Saturday (3-14-09) Fair Grounds recap

Sloppy track and yielding turf. Talented 3yo miss Rachel Alexandra was the only wire job winner on the day.
Four bagger for Robby Albarado. Hat trick for trainer Steve Asmussen, and Shaun Bridgmohan rode two. Jamie Theriot booted home a pair.
Everyone is buzzing about Friesan Fire’s romping win in the Louisiana Derby (G2), but it should be noted that filly Rachel Alexandra ran just as fast in her FG Oaks (G2) wire job, and she earned stronger pace figs.
Other highlights included Proudinsky’s repeat win in the grassy Mervyn Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (G2), …read more

Wednesday (2-25-09) recap
Edge to early/pressing types (2 wire jobs) on Pro-Ride. Stalkers nabbed the two downhill sprints, and Sunny Peace (Solis-Gallagher) pulled off a wire job at the speed friendly flat mile (turf) distance.
Chantal Sutherland booted home a pair of filly maiden claiming sprinters, and Jeff Mullins saddled two maiden claiming winners on the card.

Thursday (2-26-09) preview
Today’s card features a Pick 6 carryover of $704,945.
Weather: Partly cloudy. High 70.
Race 3: Pick 6 starts here. Vague Notion (5-2) just missed the place in her productive race bow, then came back to rally for 2nd last time. …read more

Weekend recap (Feb 21-22), plus news and notes

Georgie Boy did not disappoint as the heavy fav in Saturday’s San Carlos (G2). Halo Najib ran well to garner the place, and I would not be surprised if the Mike Mitchell runner stretched out in the near future.
On Sunday, Spring House held off Church Service to repeat in San Luis Obispo Hcp (G2). Zambezi Sun finished a disappointing 6th in US bow…he still might be Big Cap bound.
Rail Trip ran his record to 4-4 on Friday, but the promising Ron Ellis runner is not expected for the Big Cap. His …read more

Weekend recap (Feb 14th & 15th)
How’s Your Halo pulled off a $96.20 shocker in Saturday’s 31st running of the Richter Scale (G2). 2nd choice Ikegai set the pace and clearly held the place. 6-5 fav Tale of Ekati finished a disappointing 4th for the struggling Barclay Tagg.
Also on Saturday, Imperial Council returned in the pink for Shug (replay below), and the lightly raced, talented Empire Maker colt is a 3yo to watch. He should get better with distance/experience.

Any Limit went straight to the front and withstood a stretch challenge from heavy Pletcher fav Game Face to post a 1-1/4 …read more

Arkansas:
Old Fashioned has arrived at Oaklawn Park in advance of his next start, the Grade 3 Southwest on February 16th. Ramon Dominguez is expected to pilot the undefeated Remsen (G2) winner for Larry Jones.
Remsen Stakes replay
Florida:
Seven furlong Hutcheson (G2) 1-2 finishers Capt. Candyman Can and Hello Broadway are expected to battle it out again in the flat mile Fountain of Youth (G2) on Feb 28th.
Holy Bull (G3) winner Saratoga Sinner earned a much improved speed rating in his surprise tally on Saturday. He was all over the pace and raced on the good part of the …read more

A field of eight is set to contest the flat mile Grade 3 San Rafael (race 7) at Santa Anita on Saturday, and Square Eddie is the one to topple.

Square Eddie made an immediate impact when sent to the US in the fall of 2008, as he rolled to a sharp win over Keeneland’s Polytrack in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity.
The Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was next on his dance card, and he ran a big race to land the place behind likely 2yo champ Midshipman.
The son of Smart Strike ran six times last year, so he …read more

ARKANSAS:
The 2009 Oaklawn Park meet kicks off on Friday (1-16-09)
CALIFORNIA:
Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker) scorched five furlongs in :57-3/5 on Jan 11th. Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby hopeful is expected to contest the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) on Feb 7th.
Fleet filly Indyanne was unable to recover from a sesamoid injury which occurred in the La Brea on Dec 27th. It was hoped that she would be saved for broodmare duties, but she had to be put down on Jan 13th.
Carla Gaines trainee Point Encounter (Point Given), an impressive opening day debut winner at Santa Anita, suffered …read more

Proudinsky ($4.60) got the job done over my two value contenders (Ferneley & Medici Code) in the San Gabriel Handicap (G2) on Sunday, but four upsets earlier in the Pick 6 sequence set up a carryover of $156,069 for the 9-race Monday program.
The Pick 6 begins with the 4th race, which is my racingonthenet free selection of the day, and concludes with the 9th race, my MySpace pick of the day.
The 6th race has a few promising sorts with possible 2009 Kentucky Derby dreams. Mayor Marv is the 9-5 fav for Bob Baffert/Mike Pegram, and he exits a …read more

Robert Frankel’s Proudinsky, a loser of six straight, is the 5-2 choice to get back on the beam in the San Gabriel Handicap. The Grade 2 event is the eighth race of nine on Sunday at Santa Anita, and it will be run at nine furlongs on the turf.
The aforementioned morning line favorite finished 2nd in this event last year, and he began his campaign with a graded tally at Fair Grounds before his current string of bad luck. He does like the local green, but note that he seems to do his best work with some give in …read more

Indian Blessing will try to rediscover her winning ways in Saturday’s seven furlong Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita, but her task will not be easy. She was last seen finishing 2nd at this course/distance in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and her speed ratings are better on conventional dirt, so she may be worth trying to beat at underlaid odds.
2008 Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint replay
Bob Baffert’s gem of consistency has been part of the exacta in all eleven lifetime starts, and she projects a decent tracking trip in this spot.
Bsharpsonata is the …read more