Archive for June 2016

2016 United Nations Stakes Preview

Most of the week we focus on the Iowa Festival of Racing, with previews of stakes action at Prairie Meadows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  However, the grass division gets their day in the sun with the Grade I United Nations Stakes. The United Nations Stakes has been run since 1953.  Inaugurated at Atlantic City... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 29, 2016 at 8:56 pm
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2016 Iowa Festival of Racing Preview: Saturday

For three (this year instead of the usual two) nights, Prairie Meadows puts on its Iowa Festival of Racing.  The Friday night on the festival program features two stakes while the Thursday program features two and the  Saturday night program features two. Night three, the Saturday program, is the focus of this Picks & Ponderings... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
June 29, 2016 at 8:47 pm
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2016 Iowa Festival of Racing Preview: Friday

For three (this year instead of the usual two) nights, Prairie Meadows puts on its Iowa Festival of Racing.  The Friday night on the festival program features two stake while the Thursday program a night before features two and the  Saturday night program features two. Night two, the Friday program, is the focus of this... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
June 27, 2016 at 10:26 pm
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2016 Iowa Festival of Racing Preview: Thursday

This weekend, Picks and Ponderings takes a [figurative] road trip to Iowa for the Iowa Festival of Racing.  The Festival has been stretched across three days this year, with two stakes races on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The focus of this preview will be Thursday’s stakes races: the Saylorville, a listed sprint for distaff dirt... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 27, 2016 at 4:31 pm
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A Winning Homecoming for SARAH SIS in the Chicago Handicap

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — Just as we had not seen the Chicago Handicap at Arlington since the summer of 2014, we had not seen SARAH SIS here on race day since then.  Two years ago, as a juvenile, SARAH SIS marked herself a rising star right here on the local polytrack.  She won her debut by... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 25, 2016 at 5:56 pm
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2016 Ohio Derby Preview

Once upon a time, Ohio had at least one graded stakes race. (In fact, more than one when counting action from downstate River Downs – now Belterra Park.) The richest of those races was the Ohio Derby, named for the state in which our race resides, and contested at Thistledown near Cleveland. The Ohio Derby... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
June 22, 2016 at 9:53 pm
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2016 Gold Cup at Santa Anita and Triple Bend Stakes Preview

Saturday’s card at Santa Anita features a pair of Grade I races, which form the focus of this piece.  The handicap division takes the spotlight in The Gold Cup at Santa Anita, a mile and a quarter test that offers a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to its winner.  Extended sprint specialists also get... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 22, 2016 at 8:55 pm
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2016 Chicago Handicap Preview

Our feature race this week at Arlington is the Grade Three, $100,000 Chicago Handicap on the polytrack.  Named for the urban area an hour west of Arlington International, the race has comfortably settled into  a late-June/early-July fixture. It carries a Grade 3 ranking, a purse of $150,000, and is a solid race on the calendar... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
June 22, 2016 at 8:47 pm
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STORMIN ELLE, CAMMACK Reward Patient Connections with Stakes Wins at Arlington Park

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — Earlier this year, CAMMACK and STORMIN ELLE each returned to the racetrack after being laid off for over a year.  CAMMACK returned at Tampa Bay Downs in February, was second in his first start back, and then had rattled off a pair of wins leading into today.  STORMIN ELLE’s return had been... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 18, 2016 at 11:05 pm
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Royal Ascot, Day Five: Diamond Jubilee Stakes Preview

Royal Ascot, five days of top-class turf racing, draws to a close on Saturday.  Continuing our look at the Group I events of the meet, this piece looks at Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Back on American shores, Paul Mazur has a look at stakes racing at two different tracks.  Saturday’s card at Arlington features a... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 16, 2016 at 11:46 pm
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