Hollywood Park, draped in a cloud of uncertainty about their future and opening the Fall meeting on of all days Friday the 13th, has been blessed with plenty of good news this week from Breeders' Cup horsemen.
Trainer Bobby Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio has indicated that Ventura, second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. 1) at Santa Anita, is expected to return in Hollywood Park's $300,000 Matriarch (gr. IT) on Nov. 28. Frankel, who ha been absent from the barn for sometime battling cancer, has won the one-mile turf race a record eight times.
Ventura, who is expected to retire to the breeding farm for the 2010 breeding season, won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and has won two of five starts including the grade 1 Woodbine Mile in Canada this year.
The 2-year-old racing for the 27-day Autumn meeting at Hollywood Park also got a boost from Kentucky-based trainer Kenneth McPeek when he announced that his powerful group of Breeders' Cup freshmen would stay in Southern California.
The two biggest young stars, Noble's Promise and Beautician are scheduled to run in the track's premier 2-year-old races on the weekend of Dec. 19-20. Noble's Promise, third in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. 1), is being pointed for the $750,000 Cash Call Futurity (gr. 1) while Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. 1) runner-up Beautician is scheduled to run the next day in the $300,000 Hollywood Starlet (gr. 1).
McPeek has also said that Bridgetown (2nd in Juvenile Turf), House of Grace (3rd in Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Juvenile Fillies eighth-place finisher Connie and Michael will remain in Southern California.
Showing posts with label Beautician. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beautician. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Summer's Mid-Week Dream
One of the great things about racing this time of year are the mid-week stakes races at Del Mar and Saratoga. Which brings us to the grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack Stakes for two-year-old fillies at 6-1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Wednesday. For those thinking ahead to the Breeders' Cup Championship, this race typically produces contenders with support in the Juvenile Fillies.
The door will be open for Beautician, a second-place finisher in her last race behind Hot Dixie Chick in the grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga on opening day. Hot Dixie Chick will miss the Adirondack, putting the spotlight on Beautician, a beautiful gray filly by Dehere and trained by Kenneth McPeek. She also gets the riding services of Kent Desormeaux, who has been one of the hotter stakes riders in the country this summer.
The Adirondack will also mark the first start by Dashing Debby under trainer Steven Asmussen. As we mentioned in The Brock Talk July 13, Dashing Debby (photo)was purchased by Rachel Alexanda owner Jess Jackson and sent to Asmussen following her 10-lenghth victory in her first race in the J.J.'s Dream Stakes at Calder Race Course near Miami.
The filly to watch however, will come from the D. Wayne Lukas stable in Decelerator. Lukas may never dominate 2-year-old racing again as he did in the late eighties and early nineties, but he is no doubt loaded in 2009 with Decelerator as potenially one of his main bullets. Another daughter of Dehere, Decelerator won the grade 3 Debutante at Churchill Downs in July before she stumbled badly in the Schuylerville and finished sixth. A clear trip Wednesday should result in a major improvement.
Asmussen will also saddle the undefeated filly Camile's Appeal, who has the Texas Stallion Stakes win at Lone Star Park on her resume.
Quality Road Has Impressive Work In Travers Preperation
While the casual fan may have a difficult time remembering Florida Derby winner Quality Road, who left the Kentucky Derby just days before the race with a quarter crack injury to his foot, everyone at Saratoga is taking note.
After his explosive return to the races in winning the Amersterdam Stakes (gr. 2) at Saratoga last month, the strapping son of Elusive Quality turned in a solid work stopping the clock in 1:13.19 over six furlongs. Trainer Todd Pletcher seemed extremely happy with the effort saying it was a "nice, stamina-building breeze," according to bloodhorse.com.
In his last two races, Quality Road has set track records. He won the Floriday Derby in March in 1:47.72 for 1-1/8 miles, and then the Amerstam in 1:13/74 for six and one-half furlongs,
The door will be open for Beautician, a second-place finisher in her last race behind Hot Dixie Chick in the grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga on opening day. Hot Dixie Chick will miss the Adirondack, putting the spotlight on Beautician, a beautiful gray filly by Dehere and trained by Kenneth McPeek. She also gets the riding services of Kent Desormeaux, who has been one of the hotter stakes riders in the country this summer.
The Adirondack will also mark the first start by Dashing Debby under trainer Steven Asmussen. As we mentioned in The Brock Talk July 13, Dashing Debby (photo)was purchased by Rachel Alexanda owner Jess Jackson and sent to Asmussen following her 10-lenghth victory in her first race in the J.J.'s Dream Stakes at Calder Race Course near Miami.The filly to watch however, will come from the D. Wayne Lukas stable in Decelerator. Lukas may never dominate 2-year-old racing again as he did in the late eighties and early nineties, but he is no doubt loaded in 2009 with Decelerator as potenially one of his main bullets. Another daughter of Dehere, Decelerator won the grade 3 Debutante at Churchill Downs in July before she stumbled badly in the Schuylerville and finished sixth. A clear trip Wednesday should result in a major improvement.
Asmussen will also saddle the undefeated filly Camile's Appeal, who has the Texas Stallion Stakes win at Lone Star Park on her resume.
Quality Road Has Impressive Work In Travers Preperation
While the casual fan may have a difficult time remembering Florida Derby winner Quality Road, who left the Kentucky Derby just days before the race with a quarter crack injury to his foot, everyone at Saratoga is taking note.
After his explosive return to the races in winning the Amersterdam Stakes (gr. 2) at Saratoga last month, the strapping son of Elusive Quality turned in a solid work stopping the clock in 1:13.19 over six furlongs. Trainer Todd Pletcher seemed extremely happy with the effort saying it was a "nice, stamina-building breeze," according to bloodhorse.com.
In his last two races, Quality Road has set track records. He won the Floriday Derby in March in 1:47.72 for 1-1/8 miles, and then the Amerstam in 1:13/74 for six and one-half furlongs,
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