Archive for December 2014

2015 Santa Ynez Stakes Preview

January 1st serves as a universal birthday for all northern hemisphere race horses.  Regardless of foal date, everyone gets a year older.  And with that, the sophomores of 2014 now become four-year-olds thrust into open company.  Additionally the juveniles become three-year-olds as well.  Those three-year-olds are the focus of this week’s races at Picks &... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
December 31, 2014 at 10:43 pm
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2015 Jerome Stakes Preview

The new year may be three days old by Saturday, but it is the Grade III Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct that kicks off the year as far as the Kentucky Derby trail is concerned.  To start the new year on the Kentucky Oaks trail, make sure to read Paul Mazur’s preview of the Santa Ynez... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
December 31, 2014 at 6:55 pm
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2014 McKnight Handicap Day Stakes Preview

On the 26th of December, Santa Anita opens for its meeting with its traditional opening day feature of the G1 Malibu Stakes. And Nicolle breaks down the three graded stakes on the Friday Santa Anita program. With the opening of Santa Anita, it’s the start (if not already in earnest) of the winter racing season... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
December 24, 2014 at 4:55 pm
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2014 Malibu Stakes Day Preview

The Winter/Spring Meet at Santa Anita traditionally begins the day after Christmas, and this year is no exception.  With the beginning of the new season come the final chances for three-year-olds to run against their own age group before being turned loose in the older horse divisions come January 1st.  The opening day card features... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
December 24, 2014 at 12:03 am
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2014 Prairie Bayou Stakes Preview

With the stakes season at Hawthorne over for the winter, Paul headed west to check in on some promising juveniles running in the Los Alamitos Futurity (GI).  I head southeast to Turfway Park, which drew a full field of three-and-up types ready to go eight and a half furlongs on the polytrack for their share... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
December 18, 2014 at 9:52 pm
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2014 Los Alamitos Futurity Preview

Only one graded stakes is contested in the United States this weekend, yet it’s a goodie.  The G1 Los Alamitos Futurity is that graded stakes race and the focus of this space.  The name might throw a racing newcomer off, but this Grade One is essentially the CashCall Futurity at a different venue. For what... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
December 17, 2014 at 8:22 pm
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2014 Jim Edgar and Pat Whitworth Recap

STICKNEY/CICERO — It is mid-December at Hawthorne, but one would hardly know it.  The mercury edged close to fifty degrees, and not a flake of snow could be found on the ground.  The crowd was lively, particularly due to the celebration for race caller Peter Galassi, who was calling his 65,000th race this weekend.  Though... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
December 13, 2014 at 7:53 pm
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2014 Starlet Stakes Preview

The focus out east is on the older set.  A group of three-and-up dirt sprinters clashes in the Sugar Swirl Stakes (GIII) at Gulfstream, opening the graded stakes portion of their winter meet.  Start heading west, and the focus falls more and more sharply on the two-year-old set.  Saturday at Hawthorne is the final stakes... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
December 10, 2014 at 10:38 pm
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2014 Edgar Futurity & Whitworth Debutante Preview

Typically, the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity and Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante are positioned as the last two stakes of the season in Chicago.  In recent years, the girls have gone a week before the boys and the Edgar is the year’s last stakes.  This year, both stakes share a single date. Once again, the Edgar... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
December 10, 2014 at 8:00 pm
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2014 Sugar Swirl Stakes Preview

This week features the last two stakes of the year in Chicago, the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity and Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante for Illinois-bred juveniles. This week also features a seminal Grade One for frosh fillies, the Starlet Stakes (formerly Hollywood Starlet) from Los Alamitos. And for the second straight week, Picks & Ponderings also... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
December 10, 2014 at 3:25 pm
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