trained by Mark Hennig, Notional covered 1 mile in 1:35.84 and paid $17.80, $5.40 and $2.80. Favored Gottcha Gold, under jocky Eddie Castro is 2 lengths behind returning $2.60 and $2.10. Honest Man with jockey Gabriel Saez aboard paid $2.60 to show.
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The road to the Breeders’ Cup continues with the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. I), the second Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race on Saturday, July 5, at Monmouth Park. The United Nations Stakes winner will automatically be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Turf to be raced on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.
Raced at 1 3/8 miles on turf, Monmouth Park’s United Nations Stakes field with jockeys and weight line up as follows:
- Champs Elysees (GB) ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez carries 120 lbs.
- Equitable ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux K J, 118 lbs.
- Presious Passion ridden by Eddie jockey Castro E, 118 lbs.
- Buddy’s Humor ridden by jockey Carlos Marquez Jr, 118 lbs.
- Independent George ridden by jockey Joe Bravo, 118 lbs.
- Sudan (IRE) ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez, 118 lbs.
- Ra Der Dean ridden by jockey A. R. Napravnik, 118 lbs.
- Strike a Deal ridden by jockey Jose Lezcano, 118 lbs.
- Crown Point ridden by jockey Stewart Elliott, 118 lbs.

The United Nations Stakes is the 12th race in Monmouth Park’s July 5 horse racing program. United Nations Stakes post time is 6:47 pm.
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A field of 6 older horses will compete in the $300,000 Salvator Mile Handicap (gr. III) at Monmouth Park on Saturday, July 5.
Raced at 1 mile, the Salvator Mile Handicap is the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge race at Monmouth Park. The Salvator Mile Handicap winner will automatically be entered in the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile which will be run on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.
The complete Salvator Mile Handicap field with jockeys and weight:
- Notional ridden by jockey Joe Bravo carries 117 lbs.
- Rathor (IRE) ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux, 117 lbs.
- Better Than Bonds ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez, 117 lbs.
- Indy Wind ridden by jockey Stewart Elliott, 119 lbs.
- Gottcha Gold ridden by jockey Eddie Castro, 121 lbs.
- Honest Man ridden by jockey Gabriel Saez, 117 lbs.
The Salvator Mile Handicap is the 11th race in Monmouth Park’s July 5 horse racing program. Salvator Mile Handicap post time is 6:13 pm.
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Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker, who was recently scratched from the Hollywood Gold Cup last June 28 at Hollywood Park, was retired due to a soft tissue injury that would have required a recovery period of at least 6 months.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Heatseeker won 7 of 17 career starts and won or placed in 14 of them earning him $1,177,776.
“We are extremely disappointed as we had our sights set on the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), where we figured to be one of the favorites based on Heatseeker’s dominance of his division this year,” said Heatseeker’s owner William de Burgh.
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Mast Track, ridden by jockey Tyler Baze, beat favored Go Between by 2 lengths in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup June 28, Saturday, at Hollywood Park.
Trained and owned by Bobby Frankel, Mast Track covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.37, shattering the record of 2:03.21 Lava Man set a year ago when the Hollywood Gold Cup was run on Cushion Track for the first time. Mast Track paid $23.60, $11.20 and $7.40.
Go Between, under jockey Garrett Gomez, returned $3.40 and $3. Student Council with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan paid $4 to show.
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The 7-5 morning line favorite in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (gr. I), Heatseeker, is out of the Saturday race because of a left ankle injury.
That leaves the Hollywood Gold Cup field of nine older horses for the race, including Oaklawn Handicap winner Tiago, Pacific Classic winner Student Council, and Go Between, second to Heatseeker in the Santa Anita Handicap.
The field of the 1-mile Hollywood Gold Park on June 28 at Hollywood Park, in post position order with jockeys, weight and morning line odds:
- Mast Track ridden by jockey Tyler Baze carries 113 lbs. with morning line odds of 12-1
- Perfect Drift ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza, 115 lbs., 8-1
- Tiago ridden by jockey Mike Smith, 121 lbs., 3-1
- Racketeer ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, 113 lbs., 8-1
- Student Council ridden by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, 117 lbs., 9-2
- Go Between ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, 118 lbs., 5-2
- McCann’s Mojave ridden by jockey Frank Alvarado, 115 lbs., 12-1
- Big Booster ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani, 116 lbs., 8-1
- Spice Route (GB) ridden by jockey Alex Solis, 113 lbs., 15-1

The Hollywood Gold Cup, which has been won by such racing legends as Seabiscuit, Swaps, Citation and Cigar, will the 10th race in Hollywood Park’s June 28 horse racing program. Hollywood Gold Cup post time is 4:30 pm PST.
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Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker will compete with Oaklawn Handicap winner Tiago along with 8 older horses in the 69th running of the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (gr. I) on Saturday, June 28, at Hollywood Park.
The complete field of Hollywood Park’s 1-mile Hollywood Gold Cup with jockeys, weight and morning line odds:
Mast Track ridden by jockey Tyler Baze carries 113 lbs. with morning line odds of 20-1
- Perfect Drift ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza, 115 lbs., 15-1
- Heatseeker (IRE) ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano, 123 lbs., 7-5
- Tiago ridden by jockey Mike Smith, 121 lbs., 9-2
- Racketeer ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, 113 lbs., 15-1
- Student Council ridden by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, 117 lbs., 6-1
- Go Between ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, 118 lbs., 7-2
- McCann’s Mojave ridden by jockey Frank Alvarado, 115 lbs., 20-1
- Big Booster ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani, 116 lbs., 15-1
- Spice Route (GB) ridden by jockey Alex Solis, 113 lbs., 20-1
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A horse trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr., Salute the Count, that raced at Churchill Downs the day before Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby tested positive for twice the allowable level of the drug clenbuterol, a bronchodilator that helps burn fat and promote muscle growth, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) will issue the ruling Wednesday, suspend horse trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. for 15 days and demand the horse’s owner to return the $20,000 in purse earnings, racing officials told the newspaper.
Richard Dutrow, Jr. has 10 days to appeal the penalty, which trainers often do to delay serving the suspension. However, John Veitch, the chief state steward for the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, said that Dutrow waived his right to a formal hearing, and more or less accepted responsibility.
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