horse racing news from twinspires

I'll Have Another 'Hard to Pull Up'

dave — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:00:22 -0700

Article courtesy of Brisnet.com (via The Handicapper's Edge)

I'll Have Another galloped one mile under exercise rider Humberto Gomez this morning at Belmont Park, where on June 9 he will attempt to add the $1 million Belmont Stakes to his victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner.

It was the first gallop over Belmont's 1 1/2-mile track for I'll Have Another, who jogged the previous two days after arriving in New York Sunday. The Flower Alley colt, who is bidding to become the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years, was accompanied by his stable pony, Lava Man, as he made his way to the track shortly after the renovation break.

As a steady rain began to fall, Gomez kept I'll Have Another well off the rail toward the center of the track and the colt had his ears pricked forward as he rolled through the stretch before being pulled up on the clubhouse turn.

"He was a little hard to pull up," Gomez said. "He felt really good. We're happy because he came out of the last race very good. He handled the track very, very well."

"He looked super," added trainer Doug O'Neill's assistant, Jack Sisterson.

"One thing we were looking to see how he got over the track, stride-wise, and he looked fantastic. The rider said he felt good, and he's happy, so we're happy."

Since 1919, 30 horses have entered the 1 1/2-mile Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown, and 11 have succeeded, most recently Affirmed in 1978.

Big Brown in 2008 was the last horse of 19 horses to have come up short in an attempt to sweep the series, and on June 9 there will be as many as 11 horses lined up to play the role of spoiler: Alpha, Atigun, Dullahan, Five Sixteen, Guyana Star Dweej, Optimizer, Paynter, Ravelo's Boy, Street Life, Union Rags and Unstoppable U.

Ravelo's Boy Works for Possible Belmont Start

dave — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:58:03 -0700

Original Story feat. in Handicapper's Edge (via Brisnet.com):

Korina Stable's Ravelo's Boy sizzled a half-mile in :46 3/5 over a wet-fast track at Calder Thursday morning as the son of Lawyer Ron continues preparations for his next start, which could come in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

"The Belmont is an option," trainer Manny Azpurua admitted on Thursday. "But we're not ready to say for sure that's where we are running. So far he's doing everything right, and he just flew over the track this morning."

The work, which was two seconds faster than any Thursday Calder move at the distance, was the second published workout in five days for Ravelo's Boy. The colt's Belmont audition will continue in three days when he is scheduled to visit the Calder main track yet again.

"We won't make any official decision until after Sunday," Azpurua said. "(Jockey Alex) Solis is coming down to get on him. They'll go to the track about 7:30 a.m. (EDT) and after that we'll have a better idea where we are going. If it is the Belmont, we'll probably just gallop him up to the race."

Ravelo's Boy hasn't started since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 10.

"He had some problems after the Tampa race," Azpurua explained. "Nothing too bad, but he needed some time off. And that time off has been good for him."

Ravelo's Boy will be seeking his first stakes win if he goes in the Belmont. The chestnut colt made his black-type debut last July in a listed stakes at Calder, where he ran sixth, and didn't face stakes company again until starting in the Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year's Day, where he finished fifth. The sophomore was fourth by only 1 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes prior to the Tampa Bay Derby.

Irish Guineas Festival - 2000 Guineas Sat. (5/26) & 1000 Guineas Sun. (5/27)

davidsp — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:35:33 -0700

The 2012 summer racing season at the Curragh starts with the two spectacular race days this Saturday and Sunday with the Abu Dhabi Irish Guineas Festival.

The first classic of the Irish racing season, the Group 1 Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas for Europe's top colts, is set for Saturday and the Group 1 Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas is set for Sunday.

The action from The Curragh on TwinSpires starts at 9:10am ET on Saturday and 9:30am ET on Sunday.