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Gamilati canters home in UAE Guineas

Gamilati is the first classic winner for hot young sire Bernardini (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Godolphin's Gamilati loomed as a prohibitive favorite in Friday's $250,000 U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas at Meydan, but the daughter of Bernardini did more than simply win. The Mahmoud al Zarooni filly made a mockery of the Emirates' season's first classic, breezing to a 5 1/2-length victory over stablemate Pimpernel.  Gamilati exuded class as she inhaled the field, all the while under a tight rein and supremely confident handling by Frankie Dettori. "She is a very nice filly with a touch of class, and that was a very good performance," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum said. "We have lots of options with her now, with the U.A.E. Oaks (Group 3 on February 23) under definite consideration and perhaps then the Coronation Stakes (Group 1 on June 22) at Royal Ascot, or maybe the One Thousand Guineas (Group 1 on May 6) at Newmarket." Gamilati, who had broken her maiden in the Group 2 Cherry Hinton at Newmarket last July, prepped for her Dubai classic with a 2 3/4-length cakewalk in the January 6 U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas Trial. As easy as that synthetic debut was, the Guineas itself was even easier.

Reserved at the rear of the six-horse field, Gamilati waited as South African Group 2-placed Moon Spun carved out the pace. Colorful Notion and Alsindi were prominent, followed by Mary Fildes and Pimpernel, but most eyes were likely fixed on a cantering Gamilati.

A patient Dettori still didn't give the cue rounding the far turn, and Gamilati continued to sit in last until the stretch. As soon as Dettori let her go, Gamilati burst clear. She was never asked a real question, and gave every impression of being unextended, while finishing the metric mile over the Tapeta in 1:38 4/5.

Running room was elusive at one point for Pimpernel and jockey Mickael Barzalona, but the French native sought and found a way clear. Pimpernel was best of the rest by 2 1/4 lengths, completing the Godolphin exacta.

"They are two very nice fillies and we are delighted with that," al Zarooni said. "We will all have to sit down and talk about where to go next."

Alsindi, runner-up to Gamilati in the Trial, settled for third here, followed by Moon Spun, Colorful Notion and Mary Fildes. Bonne Idee was scratched.

Gamilati boosted her bankroll to $238,723 from her 6-3-2-0 record. The bay narrowly dropped her first two starts, both hot maiden races at Newmarket. She missed by a head to Regal Realm in her debut, and by a nose to her highly-regarded stablemate Discourse next time. Gamilati broke through in the Cherry Hinton, but threw in a baffling clunker when last in the Group 2 Lowther at York. She was not seen again until the Dubai Carnival.

Bred in Great Britain by Darley, Gamilati is out of Group 3 queen Illustrious Miss, a daughter of Kingmambo who finished third in the 2004 Irish One Thousand Guineas. Illustrious Miss is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 victress Nani Rose from the family of multiple Grade 1 star Political Ambition.

Hitchens (left) outdueled Krypton Factor in the Al Shindagha, a stepping stone to the Golden Shaheen (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) The day's other stakes event, the Group 3, $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint, served up more drama. Laurence O'Kane and Paul Murphy's Hitchens just outdueled Krypton Factor by a short head, presenting his credentials for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31. Hitchens was coming off a late-running second in his Dubai premiere on January 20, where he fell three-quarters of a length short of Captain Obvious. Two things helped Hitchens to turn the tables on Friday. Captain Obvious had a worse draw (post 11), and decided on a tactical change. Rather than stalking as he did last time, the Singapore shipper adopted front-running tactics and became embroiled in a contentious pace. Moreover, Hitchens likely moved forward off that seasonal reappearance. Securing better early position just off the pace with Silvestre de Sousa, the seven-year-old gelding didn't have as much ground to make up down the stretch. Krypton Factor pounced first, overtaking a tiring Captain Obvious, but Hitchens rallied relentlessly. By getting the nod in a final time of 1:11 1/5 for about six Tapeta furlongs, Hitchens handed trainer David Barron his first U.A.E. win.

"He has been a great servant to us, and this is a big win on the international stage for a lower profile yard," Barron said. "Super Saturday (the Group 3 Mahab al Shimaal on March 10) and then, hopefully, World Cup night, will be next on the agenda."

Another 1 3/4 lengths adrift in third came Alo Pura, with Captain Obvious relegated to fourth. Rerouted, best known as an occasional pacemaker for Frankel, rattled home late for fifth in his first start for new connections. The Juddmonte homebred was sold for $92,463 at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and now races for a partnership headed by trainer Mike de Kock.

Hitchens was a high-grade handicapper who successfully transitioned into stakes company in the fall of 2010. After placing in the Mercury Stakes over Dundalk's Polytrack and in the Wentworth Stakes on the Doncaster turf, the bay capped his five-year-old campaign with a score in the Golden Rose Stakes over Lingfield's Polytrack.

Hitchens made his mark at the Group level in 2011, capturing the Group 3 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh and finishing third to heavy-hitters Dream Ahead and Bated Breath in the Group 1 July Cup. He checked in sixth to Regally Ready and Bated Breath in the Grade 1 Nearctic at Woodbine, his last start before heading to Dubai. With the Al Shindagha to his credit, he sports a mark of 41-8-4-5, $901,248.

Bred by Curragh Bloodstock Agency Ltd., Hitchens RNA'd for $35,562 as a Goffs Orby yearling. After a promising juvenile season, during which he finished second in the lucrative Goffs Million, he went through the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. Hitchens brought a bid as high as $415,259, yet still did not reach his reserve. He revisited the ring at the same sale the following year, and Barron swooped in to get him for just $68,745.

Hitchens is by Acclamation and out of the winning Royal Academy mare Royal Fizz, who has also produced the stakes-placed Grand Marque. Royal Fizz is herself a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 1 victor Floral Pegasus. Hitchens' second dam, Crown Crest, is a winning full sister to champions Glint of Gold and Diamond Shoal, from the family of influential sire In Reality.

Factory Time proved that he greatly prefers turf to synthetic (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) De Sousa had earlier engineered a wire-to-wire, 1 1/2-length victory aboard Factory Time in the $100,000 Meydan Classic Trial on turf, a warm-up for the main event on February 23. Owned by Jaber Abdulla and trained by Ali Rashid al Raihe, the Irish-bred sophomore had shown little in his two attempts on Meydan's Tapeta, but enjoyed reverting to the grass. Factory Time kept on strongly to repel all comers, negotiating about seven furlongs on the good course in 1:25 3/5. Kenny Powers edged Fiscal in a photo for second. The disappointment of the race was Singapore's Ip Man, who set a track record last time out on Tapeta. The Steven Burridge pupil came up empty and backpedaled to 13th, beating only the distanced Royal Tigre. Factory Time was based with Mick Channon last year as a juvenile. Mixing it up in smart company, the son of Baltic King finished third in the Rose Bowl Stakes, fifth in the Group 2 Mill Reef and sixth in the Group 1 Dewhurst.

Al Raihe was racking up a Friday double, having sent out Maraheb to land the opening $120,000 handicap on Tapeta. The lucky also-eligible drew into the race, overcame a slow start for Royston Ffrench, and powered to a two-length decision in the metric mile affair. A homebred campaigned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Redoute's Choice colt won twice last year for John Dunlop.

In the about five-furlong, $175,000 turf dash, Mrs. Helen Checkley's Monsieur Joe exploited his light 120-pound impost to upend Inxile, the co-highweight lumbering 132 pounds. The Robert Cowell charge was held up in the rear of the pack by William Buick, as Inxile did all of the hard work up front. Closing throughout the final furlong, Monsieur Joe thrust his neck in front of a gallant Inxile at the wire, to snap a winless streak dating back to August 2010. The fast-finishing Bohemian Melody was another neck away in third.

"We hoped he would run well after a promising local debut, and William has given him a great ride," said Cowell, who won this contest a year ago with Prohibit, subsequently victorious in the Group 1 King's Stand.

Fox Hunt is a classy young stayer whose best is yet to come (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) But the up-and-coming young stayer Fox Hunt had no such difficulty in toting the top weight of 132 pounds to an emphatic success in the nightcap, a $150,000 handicap at about 1 3/4 miles on turf. The Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum colorbearer thus put an exclamation point on the program for the al Zarooni/Dettori tandem. Last seen finishing a respectable seventh in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Fox Hunt was making his first start for al Zarooni. The chestnut gelding tracked the pace on the outside, moved in tandem with Averroes entering the stretch, and kicked clear impressively by 3 1/4 lengths. In the process, the son of Dubawi furthered his candidacy for the Group 3 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night. "That is my first time on the horse," Dettori said, "and he has done it well. He had some great form last year and hopefully has more to offer in 2012."

Fox Hunt was progressive for former trainer Mark Johnston. Successful in the Duke of Edinburgh handicap at Royal Ascot, he finished second under top weight of 140 pounds in the John Smith's Silver Cup at York, and was beaten a grand total of a half-length when fourth in the Group 2 Goodwood Cup. A hampered sixth as the 136-pound highweight in the Ebor, Fox Hunt traveled to Germany to earn his first stakes win in the Group 3 Deutsches St Leger, booking his ticket to Flemington. The five-year-old has advanced his resume to 17-6-4-0, $408,355.

Bred by Ballylinch Stud in Ireland, Fox Hunt RNA'd for $175,968 as an Arqana August yearling before selling for $73,487 as a Tattersalls April two-year-old. He is out of Italian stakes heroine Kiltubber, a daughter of Sadler's Wells and Group 1-winning Irish highweight juvenile filly Priory Belle.

Amazombie blazes bullet three-quarters in advance of San Carlos

Amazombie's win under the Twin Spires solidified his shot at the Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter (Breeders' Cup Ltd.) Champion sprinter Amazombie stood like a statue in his stall at Bill Spawr's barn Friday morning, a picture of happiness and contentment. This was less than three hours after the Breeders' Cup Sprint king worked six furlongs under the cover of darkness on Santa Anita's fast main track in a bullet 1:12, with jockey Alex Bisono aboard. It was the fastest of 22 drills at the distance. "Easy, easy, easy," is how Spawr described the drill in tones bordering on ecstatic. "When he got back to the barn, he was already cooled out. Unbelievable. He's right on schedule for the San Carlos." The San Carlos, a Grade 2 race at seven furlongs with a purse of $200,000, is set for February 25. Amazombie had been scheduled to make his 2012 debut in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes on January 21 but an off track forced Spawr to scrap that plan. "He'll have two more works before the San Carlos," Spawr said. "He'll work three-quarters or seven-eighths next Friday and have one more after that. We're right on schedule." Spawr said he employed Bisono for Friday's work "because he's light and he's got a good clock (in his head). I told him to go 1:14, he went 1:12. The horse does that because he does it so easy." Bisono, who tacks 115 pounds, called the drill "awesome." Meanwhile, Amazombie, a  five-year-old California-bred gelding by Northern Afleet owned by Spawr and Tom Sanford, is gathering quite a fan base since his Breeders' Cup victory at Churchill Downs last November 5.

"He gets cards from all over the world," Spawr said. "We got one from London, and one woman requested a strand of hair from his mane."

While not quite in the league of Zenyatta when it comes to popularity, Amazombie is becoming a box office draw.

"Just in our circle, with friends who have friends who have friends, we probably bring 80 to 100 people to the track when he runs," Spawr said.

On Fire Baby skipping Martha Washington

On Fire Baby (gray) held her own when facing the boys in the Smarty Jones (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography) With the ultimate goal being a race at some point on May 4 or 5 at Churchill Downs, trainer Gary 'Red Dog' Hartlage says he will point dual Grade 2 victress On Fire Baby toward stakes for both colts and fillies, but he won't aim her for next Saturday's $75,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park. Hartlage says rainy weather on Friday in Hot Springs, Arkansas, put off the latest workout by the Smoke Glacken three-year-old filly to Monday morning, all but ruling out any chance of racing five days later in the one-mile contest on the road to the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes. "Monday's about the first time the track will be fast again," Hartlage said. "I won't even nominate to the Martha Washington now. It just wouldn't make much sense for us." On Fire Baby's options for her next scheduled race remain wide open. She is coming off a third-place finish in the Smarty Jones Stakes against males on January 16. She captured the Pocahontas and Golden Rod Stakes, both Grade 2s, at Churchill Downs in her final two starts as a juvenile, stamping her as a major threat for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks back in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 4.

However, her solid effort in the Smarty Jones has owner Anita Cauley and Hartlage keeping an open mind about possibly running one day later in the Kentucky Derby.

"The main goal is to be running in May," Hartlage admitted. "Whatever we have to do to get there and whatever race we have to go in, we have to think about how best to get there. Everything is wide open in terms of where we run next."

On Fire Baby is on course to return to Churchill Downs, the site of her Pocahontas and Golden Rod victories (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) One factor in getting to run in May is amassing enough Graded earnings. At Oaklawn, On Fire Baby could face males again in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes going a mile on February 20 where she would likely get a rematch with the respective Smarty Jones winner and runner-up Junebugred and Reckless Jerry. The gray lass could possibly also face Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circle in that race. The next open race for fillies in Hot Springs is the Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes on March 10 at 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Bret Calhoun will take full advantage of On Fire Baby's absence in the Martha Washington when he saddles Devious Intent in the eight-furlong contest. The three-year-old daughter of Dixie Union will enter the race off a victory in the Genesis Stakes at Delta Downs in Louisiana on January 14, and has been ensconced in her trainre's Oaklawn branch office for two weeks. Devious Intent has settled in perfectly and taken to the dirt track in Hot Springs, according to assistant trainer Kristin Crawford.

"She's an absolute sweetheart and doesn't do anything wrong," Crawford remarked Friday morning. "She's training great and on the improve. She worked over the track really nice."

Devious Intent breezed a half-mile in :50 last Saturday, which Crawford described as typical for the easy-going filly.

"She's just so laid back," she said. "I had her when she started out last summer in Indiana and she's so laid back she didn't get a lot out of training, but even still she managed to win and finish a good second in her first two starts when it looked like it might take her a while to get going."

That auspicious beginning earned Devious Intent a call up to stakes races in Louisiana, including the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess, where she ran into undefeated Now I Know and finished fourth. Now I Know, a daughter of Pure Prize, has since moved her record to six-for-six after taking the Dixie Belle Stakes on January 14 at Oaklawn and is expected to be in the gate for the Martha Washington next week.

"It's going to be very tough spot, for sure," Crawford acknowledged. "Things are going to have to go her way. She will need to be 100 percent ready and get some racing luck to have things fall her way."

Soaring Empire confirmed for Donn

Soaring Empire, seen here taking the Majestic Light at Monmouth Park on July 31, returned from a near six-month layoff to be fourth in the Hal's Hope (David Owens/Equi-Photo) Soaring Empire breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat Friday morning over the fast main track at Gulfstream Park, and trainer Cam Gambolati confirmed him as a probable starter in the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap to be run February 11 at 1 1/8 miles. A son of Empire Maker, Soaring Empire finished fourth behind Jackson Bend in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope on January 14 going one mile over the track in his first start since winning the Majestic Light going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park on July 31. He made a bold bid to the lead in mid-stretch of the Hal's Hope before giving under jockey Julien Leparoux, who will have the mount in the Donn. "His work was fine, just maintenance," Gambolati said Friday morning. "His race in the Hal's Hope wasn't that bad even though he backed up a little toward the end. It was his first race back after a long layoff and the track was dead that day for some reason. These kinds of horses should run a mile faster than 1:38. "We had two options with him -- the Donn or the seven-eighths race (Grade 2 Gulfstream Sprint Championship on February 18) where you would run against horses that finished second and third in the (Grade 1) Breeders' Cup Sprint,” referring to Force Freeze and Jackson Bend. "We think he'll handle the longer distance now and we've had a race over the track. The timing is right to try some of these horses."

In addition to Soaring Empire the field expected to line-up for the Donn is coming up very strong led by Shackleford, winner of the Grade 1 Preakness last spring, and Grade 1 Belmont hero Ruler on Ice.

Also listed probable are Flat Out, Hymn Book, Mission Impazible, Redeemed, Sangaree, Trickmeister and Where's Sterling.

Heitzmann running for Remember Me Rescue

What a miraculous comeback year it has been for Fair Grounds-based horsewoman Carmel Heitzmann. Severely injured when kicked by a horse in front of the Fair Grounds stands last February 17, Heitzmann's life was in jeopardy during those first critical hours and days, but following exploratory surgery that led to the removal of 24 inches of her colon, the wife of local trainer Eric Heitzmann was released from the hospital 10 days later.

Amazingly, the British-born but Irish-raised Heitzmann is now preparing for an upcoming run in the New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on March 4, but she's not doing it for any self-serving reason.

"I'm going to do it to raise funds for my friends Donna and Dallas Keen, who operate Remember Me Rescue," the thirty-something former flight attendant for Emirates Airlines said. "I was so moved by their efforts in the rescue of more than 60 starving horses from that farm in northern Louisiana last month that I wanted to do something to help, so I'm accepting pledges from friends, racing colleagues, horse lovers and anyone else who cares to donate on behalf of my upcoming run. Whatever money I get from pledges I will be donating to Remember Me Rescue."

Along with the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association, Remember Me has been at the forefront of efforts to save those horses seized last month. The owner of the farm has been charged with animal cruelty, but the horses -- those that can be saved -- face a long and expensive road to recovery. Remember Me was officially founded in 2008 as a non-profit organization to rehabilitate and retrain ex-racehorses with the hope of finding them new homes, but the recent rescue operation has put an added strain on the organizations' resources.

"Remember Me has a place on their website with my name on it," Heitzmann said. "Anybody wishing to contribute to my run can go on the website and click under my name to make to make a donation, but I also carry pledge forms around with me when I'm in the barn area running my husband's shed row. Some people want to make donations based on the number of miles I complete, and some want to give me a bonus later if I complete the whole marathon. Other people have just given me a contribution upfront no matter how I do in the run. But every penny I make will go to Remember Me toward the care of those horses that were rescued."

What is remarkable, especially to those that witnessed Heitzmann's injuries last year, is that she is around at all, not that she has recovered enough to be training for a marathon.

"It's still a nightmare for me to even think about," she said of her accident. "I'm just happy that I lived to tell the tale about what happened. I'll never be a hundred percent again after those injuries. I'll always have issues, but I thank God everyday that I'm still alive. The doctors gave me the 'OK' a couple of weeks ago to run in this marathon as long as I feel up to it, so that's what I plan to do. I ran 10 miles yesterday. I've been running all my life. I ran in the London Flora Marathon 10 years ago and the Mardi Gras Half-Marathon two years ago."

What is also remarkable is Heitzmann's late-developing career as a horsewoman. She initially met her husband on one of her Emirates flights in 2000 while he was an assistant trainer working for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in Dubai.

"I don't know if it was his American accent or his big blue eyes that got to me, but we connected right away," she said. "As we quickly found out, we had some mutual friends and we had our first date at Gordon Ramsey's Glass House Restaurant in Dubai shortly thereafter.

"Although I was born in Birmingham, England, I grew up in Ireland helping my grandparents on their milking farm in Ireland and I'd always loved animals, but I'd never been around horses until I started working with my husband in 2007," she explained. "I absolutely love it. I fell in love with horses right away."

But why -- considering the permanent nature of some of her injuries -- would she choose to subject herself to the added pressure of training for something as grueling as a run in a marathon?

"To be honest," she concluded, "maybe I just want to give something back to this wonderful industry that has been so very good to my husband and to me."

When JRita Young Thoroughbreds' Leestown Doll broke her maiden with a 5 1/4-length win at Fair Grounds on January 20, it served as a reminder of one recent encouraging update among those horses rescued from severe neglect in northern Louisiana.

Leestown Doll, trained by Allen Milligan, is by Leestown out of a Two Punch mare named Be Bop Baby, who was one of those horses saved by Remember Me Rescue.

"When we first got (Be Bop Baby), she was suffering from a severe case of rain rot," said Donna Keen of Remember Me Rescue. "She had numerous abscesses that had formed under her hair, and when we bathed her everyday she had a horrible smell about her, even after her bath was completed. She's shown some major improvement since we got her less than a month ago. She's getting better every day, and when we bathe her now she no longer has that smell of death about her. I think she's really starting to enjoy her life once again."

Summit of Speed highlights Calder's stakes schedule

Calder Race Course announced its stakes schedules for the 2012 Calder and Tropical meets on Friday. The Miami Gardens, Florida, venue will begin this year's live racing season on April 9 and host two consecutive meets -- the 85-day Calder Meet from April 9 to August 31 and the 65-day Tropical Meet from September 1 to December 2.

The Calder Meet will be jump-started with three stakes in the month of April, including the return of the Calder Derby on April 14 and the Calder Oaks on April 28 after a one-year absence. The Calder Derby will send sophomores 1 1/16 miles on the turf for a $150,000 purse while the Calder Oaks carries a $100,000 purse for three-year-old fillies also going 8 1/2 grassy furlongs. The Grade 3, $125,000 Miami Mile Handicap at a mile on turf for three-year-olds and up will be run on April 21.

The month of April will also feature the introduction of the "Calder Starter Series," a four-race series designed for four-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2011 or 2012, with two exciting incentives -- attractive purse money and a lucrative trainer bonus.

Each race carries a $50,000 purse (including $5,000 in Florida Owners' Awards) and the series offers a $5,000 bonus to the trainer of the horse that accumulates the most points after the fourth race of the series. Points are allocated to the top six finishers of each race. Dates for the Calder Starter Series are April 14 (seven furlongs, dirt), April 28 (one mile, turf), May 12 (one mile & 70 yards, dirt), and May 26 (1 1/16 miles, turf) with nominations closing on March 26.

"The stakes races in April, along with the Calder Starter Series, are designed to be early hallmarks to Calder's race meet," Calder Vice President and General Manager of Racing John Marshall explained. "Players can expect to wager on quality racing at Calder beginning April 9 and continuing through December 2."

Highlights of the 2012 Calder Meet include the nationally-recognized Summit of Speed on July 7, with a Summit Preview day on June 9. Last year's Summit of Speed produced an Eclipse Award champion in Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Musical Romance.

Purses of the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap and Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap for the 2012 Summit of Speed card have been increased to $400,000 each (from $350,000 in 2011). The $150,000 Carry Back Stakes and $150,000 Azalea Stakes, both Grade 3 events, as well as the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Handicap and $100,000 Hollywood Wildcat Handicap round out this year's Summit of Speed stakes program.

Calder will present the Juvenile Showcase on August 25, a day dedicated to juvenile racing featuring the middle leg of the Florida Stallion Stakes. The day's six stakes races for racing's future stars total $550,000. Recent graduates of the Juvenile Showcase include Breeders' Cup and Eclipse Award champions Awesome Feather and Big Drama as well as Grade 1 victor Jackson Bend.

The 2012 Tropical Meet will feature three multiple-stakes event days -- the Festival Preview on September 15, Festival of the Sun on October 13 and Florida Million on November 10 -- and five Graded stakes will be contested during the final weeks of the season.

The Calder Meet offers 31 stakes worth $3,475,000 and the Tropical Meet will feature 27 stakes totaling $3,175,000 for a combined stakes program worth $6.65 million.

"Over $6.6 million in stakes purse money awaits horsemen to compete for on a schedule with enriched April racing opportunities for horsemen in addition to the traditional events," Marshall said. "The entire Florida racing community is rooting for Calder racing this year and our horsemen and the racing office are sure to deliver top flight wagering action for racing fans across the country."

Preakness InfieldFest acts announced

The Maryland Jockey Club on Friday announced that the 2012 Preakness InfieldFest will include performances by Grammy Award nominees Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa. Both artists will play extended sets on the main stage in the public infield on May 19 at Pimlico when the Maryland Jockey Club, North America's oldest sporting organization, hosts the 137th renewal of the Preakness Stakes. Maroon 5 won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2005 and is currently nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for "Moves Like Jagger," which also features Christina Aguilera. Maroon 5, who were named Favorite Band at the 2012 People's Choice Awards in January, has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.

Wiz Khalifa is nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for "Black & Yellow," his single that peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 3 million digital copies since release.

"The InfieldFest brand, now in its fourth year, is all about first class music for the region's most celebrated party at an historic and iconic sporting classic. The multi-celebration festival experience promises a variety of music and entertainment, including the return of the hugely popular MUG Club," Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. "There is plenty for fans to do all day long. The Preakness Infield has become a rite of passage for generations in the mid-Atlantic region. Nowhere else can you listen to great music and soak up the party atmosphere that is InfieldFest at such low prices, capped off by the constant action of live racing that is Preakness Day."

Grammy winners Bruno Mars (2011), Train (2011) and Zac Brown (2010) have performed on the main stage at InfieldFest in previous years as well as Rock and Rock Hall of Famers ZZ Top (2009), Buckcherry (2009) and O.A.R. (2010).

In addition to the main stage headliners, Preakness InfieldFest will feature live music from top acts on a second stage, a variety of activities and a slew of Maryland-branded food and beverage concessions. The second stage acts will be announced at a later date.

Two 160 feet MUG Club areas will be available and easily accessible for the second consecutive year. For an additional $20 to a regular admission to the public infield, fans receive a souvenir mug for unlimited refills of beer.

Infield Tickets will be reduced to $40, with a MUG Club package $60 until 7:30 a.m. (EST) Monday before prices are returned to $50 (infield ticket) and $70 (MUG Club).

Seating information and ticket reservations are available at www.preakness.com. Tickets can be bought by calling the Preakness sales office at 410-542-9400 or 877-206-8042.

Additional information can be found on www.facebook.com/InfieldFest and https://twitter.com/PreaknessStakes.

State of Play tests dirt in Sam F. Davis

State of Play captured the With Anticipation at Saratoga last summer (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) After teaming up to win last year's Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, Team Valor International and trainer Graham Motion are back on the trail with another potential contender in State of Play, an accomplished performer on turf. But unlike Animal Kingdom, who did not race on dirt until the Derby itself, State of Play will get an early test on America's traditional surface in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 1 1/16-mile event has also lured Prospective, winner of the recent Pasco Stakes here; Gulfstream Park Derby victor Reveron; and maiden winner Ecabroni from the Todd Pletcher barn. State of Play won his first two career starts at Saratoga, that hot-spot for well-regarded juveniles. A stalk-and-pounce winner of a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, the dark bay stretched out to 1 1/16 grassy miles and went wire to wire in the Grade 2 With Anticipation. State of Play was scheduled to race next in the Grade 3 Bourbon, but he was forced to miss the Keeneland feature because of a fever.

Entering the November 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf without the benefit of his intended prep, State of Play drew a tough post 13, was bumped at the start, and faded to 12th in an uncharacteristic effort. Plans then called for him to contest the December 18 Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream, only to have him come down with another fever and regroup.

State of Play has drawn the rail Saturday with new rider Alan Garcia. Connections chose to familiarize the colt with the Tampa dirt well in advance of the Davis, and he has posted a series of works over the track, most recently breezing a half-mile in a sharp :48 3/5 last Saturday. Another positive indicator for adapting to dirt is his sire War Front, who was responsible for a couple of leading players on the 2011 Derby trail -- Soldat, also a turf-to-dirt proposition, and The Factor.

Prospective is a finalist for a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion two-year-old male, chiefly through his victory in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes over Woodbine's Polytrack. The Mark Casse pupil was training forwardly for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he disappointed in 13th.

Prospective tuned up in the Pasco (Tom Cooley Photography) The well-bred son of Malibu Moon put that dismal effort well behind him in the January 14 Pasco. Shortening up to seven furlongs in his reappearance, Prospective lagged off the pace early, but rolled home late to prevail, and proved himself on the dirt. The John C. Oxley colorbearer figures to be even better over a longer distance, if he can avoid getting hung out too wide. Regular rider Luis Contreras will be back aboard as he breaks from the far outside post 11. Also exiting the Pasco are Burning Time (fourth) and Moroccan Brew (sixth). Burning Time, who represents the successful owner/trainer tandem of Harold Queen and David Fawkes, could improve back up in trip. The homebred posted his biggest win in the two-turn Foolish Pleasure at Calder last September. Reveron brings a three-race winning streak into his toughest challenge so far. One of just a handful of horses trained at Calder by Venezuelan-born Agustin Bezara, he posted an 8-1 upset in the January 1 Gulfstream Park Derby last out. Reveron turned back a sustained bid from Nick Zito's Casual Trick, who didn't boost the form when finishing up the track behind El Padrino this past Sunday.

Nevertheless, Reveron has shown tactical adaptability and grit, and has yet to lose with Fernando Jara in the saddle. The Songandaprayer colt has drawn post 10, one spot inside of the late-running Prospective.

Pletcher has won the last two runnings of the Davis, and four of the past six. The five-time Eclipse Award-winning horseman relies on Ecabroni to keep up his strike rate. The son of Smoke Glacken punched his ticket here with a front-running maiden score going seven furlongs at Gulfstream. Ecabroni has been working well in preparation for his class, and two-turn, test. Javier Castellano will guide the pace factor from post 4.

Although Ecabroni has promise, he doesn't have the profile of Pletcher's recent Davis winners. Bluegrass Cat (2006) was already a Grade 2 winner, Any Given Saturday (2007) was Grade 2-placed, Rule (2010) was a Grade 3 winner and Brethren (2011) had cleared his entry-level allowance condition.

The Davis could also give an indirect read on Pletcher's undefeated Discreet Dancer. Neck 'N Neck, best of the rest behind Discreet Dancer in a recent Gulfstream allowance, tries his hand at stakes company here. Trained by Ian Wilkes, whose leading Derby hopeful Motor City just returned to the worktab Tuesday, Neck 'N Neck returns to two turns for the first time since his maiden win at Churchill.

Trainer Eddie Kenneally has entered the thrice-raced maiden Battled Hardened. Owned by Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, the son of Giant's Causeway has finished second to Indian Ambush in a Churchill Downs maiden and just missed to Big Screen at Gulfstream. Big Screen was another to flop behind El Padrino in his follow-up, but Battle Hardened is on the upgrade and gets Julien Leparoux.

Fellow Irishman Derek Ryan has used the Tampa series with such past classic hopefuls as Musket Man and Schoolyard Dreams, and the Tipperary native will take a stab this time with Holy Highway. Well beaten in a $25,000 maiden claimer in his only dirt try, the Holy Bull colt is two-for-two since joining Ryan. Both of those wins have come over the Tampa turf, but his pedigree suggests that the main track should be no problem. Holy Highway must also raise his game versus significantly better competition, though.

Fox Rules has been no threat in his prior stakes tries, including a seventh to State of Play in the With Anticipation, and Ravelo's Boy exits a distant fifth to Reveron in the Gulfstream Park Derby.

Northern Passion returns to turf for the first time since the Natalma (WEG/Michael Burns Photography) Earlier on the card, Prospective's stablemates Northern Passion and Dixie Strike will line up in the $150,000 Florida Oaks for three-year-old fillies on turf. Northern Passion, herself a Sovereign finalist in the champion juvenile filly category, was a smashing last-to-first winner of the Grade 3 Natalma at Woodbine. The First Samurai filly would have been a prime candidate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but connections gambled on a dirt attempt in the Juvenile Fillies. It didn't pay off, as Northern Passion could do no better than a rallying seventh from far back. Meanwhile, Northern Passion's form had been flattered. Natalma third Stephanie's Kitten went on to glory in both the Grade 1 Alcibiades and the Juvenile Fillies Turf. The class of the field on Saturday, Northern Passion should relish reverting to turf for the 1 1/16-mile affair, where she will once again partner with Contreras. She is coupled in the wagering with Dixie Strike, a commanding winner of the Ontario Lassie in her final start at two. Jose Lezcano picks up the mount in her turf debut.

Other contenders include More Than Love, last seen battling to victory in the Grade 3 Miesque at Hollywood Park on November 25; Customer Base, who adds blinkers for noted turf trainer Tom Proctor; smart Gulfstream maiden winner Regalo Mia; and Sisterhood, who wheels back after a slow-starting fourth in the January 22 Sweetest Chant.

Zagora is once again starting her year at Tampa (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) The Grade 3, $150,000 Endeavour Stakes for older turf distaffers marks the returns of Zagora and Keertana. The Chad Brown-trained Zagora scored a career-high in last July's Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, but headed to the sidelines after a relatively flat seventh in the Grade 2 Canadian on September 18. Castellano will reunite with the 122-pound highweight. Five-time Grade 3 star Keertana has not raced since her hard-fought victory over males in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap on May 28. The Proctor veteran is Grade 1-caliber, as evidenced by her near-miss third in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and merits considerable respect with Lezcano. Zagora and Keertana have met once before at Tampa. In last year's Grade 3 Hillsborough, Zagora was outdueled in second, and Keertana was a hard-charging third from too far back. The 1 1/16-mile trip is a bit short for Keertana, but she's still never been worse than third at this distance.

Motion will be represented by Team Valor's Master Shade. The Italian-bred, who was last seen landing the November 6 Middle Stage at Aqueduct, seeks her third straight win. Grade 2-placed Exclusive Love comes off a wide-trip seventh in the Grade 3 Marshua's River, and gives Casse a theoretical shot at a Saturday stakes sweep. Adding depth to the field are stakes veterans Abuela; Martita Sangrita; Crying Lightening; Jenny's So Great, who captured the five-furlong Lightning City at Tampa two back; and Dundalk Dust, best known for taking the Grade 2 Falls City in the slop in 2010.

Game on Dude tops San Antonio

Following an outstanding season that included victories in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, Game on Dude will open his 2012 campaign in Sunday's $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. The classy gelding looms as an overwhelming favorite among seven rivals in the 1 1/8-mile event.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Game on Dude had the opportunity to stake a major claim for Horse of the Year honors with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic and recorded an excellent performance in the 1 1/4-mile event at Churchill Downs, repulsing all challenges on the front end before giving way late to the winning Drosselmeyer. However, the runner-up effort left him out in the cold for the Eclipse Awards as the five-year-old finished second in the voting for champion older male to Acclamation. The son of Awesome Again will look to make amends in 2012. He is three for three over over the dirt track in Arcadia, California, and will have this year's Breeders' Cup Classic in his backyard at Santa Anita.

Chantal Sutherland returns to the saddle Sunday and Game on Dude will be using the Grade 2 San Antonio as a prep for either a title defense in the March 3 Big 'Cap or a trip to the Middle East for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

Uh Oh Bango and Tres Borrachos, the respective one-two finishers from the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on January 7, will both be back for the San Antonio. Uh Oh Bango scored a minor upset when posting a 1 3/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile event, registering a career-best 104 BRIS Speed rating in the process, and brings a commendable 4-1-1-2 mark over the track into the San Antonio. Mike Smith rides for Kory Owens.

Tres Borrachos captured the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap last summer and finished third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when making his penultimate start in 2011. Conditioner by Marty Jones, the seven-year-old gelding will break from the rail with Rafael Bejarano.

Victory Pete, Ashtar, El Gato Malo and Skipshot complete the field.

Hansen, Union Rags tied at 126 atop Experimental

Hansen, last year's undefeated champion two-year-old male and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Union Rags, who won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes and finished second to Hansen in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, have received the high weight assignment of 126 pounds on The Jockey Club's 2011 Experimental Free Handicap, released Thursday by The Jockey Club.

The filly division is headed by last year's champion two-year-old filly and undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, My Miss Aurelia, at 124 pounds.

All Experimental Free Handicap weight assignments, as well as past performances for those horses, are available within the Publications and Resources section of jockeyclub.com.

The Jockey Club Experimental Free Handicap, published annually since 1935, is a weight-based assessment of the previous year's leading two-year-olds, with the weights compiled for a hypothetical race at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

The weighting committee of racing secretaries was once again composed of Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs and Keeneland, P.J. Campo of the New York Racing Association and Thomas S. Robbins of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

The committee weighted a total of 130 males and 94 fillies. Eligible for weighting were all two-year-olds of 2011 that finished among the top four in graded or listed stakes races run in the continental United States. Listed stakes in 2011 were those with a value of $75,000 or more available to all starters, and no restrictions other than age or sex.

Hansen, a son of Tapit, won all three of his starts last year by a combined 25 1/2 lengths and earned $1,153,305. Owned by Dr. Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing, Hansen won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes in addition to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was bred in Kentucky by Dr. Hansen.

Union Rags, by Dixie Union, won three of four starts last year by a combined 14 1/4 lengths, including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, and posted earnings of $858,800. He was bred in Kentucky by Phyllis M. Wyeth and is owned by Chadds Ford Stable.

In the filly division, the 124 pounds assigned to My Miss Aurelia, by Smart Strike, is one pound higher than the standard impost for top Experimental fillies.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, My Miss Aurelia won all four of her starts, including the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes and the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes, by a combined total of 14 1/2 lengths. She is owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton and she earned $1,380,000 last year.

Among sires of Experimental horses, Indian Charlie leads the list of colts and geldings with four representatives; Bluegrass Cat, City Zip, Giant's Causeway, High Cotton, Kitten's Joy, Scat Daddy, Wildcat Heir and With Distinction have three each.

Hard Spun, Kitten's Joy and Lion Heart head the fillies' list with four representatives each. Scat Daddy and Songandaprayer have three each.

Combining the two lists, Kitten's Joy is the leading sire with seven, followed by Indian Charlie, Lion Heart and Scat Daddy with six representatives each.

Of the 224 juveniles weighted, 150 were bred in Kentucky, 33 in Florida, seven in California and six in New York.

Liaison, Rousing Sermon meet again in Robert B. Lewis

Liaison held off a charging Rousing Sermon in the CashCall Futurity in December (Benoit Photos) Separated by less than a length in two stakes at Hollywood Park last fall, Liaison and Rousing Sermon will renew acquaintance in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, a 1 1/16-mile heat which marks the season debut for both classic contenders. Liaison, trained by Bob Baffert, has gotten the better of the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Rousing Sermon thus far. Liaison was a half-length to the good of his rival in the Real Quiet on November 12, but the margin was only a neck when they last met in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity on December 17. Both colts have winning form over the Santa Anita strip. Liaison broke his maiden going seven furlongs in his race prior to the Real Quiet, while Rousing Sermon was a 2 1/4-length winner of the California Cup Juvenile in late October. Three CashCall Futurity also-rans have joined the Lewis lineup. Sky Kingdom, fourth in the Futurity, came back to dominate allowance foes by 4 1/2 lengths for Baffert last month, while fifth-placer Empire Way has not raced since the Hollywood feature. Groovin' Solo, who was pulled up in the Futurity after his rein broke, won a one-mile maiden event on December 30 and adds blinkers for the Lewis.

Isn't He Clever, whose three career stakes wins have occurred at Zia Park and Sunland Park, invades from New Mexico for trainer Henry Dominguez. A daylight winner of the Riley Allison Futurity last time, the gelding was a narrowly beaten second in the Clever Trevor at Remington Park in his only defeat.

Last-out Eddie Logan winner Chips All In, a son of Group 1 Epsom Derby winner North Light, captured the Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park in his only previous start on dirt. The Lewis field is completed by I'll Have Another, the Grade 2 Best Pal runner-up who's been sidelined since a wide-trip sixth in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Labor Day.

Tapizar will seek to add the Strub to his list of Santa Anita stakes wins (Benoit Photos) The Saturday program at Santa Anita also features the Grade 2, $200,000 Strub for four-year-olds at nine furlongs, and the Grade 2, $150,000 Arcadia for older horses at one mile on the turf. Both should have prohibitive favorites: Tapizar in the Strub and Mr. Commons in the Arcadia. Tapizar enters off a comfortable wire-to-wire score in the Grade 2 San Fernando over 1 1/16 miles, and should prove tough to catch again if allowed to get an easy lead. His main rival for early supremacy might be Ultimate Eagle, upset winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby last fall. Third in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort last time which ended a four-race winning streak, the colt is by 2002 Strub winner Mizzen Mast. Other notables in the Strub include Balladry and Grade 2 winner Prayer for Relief, second and third, respectively in the San Fernando; Jaycito, who's raced sporadically since winning the Grade 1 Norfolk in 2010; and the Grade 1-placed Clubhouse Ride, who was last seen running second to Tapizar in the Grade 3 Sham more than a year ago. Mr. Commons, a 3 1/4-length winner of the Sir Beaufort, will break outside his seven rivals in the Arcadia. The Artie Schiller colt was a respectable second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile last fall against older rivals, and a good fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Leading the opposition is the regally-bred Pathfork, Ireland's leading juvenile colt in 2010 when he swept three races including the Group 1 National and Group 1 Futurity at The Curragh. He made just one start last season, finishing seventh to the brilliant Frankel in the Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket.

Pathfork hails from an illustrious family that has produced the likes of champion sprinter Aldebaran; European champions Spinning World, Sagara and Sadex; and noted Grade/Group 1 winners Denon, Chimes of Freedom and Good Journey. Broodmares of the Year Best in Show and Better Than Honour also hail from this line.

John Sadler now trains Pathfork.

Others of note in the field are multiple Grade 2-placed stakes winner Calimonco and the Grade 1 veteran M One Rifle, who makes his turf debut in the Arcadia.

Alpha is a formidable presence in Withers

Following a convincing win in the Count Fleet, Alpha will look to keep his momentum rolling in the Withers  (Adam Conglianese Photo) Alpha opened his three-year-old season with a 2 1/2-length score in the January 7 Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct and will remain on the inner track for Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Withers Stakes, which has been moved up on the calendar and extended to 1 1/16 miles this year. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained colt tops a field of seven Kentucky Derby hopefuls, including Gulfstream Park Derby third-placer King Kid and multiple New York-bred stakes hero Swag Daddy. A six-length debut winner at Saratoga, Alpha stumbled badly at the beginning of his second start, the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, but closed belatedly to finish a non-threatening second to Union Rags. Nothing went right for the Godolphin homebred in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, as Alpha acted up at the gate and never fired in an 11th-place effort, but the promising bay rebounded with a stellar effort in the one-mile and 70-yard Count Fleet, rallying from just off the pace to win going away.

Alpha registered a career-best 100 BRIS Speed rating last time and the son of Bernardini will keep Ramon Dominguez in the saddle.

King Kid posted a two-length debut score at Churchill Downs in late November and turned in a respectable third-place effort when making his second career outing in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Derby. Trained by Dale Romans, the Lemon Drop Kid colt has shipped in from South Florida for his graded bow and will pick up the services of Mike Luzzi.

Swag Daddy has captured his last two outings over the inner track, winning both the Restrainor Stakes and Damon Runyon Stakes for state-breds at two turns, and the dark bay colt hails from the barn of Richard Dutrow, who is winning at a 41 percent clip this meet (36-for-87). Junior Alvarado retains the mount.

A pair of recent allowance winners at Laurel Park, Hakama and Tiger Walk, will each make their first stakes appearance in the Withers.

How Do I Win and Speightscity, the respective fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the Count Fleet, round out the line-up.

The Big A will also offer the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes and the $100,000 Correction Stakes on Saturday's program.

Calibrachoa figures to go heavily favored while making a title defense in the six-furlong Toboggan. Claimed for $40,000 by Repole Stable in November 2010, the five-year-old horse posted a trio of Grade 3 victories last year for Todd Pletcher and will be making his first start Saturday since a respectable third in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap. Cornelio Velasquez rides. Candyman E will bring a four-race win streak into the Toboggan, garnering the October 22 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash most recently, and Grade 3 victor J J's Lucky Train is also part of the eight-horse line-up.

The six-furlong Correction will feature a field of seven mares, and Grade 2 Distaff Handicap winner Nicole H will be the one to beat. The Michael Hushion trainee exits a neck score in the Interborough Stakes on New Year's Day.

In brief

Unraced since her win in the Cupid's Way Stakes last May, Big Brownie (Wheelaway) showed no signs of rust when returning in Friday's $73,500 Holly Springs Stakes at Aqueduct, notching her third state-bred stakes victory with a 1 1/4-length decision. With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. up for trainer Leah Gyarmati, the six-year-old mare stalked the pace in midpack before launching her move in the stretch, closing strongly to improve her overall mark to 19-5-6-3, $254,284. Owned by Gyarmati and Wide Rill Farm, the chestnut completed six furlongs in 1:11 3/5 over the fast inner track...

It is a busy Friday for trainer C.R. Trout with his prized mare and Grade 1 winner Shotgun Gulch (Thunder Gulch) continuing her progress in the morning, and dual Grade 3-placed Dreaminofthewin (Successful Appeal), his star from last year's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby trail, returning to action at Santa Anita in an allowance race. "We battled quarter-cracks with him all last year," Trout said. "I finally just took him out of training and let his feet grow. I heard about a great hoof guy in California so we sent him there. We shod him the other day and it had been about 120 days since we last put shoes on him and the (farrier) said 'everything looks great.' There were no spots at all. Hopefully that's all behind us." Unfortunately, Dreaminofthewin finished last in his return to competition, nine lengths behind winner and Grade 3-placed Canonize (Aldebaran), who ran seven fast-track furlongs in 1:20 3/5 under jockey Victor Espinoza. The Ron Ellis six-year-old was 2 1/2 lengths clear of dual Grade 2-placed Tweebster (Tapit) in the 2ND race at Santa Anita, with Grade 2 victor Indian Firewater (Indian Charlie) another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Grade 1 runner-up Supreme Summit (Cactus Ridge) ran fourth, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Dreaminofthewin...

Ellen McClain has been honored as one of the "25 Influential Black Women in Business" by TNJ (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Ellen McClain, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), has been named one of 2012's "25 Influential Black Women in Business" by The Network Journal (TNJ). "It is a wonderful honor to be named to this list by The Network Journal," said McClain, who holds a master's degree in business administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration ('93) and a bachelor's degree in economics from Brown University ('86). "The list includes many extraordinary women and it is a great thrill to be recognized alongside them." McClain, 47, was hired by NYRA in July 2009 as senior vice president and chief financial officer. In that position, she restructured the finance organization to better meet the financial reporting, cash management and compliance demands of NYRA. In October 2011, McClain, who boasts a 20-year track record in media finance and operations, was promoted to NYRA executive vice president and chief operating officer, becoming both the first woman and the first African-American to serve in this role for the company. "Ellen is very deserving of this honor and I join everyone at NYRA in congratulating her," said Charles Hayward, NYRA president and chief executive officer. "Her management skills -- tremendous strategic vision, analytical insight, and strong collaborative abilities -- made her a natural fit for appointment to one of the most significant management positions in the Thoroughbred racing industry." The honorees will be featured in the March issue of the TNJ. In addition, TNJ will honor these movers and shakers during Women's History Month at its 14th Anniversary Luncheon on March 22 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel. "The women we are honoring this year are in the forefront of American leadership and symbolize the diversity and advancement that has occurred across industry lines," TNJ Publisher and CEO Aziz Gueye Adetimirin stated...

Maggie Wolfendale, paddock analyst for New York Racing Association (NYRA), has joined Twitter and will share her paddock observations using the handle @MaggieWolfndale and the hashtags #belmont, #saratoga and #aqueduct depending on the track to which the tweet pertains. Wolfendale, who joined the NYRA broadcast team in October 2010, has become a fixture in the paddocks at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga, where she assesses horses on race day for NYRA TV...

Louisiana-bred legend Star Guitar (Quiet American) and Populist Politics (Don't Get Mad) will face off in the $200,000 Premier Night Championship S., the feature event on a 10-stakes card at Delta Downs Saturday. Star Guitar, winner of more than $1.5 million during his five seasons of racing, has ruled this race since 2009 and will seek to make it four in a row with Corey Lanerie aboard. The pair was last seen beating Populist Politics by 1 1/4 lengths in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds on December 10, and Star Guitar is currently riding a seven-race win streak. Populist Politics bounced out of his tough beat to be third against open company optional claimers to start his four-year-old season on January 14. The Tom Amoss trainee's last win came on Thanksgiving Day, when he captured the Mr. Sulu S. at Fair Grounds by 6 1/2 lengths. James Graham was in the saddle on that occasion and takes back the ride here...

Alternation (Distorted Humor), one of the notable sophomores of 2011, opens his four-year-old campaign in Saturday's $100,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Two for three at the Hot Springs, Arkansas, track last year, the Donnie Von Hemel colt suffered his only local loss when a slow-starting fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Alternation rebounded with a victory in the Grade 2 Peter Pan, but didn't run up to that level in his next two, posting a pair of fourths in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 2 Super Derby. He ended the year on a positive note with a close second to Redeemed (Include) in the October 16 Oklahoma Derby. Alternation will meet the respective top four finishers from the January 13 Fifth Season over this same track and 1 1/16-mile trip -- Color Me Blue (Flatter), Twice the Appeal (Successful Appeal), It Happened Again (Proud Citizen) and Racing Bran (Awesome Again), who seeks to reclaim the Essex title he won back in 2010. Of the quartet, Twice the Appeal has the most upside. Last year's Grade 3 Sunland Derby winner was sidelined by injury following his 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and returned with a tough-beat second in the Fifth Season. It Happened Again, hero of the Grade 3 Razorback here last meet, was compromised by traffic problems in the Fifth Season and is eligible to do better with a clean trip...

Phantom Fury (Devil His Due), who has won his past two by a total of nearly 19 lengths, makes his stakes debut in Saturday's $50,000 W.E.B.N. Stakes at Turfway Park. Reminiscent of champion Hansen's showy performances at Turfway last fall, the gray Phantom Fury has run his rivals off their feet. The Michael Lauer pupil dominated a maiden before romping in an entry-level optional claimer at this same one-mile distance over the Polytrack. Phantom Fury steps up to face a duo from the barn of Hansen's trainer, Mike Maker. Mr. Prankster (It's No Joke) was a 3 1/2-length winner of the January 7 Turfway Prevue, the first leg of the track's sophomore series, over his stablemate Magical Season (Value Plus). But Mr. Prankster must answer the two-turn question in this spot. While never worse than second in sprints, he faded badly in his only prior route attempt in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club last November and wound up last. Other contenders include Keeneland maiden winner Tiz Tee Time (Tiznow), who has fired a couple of bullet works recently for Phil Sims; Antique Wedding (Chapel Royal), who comes off a second-level allowance victory at Mountaineer; and Turfway Prevue third Frankie Is Rock...

On Saturday, recent DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship winner Michael Beychok and well-known Democratic Party strategist and political commentator James Carville will be guests of Dave Johnson and Bill Finley on their weekly radio show, "Down the Stretch." The program can be heard on Sirius Channel 93 and XM Channel 209, starting at 10 a.m. (EST)...

Survivors in ShowVivor were down to a lucky seven entering Friday's races.

On the California worktab

The Factor (War Front), hero of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes to close out his sophomore season, sizzled a bullet three-quarters in 1:11 4/5 on Friday over the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park. Trainer Bob Baffert has mentioned the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31 as a potential target. If international travel is not in his future, the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on February 25 would be a likely starting point.

Morning Line (Tiznow), unplaced twice following a score in last April's Grade 1 Carter Handicap, logged five-eighths in 1:02. On the comeback trail from surgery to remove bone chips from both knees, he is now with trainer John Shirreffs.

Grade 2 winner Anthony's Cross (Indian Charlie), unraced since a fifth-placing in last April's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, sped four furlongs in :47 1/5.

Multiple Grade 3 winner Mr Gruff (Mr. Greeley), a dead-heat third in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes to start the year, breezed five panels in 1:00 4/5.

Eblouissante (Bernardini), the unraced sophomore half-sister to Zenyatta, worked five furlongs in 1:01 3/5.

Dual Grade 1 victor The Usual Q. T. (Unusual Heat), third in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes in his 2012 debut, sauntered six furlongs in 1:15 3/5 on Santa Anita's fast dirt. The Jim Cassidy runner is expected to go in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes on February 11.

"I got him in 1:14 2/5," Cassidy remarked. "He came home really fast."

Jockey Victor Espinoza, who was aboard for the move, commented, "He went nice and easy."

Grade 2 diva Great Hot (Orientate), runner-up in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes to start her four-year-old campaign, blitzed a co-bullet five furlongs in :59 2/5.

Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship third Night Tide (Malibu Moon) clocked six panels in 1:12 4/5.

On the Florida worktab

Grade 1 winner Grace Hall (Empire Maker), readying for the Grade 2 Davona Dale on February 25, blasted four furlongs in a bullet :46 3/5 over the fast dirt at Palm Meadows on Friday. She was second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last time.

Grade 1 scorer Capt. Candyman Can (Candy Ride), a close fourth in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector on New Year's Eve off a near seven-month break, covered five furlongs in 1:03 4/5.

Grade 2 victor Pants on Fire (Jump Start), fifth in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational when last seen in July, worked four furlongs in :48 3/5.

Grade 2 Remsen runner-up Souper Speedy (Indian Charlie) stepped in :52 1/5. Trainer Tom Albertrani hopes to have his charge ready for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on February 26.

Grade 3 queen Pica Slew (Pico Central), a good second when returning from a 10 1/2-month layoff in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl on December 10, exercised five furlongs in 1:01 3/5.

Grade 3 Durham Cup winner City Wolf (Giant's Causeway), unplaced in the Grade 2 Autumn when last seen in mid-November, breezed in 1:03.

Grade 2 Saratoga Special runner-up Stat (Unbridled's Song) went in 1:00 3/5.

Multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Belle of the Hall (Graeme Hall), an allowance winner on January 20, traveled a half-mile in :52.

Grade 2-placed Center Divider (Giant's Causeway), an allowance winner on January 21, toured in :49 4/5.

Grade 3-placed stakes victress Maple Forest (Forestry), second in the Positive Gal in her sophomore finale, recorded her five-furlong move in 1:00 3/5.

Grade 3 Schuylerville runner-up True Feelings (Latent Heat), unraced since a fifth in the Grade 1 Spinaway in early September, turned four furlongs in :48 3/5.

Over the fast main track at Gulfstream Park, Grade 3 winner Derby Kitten (Kitten's Joy) traveled in :51 2/5. He was fifth behind Center Divider in the aforementioned allowance.

Grade 2 Golden Rod runner-up Goldrush Girl (Political Force) breezed in :49.

Grade 3-placed stakes winner Will's Wildcat (Eurosilver), the trailer in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope, zipped in :47 3/5.

On the Louisiana worktab

Grade 2 victor Chamberlain Bridge (War Chant), winner of the Bonapaw Stakes in mid-December, sped a co-bullet half-mile in :48 over Fair Grounds' fast dirt on Friday.

Grade 3 scorer Wilkinson (Lemon Drop Kid), last seen finishing second in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes in early November, turned three furlongs in :39 2/5.

Dual Grade 3 hero Mister Marti Gras (Belong to Me), most recently fourth in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, traveled five furlongs in 1:01 3/5. The Grade 3 Mineshaft on February 25 is likely next on his agenda.

Bloemer Girl (Bertrando), who returned from a five-length maiden win to take the Sweet Life Stakes 21 days later, logged five-eighths in 1:00 1/5.

Nice maiden winner Tetradrachm (Badge of Silver) posted four panels in :49 4/5 for trainer Paul McGee, who could point his sophomore to a first-level allowance next out.

On the Arkansas worktab

Grade 1 winner Shotgun Gulch (Thunder Gulch) fired a bullet workout Friday morning at Oaklawn Park for owner/trainer C.R. Trout and remains pointed toward the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes on March 17 for her 2012 return to action.

Under jockey Luis Quinonez, the five-year-old mare breezed a half-mile in :48 2/5 over the good track. It was the second drill of the year for Shotgun Gulch after she zipped three furlongs in :35 4/5 on January 27 in her first move since going back in training this winter.

"She did it with her ears pricked," Trout said of Friday's work.

Shotgun Gulch will return to competition having last been seen running off-the-board in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on October 8 at Keeneland.

Spadra (Wildcat Shoes), who captured her career debut in the Lady Razorback Futurity last September, logged five furlongs from the gate in 1:03 1/5.

On the Maryland worktab

Grade 2 Matron heroine Millionreasonswhy (Grand Slam), second by a neck to eventual champion My Miss Aurelia in the Grade 2 Adirondack, worked five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 over the fast main track at Laurel on Friday.

Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf winner Humble and Hungry (Limehouse) toured in 1:02 2/5.

For Saturday or Next Raceday

OFF TRACK

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

Horse Communicator

by Jordan Strickler

We are going way off track here. I was at the Fasig-Tipton sales a while back, and I see this van advertising a "Horse Communicator." Well, I looked at that for a bit and had a pretty good idea what my next article was going to be about.

To learn more about this interesting occupation, I had the pleasure of talking to Raphaela Pope, a horse communicator who has been featured on numerous national and international radio and television programs. She is a practicing telepathic communicator who has made her living for many years talking to animals about life and death, about health and behavior problems, asking their opinions and discovering their desires.

Horse communication is pretty much what it sounds like. It is the ability to communicate with our equine friends to get a better idea of their emotions, feelings and opinions.

Not quite Dr. Dolittle, but still pretty darn cool.

"Telepathic communication with animals is not as weird or as spooky as it might sound like," Pope said.

The way telepathic communication works is simple. You send your thoughts to the animal, and the animal sends its thoughts back. The communicator then receives these thoughts as feelings, pictures, images or sometimes even words. Lots of times it's a physical or emotional feeling. The animal can usually give you symptoms of how they feel.

"Think of it like a radio that can be tuned to different stations if you have the properly equipped receiver. It doesn't matter whether the animal is in the same room, same neighborhood or even the same state."

Heck, they don't even have to be alive.

"It's pretty much exactly like talking to another animal. Just ask for a few physical characteristics and you can communicate with them."

The majority of calls dealing with horses usually stem from physical issues. People want to know how their horses are feeling. They tend to have more physical issues than other species, Pope said. From all of the different things we ask them to do, they tend to be affected both physically, mentally and socially.

"One of the biggest things that people call about for performanceshorses will be if they have pain that's keeping them from performing. We ask them to do a lot of unnatural things."

Mentally, it turns out horses aren't actually that much different their human counterparts.

"I talked to a racehorse once who was so pumped because he had just won a race. Well, it turns out it was nose and nose, but I wasn't telling him that he was second. He thought he had won, and I didn't disillusion him."

And are racehorses as cocky as their owners?

"Oh God yes. They know if they've done well. You bet they do. If they've won a race, they will tell you. Sometimes they'll give you a blow-by-blow of the race. You can feel the physical sensations; the dirt hitting you in the face and hitting you in the chest. It's very visceral."

Also like humans, they can feel downcast after losing.

"They can't console themselves and say it was good conditioning, they just know they didn't do well. It's very hard on them."

According to Pope, we are all born with the ability as kids but most of us lose the ability to speak with animals as we grow older.

"Many children do it, but most of us give up this means of communication when we learn to speak. Like a lot of animal communicators, I was born just loving animals, in particular horses."

The good news (unless you really don't want to know what your cat thinks of you) is that you can regain the ability via Animal Communicator workshops like Raphaela did when she began to pursue her career.

"I just thought, God, if this for real, this would just be the coolest thing I have ever heard of. I became convinced that it was for real. It is a pretty fascinating world. I took a bunch of classes and started assisting at workshops and just gradually started developing my skills."

If this is true for her, it should also be true for you and me. With this encouragement, I began the process of attempting to communicate with my Quarter Horse.

Unlike Ms. Pope, however, my horse could not be reached for comment.

***

If you have any type of equine job you have always been curious about, but can't blindly call anybody out of the blue with the "reporter" excuse, drop me a note at Jordan.Strickler@brisnet.com. I'll find someone who will put up with my questions so I can answer yours.

HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

by Dick Powell

Gulfstream's road to the Kentucky Derby got underway on Sunday with the Grade 3, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes going a one-turn mile. Run over a sloppy track that was sealed after race one in anticipation of showers that eventually hit around race five, it attracted last year's juvenile champion Hansen who was making his seasonal debut.

Horses making the change from two to three are usually vulnerable in their first start. Their trainers are looking ahead to the Derby and their training regimen is not geared to being 100 percent fit first time out. They want to build up to the Derby and not have a grueling effort to start off their season.

Hansen was undefeated in three starts last year and Mike Maker decided on the Holy Bull to get this season underway. With his brilliant, front-end speed, Hansen probably would have been better off going two turns first out, but a one-turn mile can give a horse a lot of conditioning and that's what Maker got out of the race.

At the start, Hansen ducked in and took a few strides to straighten out. Ramon Dominguez got him going but Hansen, fresh from the layoff, ran the first quarter in :23.64, which is very fast considering how little the run-up is for one-mile races at Gulfstream. He threw in a :22.03 second quarter and opened up a clear lead on the sloppy track going into the turn.

Javier Castellano had Algorithms closing the gap while racing wide around the turn and loomed boldly turning for home. Hansen was all out after three quarters in 1:10.21 and came up empty in the stretch as Algorithms surged to a five-length margin at the wire. Hansen held on for second and My Adonis rallied from far back to get third.

The winner is owned by Starlight Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher. He was only the 18th most expensive yearling by Bernardini sold two years ago and is now three for three. After posting a sharp debut winner last June at Belmont, he was unsighted until his allowance return at Gulfstream when he won going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Algorithms is a half-brother to Keyed Entry, who won the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes in 2006 on a sloppy track similar to Saturday's and was also owned by Starlight Racing. Algorithms has won both of his starts on fast tracks so he doesn't need it wet to run his best but if it does come up wet at Churchill on the first Saturday in May, watch out.

Unlike last year when the three-year-olds all had a hard time breaking 100 with their BRIS Speed ratings going into the Derby, Algorithms ran a 105 which is higher than any Derby prep race winner earned last year. Hopefully it's a sign of good things to come.

This week, the action shifts to Santa Anita as the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis will be held at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. It has attracted the first two finishers from December's Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and five others going for their share of the $200,000 in graded earnings.

Liaison was a late-developing juvenile last year for Bob Baffert that emerged with a win in the listed Real Quiet Stakes and then recorded a game victory in the Futurity. Even with only four starts under his belt, he shows a great deal of maturity and gives his rider many options. He has speed but is able to relax nicely to save as much as he can for the deep stretch.

When handicapping Derby prep races, forget how you think the horse might run going 1 1/4 miles and focus on today's task. Whether you think Liaison is a Derby horse or not, the issue is how will he run in the Robert Lewis? I never thought Brother Derek would win the Derby, but I didn't think he could lose any of his Derby prep races either (won all three preps in 2006).

Rousing Sermon rallied for second in the Real Quiet and then missed by a neck last out in the Futurity. He broke his maiden first out going five furlongs last June at Hollywood Park but as the races have grown longer, he has dropped farther behind before unleashing a devastating late kick. In his last three races going two turns, he has earned final BRIS Pace figures of 102, 106, and 105. He'll be up against it on Saturday since the small field will probably ensure a slow pace, but all Jerry Hollendorfer wants to see is the late energy he had been showing.

Aqueduct has bumped up the purses for all its three-year-old prep races and Grade 3, $200,000 Withers Stakes will be offered this Saturday. It has attracted Alpha, winner of the Count Fleet Stakes last out, who is on the cusp of becoming a serious classic contender. When he won the Count Fleet, it was his first start with Lasix and he ran a 100 BRIS Speed rating which puts him into the mix of classic horses. Now, he has to start collecting graded stakes earnings and there's $120,000 available to the winner.

The NYRA road to the Triple Crown will continue on March 3 with the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes and the $1million Wood Memorial on April 7. That's $1.6 million beginning on Saturday in the Withers and Alpha will have plenty of opportunity to gain enough graded stakes earnings to be there on Derby Day.

SPOT PLAYS

For Saturday

HIGHLIGHTS

For Saturday

*all times Eastern

HANDICAPPER'S EDGE is compiled by Bloodstock Research Information Services. This newsletter may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Copyright 2011, Bloodstock Research Information Services. Information as to the races, race results and earnings was obtained from Equibase Company LLC and is utilized herein with the permission of the copyright owner, Equibase Company LLC.

Brisnet.com offers specialized information for
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