VIRGINIA H.B.P.A. $1,000 CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
The Virginia H.B.P.A. counts among its members some 1,800 owners and trainers who have raced at Colonial Downs. Now, the V.H.B.P.A. is looking for member emails to increase thier ability to better inform owners and trainers about race days, purses, medication rules, overnights, etc.
As part of the effort to collect those emails, the organization is holding a Christmas Raffle for $1,000 if they receive 400 email addresses as a result of this campaign.
To be eligible for the raffle,… Continue reading
VIRGINIA-BRED RACE WINNERS
Boone’s Babe (f, 3yo), Bop – Booneton by Boone’s Mill. B – Waln Gary Ray.Charles Town, 11/27/2009, clmg, $6,600, 4.5 f, 0:53.86.
Free And Single (f, 3yo), Domestic Dispute – Kinita by Northern Baby. B – Griffin Al.Charles Town, 11/25/2009, mdn clmg, $9,000, 6.5 f, 1:22.83.
Huge (f, 3yo), Meadowlake – Wonders Delight by Icecapade. B – Morgan’s Ford Farm.Laurel Race Course, 11/25/2009, alwc, $19,380, 6 f, 1:10.88. ($20,000, yrlg, 2007, ftmoct)
Imanheiress (f, 2yo), Smoke Glacken – Miss Moola… Continue reading
ZENYATTA HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD PARK
A large crowd was on hand Sunday at Hollywood Park to honor Breeders Cup Champ Zenyatta. Excercise rider Steve Willard, jockey Mike Smith, owners Jerry and Ann Moss and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger were all part of the 
celebration.
(Benoit photos)
2009 JAPAN CUP TURF
Add the name Vodka to the 2009 filly and mare honor roll along with Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. The five-year-old mare who is the leading money earning filly or mare in the history of Japanese racing added to her bankroll winning the $5.6 million Japan Cup Turf by a nose over Oken Bruce.
Like her American counterparts, Vodka has beaten the boys more than once including a win in the 2007 Japanese Derby. This win was Vodka’s 10th in 25… Continue reading
PICTURES OF THE DAY
In a photo provided by Benoit Photo, The Usual Q.T. and jockey Victor Espinoza win the $300,000 Hollywood Derby Gr.I Sunday, Nov.29, 2009, at Hollyood Park. 2009 Virginia Derby Gr.II winner Battle of Hastings was the runner-up.
Belmont and Travers winner Summer Bird (seen here at Santa Anita prior to the Breeders Cup) was injured while training for the Japan Cup Dirt. He suffered a fracture to the medial, or inside, front portion of the right ankle. Summer Bird is… Continue reading
HIALEAH TO REOPEN TOMORROW
Fabled Hialeah Park, closed since May of 2001, will reopen in a limited fashion on Saturday for Quarter Horse racing. The tracks owners, the Brunetti family, are looking to rebuild Hialeah as a combination race track, casino and entertainment center — a “destination point” patterned along the lines of the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in nearby Hollywood, FL.
For the full story from the Miami Herald, click here.
(Photo by Marcie Cohn Band/Miami Herald)
PICTURES OF THE DAY
In a photo provided by the New York Racing Association, Cherokee Country, with jockey Jose Lezcano, captures the Fall Highweight horse race at Aqueduct on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, in New York. Greenspring, left, with Jeremy Rose, was second.
In a photo provided by Churchill Downs, Serenading, ridden by Julien Leparoux, wins the Grade II Falls City Handicap horse race by three lengths at Churchill Downs on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, in Louisville, Ky.
In this photo provided by Fair… Continue reading QUALITY ROAD TO SKIP CIGAR MILE
According Chris Baker, manager of Edward P. Evans’ Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, homebred Quality Road has been withdrawn from consideration for Saturday’s Cigar Mile Gr.I at Aqueduct. Entries for the race will be taken tomorrow.
According to Baker the horse continues to do well and the QR team has decided to simply focus on a “productive 2010 starting at Gulfstream Park.”
According to the Blood-Horse, Quality Road, who set track records in two graded stakes wins as a three-year-old,… Continue reading
QR: NO DECISION YET ON CIGAR MILE
According to Spring Hill Farm manger Chris Baker, Viriginia-bred Quality Road will be watching the weather map. The Florida-Derby winner’s connections will make a decision on Thursday whether or not to enter for Saturday’s Cigar Mile Gr.I at Aqueduct and the weather may have an impact.
Quality Road, who to date has been a rainmaker of sorts, would surely like to see a dry fast track having seen his share of rain, slop and mud in the Travers and Jockey… Continue reading
QUALITY ROAD UPDATE
Virginia-bred Quality Road took another step on Monday toward a possible start in Saturday’s Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile by working a half-mile in 50.88 seconds over the training track at Belmont Park.
Exercise rider Hector Ramos was aboard for the work, which was termed breezing.
“I thought he worked well and he came out of it well,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Quality Road for Edward Evans. “I’ll have a discussion with Mr. Evans and we’ll make a decision [Tuesday].”
