SKYLANDER GIRL (inside) is in the South Beach Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Gulfstream today for owner/trainer Alex Patykewich. MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
CANADIANS IN ACTION TODAY
A couple of grey Canadian-based stakes winners are in stakes events at Gulfstream Park today. Grade 2 winner EXCAPER has an inside post in the El Prado Stakes, worth $100,000, and he is a 4 to 1 contender under Joel Rosario. Ian Black trains for the Kaster family.
HAMPSTEAD HEATH, a Canadian bred recently claimed by JOEY GEE THOROUGHBREDS, trainer Pat Parente, tries the dirt for the first time in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes, a race won last year by RIVER SEVEN.
SKYLANDER GIRL (Alex Patykewich, Luis Contreras) and WHY KATHERINE (Terra Racing) are in the South Beach Stakes to complete the card and each has a good chance to be a threat.
Race 8 – POST Time – 3:58 PM El Prado S.
$1 Daily Double / $1 Exacta / $.50 Trifecta / $.10 Superfecta $1 Bet 3 (Races 8-9-10)
Gulfstream Park STAKES
Purse $100,000. For Three Year Olds And Upward. $1,000 to pass the entry box and $500 additional to start, with $100,000 Guaranteed. After payment of 1% to all owners of horses finishing sixth through last, 62% of the remaining purse shall be paid to the owner of the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, and 3% to fifth. Weight: Three Year Olds: 120 Lbs. Older: 123 Lbs. Non-winners of a graded stakes on the turf in 2014 allowed 2 Lbs.; a sweepstakes since August 1, 4 Lbs., two races other than maiden or claiming in 2014, 6 Lbs. Trophy to the winning owner. Closed Saturday, November 29, 2014 with 35 nominations. (If deemed inadvisable to run this race over the turf course, it will be run on the main track at Seven Furlongs) . Seven And One Half Furlongs. (Turf) (Rail at 12 Feet)
1 Excaper (KY) 5/H L J Rosario 123 I Black 4/1
2 Vinny Goodtimes (VA) 4/G L L R Goncalves 117 P J Quick 20/1
3 Asset Inflation (NY) 4/G L R M Hernandez 119 M J Maker 9/2
4 Breitling Flyer (FL) 3/C L E J Zayas 114 E A Harris 15/1
5 Tryer (FL) 4/G L G Saez 117 M W Wolfson 10/1
6 Bad Debt (FL) 7/G L P Lopez 121 M J Trombetta 6/1
7 Mshawish (KY) 4/C L J Castellano 123 T A Pletcher 7/2
8 Midnight Cello (KY) 4/G L O Bocachica 117 M J Vitali 10/1
9 Strong Impact (NY) 8/G L E S Prado 117 M Nevin 10/1
10 Howe Great (KY) 5/H L J R Leparoux 117 T M Bush 20/1
11 Fredericksburg (KY) 4/G L L Saez 117 M R Matz 8/1
Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 4:27 p.m. ET
HARLAN’S HOLIDAY S., $100,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Sr. Quisqueyano Exclusive Quality Fontanez Sano 20-1
2 Csaba Kitten’s Joy L Saez Gleaves 10-1
3 Rose to Gold Friends Lake Rios Santoro 15-1
4 Pants On Fire Jump Start Lopez Breen 2-1
5 Hampstead Heath Macho Uno Contreras Parente 20-1
6 Schivarelli Montbrook Castellano Kenneally 5-1
7 Valid Medaglia d’Oro Bocachica Vitali 3-1
8 Liam’s Map Unbridled’s Song Velazquez Pletcher 7-2
9 Hy Kodiak Warrior Kodiak Kowboy Melean Fernandez 15-1
Other Canadian notes –
JUSTIN’S TAPIT, a 6-year-old Ontario bred by Tapit out of Katherine if Ascot, won for $5,000 claiming for Kevin Attard, owner, Steven Chircop, trainer yesterday at Penn National. The Terra Farms Ltd. homebred won by a length while trying to bear out throughout the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.
He was claimed by Double Bogey Racing and trainer John Connor.
A DECEMBER 12 ruling issued by the Ontario Racing Commission states that EYE OF THE WORLD has been barred from racing for 90 days for a positive of TCO2. The 5yo gelding, trained by Norm McKnight raced on Dec. 7 in the 1 mile 7/8 starter allowance and finished third.
HONG KONG RACES – begin late tonight
The Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) will kick off the day’s stakes action at 2:00pm local time (1:00am ET) The race drew 12 entrants and will be run over the classic distance of 2400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). comments
The Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) is the next race at a distance of 1200 meters (about 6 furlongs) around one turn, and a field of 14 goes to post at 2:40pm (1:40am ET). comments
The Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1), at 1600 meters around 1 turn, drew a field of 11 and will run at 3:50pm (2:50am ET). comments
The highlight race of the day is the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1), a 2000-meter (about 1 1/4 mile) trip around two turns, where a field of 12 will go to post at 4:30pm (3:30am ET).
For more on the Hong Kong races check out..
http://horseracing.about.com/od/hongkong/a/aa-2014-Hong-Kong-International-Races-Entries.htm
Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) – 2000m
HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) Race 8
Program Number Horse Name Jockey Post Position
1 CIRRUS DES AIGLES C Soumillon 4
2 DESIGNS ON ROME J Moreira 3
3 MILITARY ATTACK Z Purton 8
4 BLAZING SPEED N Callan 12
5 CALIFORNIA MEMORY M Chadwick 11
6 CRITERION H Bowman 9
7 ENDOWING B Prebble 10
8 FARRAAJ A Atzeni 6
9 ARCHIMEDES Y Iwata 2
10 PLEASURE GAINS G Mosse 1
11 SAME WORLD N Rawiller 5
12 HELENE SUPER STAR M Demuro 7
CIRRUS DES AIGLES
- REACHING OUT – Hong Kong Cup starter Archimedes worked half a mile on turf in 51.1 seconds (splits of 28.9 and 22.22) and schooled in the paddock in preparation for the Cup. Trainer Hideaki Fujiwara said: “I instructed the rider to get a feel of the turf and see how the horse performs on it. That is the most important thing for today’s gallop. Actually he was selected for the QEII Cup here in April, but at that time he was tired and needed a break so we decided to skip that race, so (the Hong Kong Cup) has been the big target for him for some time. So far everything is under control. There is only one thing left that we have to clear and that is tomorrow’s draw. We need an inside draw, so all we can do now is trust that we will get some luck tomorrow.”
