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Updates From the Past--2007
Stormy Jack Gets His 4th First-Crop Winner
     Hyper Speed Howard was poised to win Thursday at Bay Meadows, and he did, becoming the fourth member of Stormy Jack's first crop to reach the winner's circle.
     It was Hyper Speed Howard's second start, following a third-place finish three weeks earlier at Bay Meadows, and bettors sent him off as the odds-on favorite. He complied, pressing the early leader, then taking the lead coming out of the turn in the six-furlong race, and holding steady the rest of the way to win by a length and a half.
     Stormy Jack's first runners have stacked up a near-perfect record with four winners from five starters; all broke their maidens in their second starts. He has reinforcements on the way; 34 of his 2-year-olds are still coming to the races.
     Hyper Speed Howard was bred by Gary and Marlene Howard and is owned by the Howards, Koserco LLC, and Greg Veatch. He was ridden to victory by Jose Martinez Campos.
     Stormy Jack, a son of Bertrando, won eight races--four of them stakes--and earned $596,673. He stands at G  & M Thoroughbreds, Hemet, Calif.--September 29.

Another Lit de Justice Wire-to-Wire Winner 
     As befits an Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, Lit de Justice's runners aren't just winning, they're winning wire to wire.
     Twice Justified became the 17th winner from Lit de Justice's first California crop Thursday at Presque Isle Downs, and like most of his contemporaries, he led all the way, from the gate to the wire.
     Those 17 combined with three from his second crop give Lit de Justice 20 California-sired winners, and the great majority of them broke their maidens in wire-to-wire victories.
     Twice Justified got out of the gate first and pulled two lengths in front at the top of the stretch, but she was challenged and had to fight to reach the finish a neck in front after 5 1/2 furlongs.
     It was her fourth start in a curious cross-country tour. She began her career by racing unplaced in $25,000 maiden claiming races at Hollywood Park and Del Mar, then turned up at Turfway Park, where she ran second for $7,500 maiden claiming.
     Then, two weeks later, she took a great leap upward, entered in a maiden special weight race carrying a purse of $70,000 at the new Erie, Pa., track.
     And she won, pocketing a winner's purse of $30,000, which amounted to almost her entire career earnings of $32,200.
     On the same day that Twice Justified broke her maiden, Pure Justice became the third three-time winner from Lit de Justice's first California crop, coming from behind to score by a head at Bay Meadows. It was his second win in a row and increased his earnings to $25,252.
     Pure Justice was bred by Julius H. Zolezzi, is owned by Theresa and Edward DeNike, and is trained by Lloyd Mason. Twice Justified was bred by Todd Gerbovaz and is owned and trained by William E. Hall. Both horses are California-breds.
     Lit de Justice, sire of earners of more than $15,500,000 from eight crops sired in Kentucky and California, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 29.


Game Plan Filly Moves Closer to Graded Goal
     Lady Gamer moved a step closer to winning her first graded stakes race when she racked up a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Handicap Wednesday at Santa Anita, missing that sought-after victory by just a half-length.
     The 4-year-old daughter of Game Plan has moved steadily up the ladder in her last five starts, winning two allowance races, winning an ungraded stakes race, then running third in a Grade 3 race before improving to second in the Grade 3 Maddy.
     She's still seeking that graded victory, but her record already is impressive. She's earned $209,590 in just 10 starts at 3 and 4, with four wins, three seconds, one third, and one fourth--off the board just once. She's raced only at Southern California's three major tracks: Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Santa Anita.
     Under jockey David Flores, she mounted a late charge in the 6 1/2-furlong Maddy, moving from fourth into a challenging position in the stretch, but just as she was targeting the front-running leader another horse slipped through on the rail to steal the lead and hold off Lady Gamer in the run to the wire, winning by a half-length.
     Lady Gamer, bred in California by her owners, Clark and Janine Hansen, is trained by John Sadler.
     Game Plan, a son of Danzig, is the sire of 29 stakes horses and earners of more than $8,300,000. He stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 28.


Siberian Summer Colt Tops at Pleasanton
     A gray or roan colt by Grade 1-winner Siberian Summer sold for $40,000 to become the high-seller at Tuesday's Northern California yearling sale at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
     The top-selling filly, a daughter of Royal Cat, went for $32,000.
     Bred by Fred and LeAnn Lercari's Lercari Thoroughbreds in Wilton, the colt was purchased by Richard A. Franco of Modesto. The colt was managed at the sale by Jack and Barb Hatch's Green Acre Stables, Inc.
     The colt is the fourth foal produced by La Charita, an 11-year-old unplaced daughter of Hansel. She's out of Carita Tostada (Chi), a multiple Grade 1 winner in Chile who's produced American graded winners Shaconage ($533,712) and Jadada ($449,088) and Grade 1-placed Chile Catte ($317,315), dam of Del Mar Futurity winner Horse Greeley.
     The Royal Cat filly, consigned by Old English Rancho as agent for her breeder, Larry and Sheila Ullmann's SLU, Inc., was purchased by Sierra Sunset, LLC of Zephyr Cove, Nev.
     She's out of stakes-placed Aloha Mangos, by Bold Badgett, dam of 2007 stakes winner Run Bother Ron and stakes-placed Aloha Mangos Kitty, a full sister to the sale filly.
     Siberian Summer, a stakes winner of six races and $501,615, has sired 17 stakes horses, including California champion Dream of Summer ($1,191,150), Summer Wind Dancer ($898,762) and world record-setter Scottsbluff ($321,408).
     His 2008 location has not been announced.
     Royal Cat, a winnng son of Storm Cat, also sired the sale-topper at the 2004 Pleasanton sale. He stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--September 27.


Good Journey Gets 3rd Winner Down Under
     Good Journeyhas left Australia for California, but the Grade 1-winning son of Nureyev has left runners Down Under.
     Sound Journey became the third winner from his first Australian crop Monday when he captured the Melrose Airport Parking Maiden at Kilmore racecourse, covering 1,212 meters in 1:12.27.
     He finished first by three quarters of a length in the field of 12.
     Earlier, Across the States and Grand Journey had reached the winner's circle. They are from the first of four crops that Good Journey sired after retiring to the stud in Australia.
     Good Journey won the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Atto Mile Stakes and three other graded stakes races and placed in another three, retiring at 7 with earnings of $1,733,058.
     He returned to the U. S. to stand the 2007 breeding season at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif., where he will stand again in 2008.--September 27.


Game Plan Welcomes a Bright New Star
     Celtic Dreamin, the brightest new star in Game Plan's sky, announced his arrival in the upper levels of Thoroughbred competition Sunday with a resounding victory in the $200,000-added British Columbia Breeders' Cup Derby at Hastings Racecourse.
     The Grade 3 event was Celtic Dreamin's first venture into stakes company, and it could hardly have been more successful as he delivered a 5 1/2-length trouncing of nine rivals.
     Celtic Dreamin, who shipped all the way from Southern California for his stakes debut, now boasts a record of five wins in six career starts, all as a 3-year-old. His earnings total $269,583.
     That swelling bankroll is a triumph for owner K. K. Sangara and trainer Rafael Becerra, who claimed the gelding for Sangara in his first start, a 2 1/2-length win in a $40,000 claiming race at Santa Anita in April.
     Celtic Dreamin won that race and has had an almost perfect record since, winning three allowance races and missing a fourth victory by a nose in a fourth. His record now shows five wins in six starts.
     He was bred in California by Rainbow Meadows Farm and was ridden in the Derby by Gerry Olguin.
     Celtic Dreamin is Game Plan's 29th stakes horse--14 stakes winners, 15 stakes-placed. He stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--September 25.


Tribunal Boosts Lead in 2nd-Crop Sire Race
     Tribunal continued his charge toward his second consecutive Washington sire championship Sunday when  favored Frontier Deputy rallied in the final sixteenth to win for the second time at Emerald Downs.
     The purse for that victory increased Tribunal's career sire earnings to $499,507, a total far in excess of that of any of his rivals for the state's second-crop sire title. Tribunal was honored last year as Washington's champion freshman sire.
     Sunday's win was the second for Frontier Deputy, who moved from seventh in the nine-horse field in the one-mile race to close steadily and get up to win in the final stages under jockey Ricky Frazier.
     His record now shows two wins, three seconds, and three thirds in 14 starts, good for earnings of $15,502.
     Bred in Washington by Renee Larrabee, Frontier Deputy is owned by Three Ducks Stable and trained by Aubrey Villyard.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--September 25.


Wandering Ended, Sweet Belle Finds Success
     Now that she's no longer shipping all around the country, Deputy Commander's 4-year-old daughter Sweet Belle is tasting sweet success.
     The Kentucky-bred registered her second stakes-placing and added to her swelling earnings total Friday with a second-place finish in the $100,000 Las Madrinas Handicap at Fairplex Park. 
     After criss-crossing the country through her first two seasons on the track, Sweet Belle finally settled down in California to begin her 2007 campaign, and her  career has blossomed. Her 10 starts this year have earned her $156,675; in seven starts at 2 and 3, the total was just $72,213.
     Her cross-country odyssey began soon after she ran second at Churchill Downs in her career debut on November 8 of her 2-year-old season. She won two of her next three starts, all at Santa Anita, faltering only with a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.
     Then she was back on the road again to run sixth in the Grade 3 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs and then shipping for allowance races at Belmont Park and back again at Churchill Downs.
     She returned to Southern California to open her 4-year-old season, racing one last time for trainer Wally Dollase before switching to Jose DeLima, in whose barn she's been unplaced only twice in nine starts at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Fairplex Park.
     Along the way she burnished her credentials with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita in April and increased her career earnings to $228,888.
     She's owned by Goold Family Trust 2005 and Chris York and trained by DeLima. She was bred by Cypress Farms 1991 and was ridden in the Las Madrinas by Tyler Baze.
     Deputy Commander, sire of earners of more than $17,200,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--September 23.


Olympio Increases Stakes-Horse Total to 40
     Olympio added still another name to his lengthy roster of stakes horses Friday when Bold Cara took second in the $45,000 West Mesa Handicap at Albuquerque.
     In only her second venture into added-money company, the 4-year-old California-bred struggled to overtake the front-running leader throughout the stretch but could never catch up and settled for second place, a length and a quarter behind.
     She nevertheless became the 40th stakes horse sired by Olympio--25 stakes winners, 15 stakes-placed.
     In her only other stakes start, Bold Cara finished fifth in the Permian Basin Stakes at Zia Park, but in Friday's race she was always in contention and earned her first black type.
     In 12 career starts, she's finished first twice, second twice, and third twice for earnings of $33,642.
     Bred by John J. Zamora, she's owned by Jerry M. Thomason and trained by Dooley Guinn. Her rider in the West Mesa was Miguel Perez.
     Olympio, a millionaire sire of earners of more than $17,600,000, stands at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds, Vacaville, Calif.--September 23.


Decarchy Gains a Third First-Crop Winner
     First-crop sire Decarchy recorded his third winner Thursday at Fairplex Park when Onefunsonofagun triumphed in a stern stretch battle in her first career start.
     All three of the winners sired by the multiple graded stakes-winner were victorious in their first starts, and all remain undefeated.
     Onefunsonofagun raced close to the leaders early in the four-furlong race, gradually moving up and engaging the leader entering the stretch. She continued to exert pressure and got up in the final strides to win by a neck under jockey Joseph Talermo.
     She was bred in California by her owner, Justin Kengye, and is trained by Brian Koriner.
     Decarchy won the Grade 2 Frank E. Kilroe Handicap at Golden Gate Fields and the Grade 3 Tanforan Handicap at Golden Gate Fields and placed in five other graded stakes races, including the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar. He earned $703,863 in 19 starts over five seasons.
     Decarchy stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 22.


Lit de Justice Cal-Crop Winner Scores Again
     Gotta Getcha combined a late rally with clever tactics to become the second three-time winner from Lit de Justice's first California crop Thursday at Fairplex Park.
     The 3-year-old joins one four-time winner and four double winners from the first crop sired by the champion sprinter after his arrival in California from Kentucky. In all, 16 runners from that crop have reached the winner's circle, as have three from his second California crop.
     Gotta Getcha raced in the middle of the nine-horse pack to the final turn, where he launched a strong bid that was enhanced by an opening that jockey Martin Pedroza found along the rail. Gotta Getcha slipped through and got up to win by a  head.
     Gotta Getcha was bred in California by Magali Ventures, LLC, and is owned by Charles Lo. He's trained by Chuck Peery.
     Lit de Justice, sire of 29 stakes horses and earners of more than $15,500,000, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 22.


19th Cal-Crop Winner for Lit de Justice
     Following the familiar pattern of victories by his classmates, Themis Valentine shook off an early rival and led the rest of the way Wednesday at Fairplex Park to become the 16th winner from the first California crop of Lit de Justice.
     In addition, the Eclipse Award winner has three winners from the second crop he sired following his arrival in California from Kentucky--a total of 19.
     A majority of those 19 winners broke their maidens with wire-to-wire victories, and Themis Valentine came close to doing the same in the six-furlong maiden race. She rushed up to challenge the early leader, disposed of her within a quarter-mile, and went on to lead the rest of the way while under pressure through the stretch.
     Themis Valentine took her time reaching the winner's circle, breaking her maiden in her eighth start. She had two seconds and a third while still a maiden, and with her winner's purse from Wednesday's race now has earnings of $32,900.
     She was bred in California by Milton Allan Policzer, is owned by Policzer, Neil A. Hames and Owners Stable, and is trained by Doug O'Neill. She was ridden by Tyler Baze.
     Lit de Justice's 36 runners from his two California crops have earned more than $575,000. The 249 runners from all eight of his crops have earned more than $15,500,000.
     Lit de Justice stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 21.


Woodstead Sires Score in Washington Cup
     Runners sired by Woodstead Farm stallions, both past and present, scored victories in three of the seven stakes races offered in Sunday's fifth annual Washington Cup Day at Emerald Downs and placed in three of the other four.
     Katowice, Delineator, and He's Tops, all of the present Woodstead stallions with Washington crops, were represented, and so were Jazzing Around, who died earlier this year, and Defensive Play, who has left the state.
    The only present Woodstead sire left out was You and I, whose first Washington foals won't race until 2009.
     The Woodstead winners were No Constraints, by Katowice; Chickasaw Park, by Delineator; and Firetrain, by Defensive Play. Placing in Cup Day stakes were She's All Silk, by Delineator; Arrow Junction, by He's Tops; and Norm's Nephew, by Jazzing Around.
     Here's the scorecard:
     Delineator: Chickasaw Park first in the $45,000 Chinook Pass Sprint Stakes, and She's All Silk, third in the $45,000 Belle Roberts Stakes.
     Katowice: No Constraints first in the $45,000 Diane Kem Stakes.
     Defensive Play: Firetrain first in the $45,000 John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes.
     He's Tops: Arrow Junction second in the $45,000 Captain Condo Stakes.
     Jazzing Around: Norm's Nephew second in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic Stakes.
     Chickasaw Park is the only one of those who hadn't won or placed in a stakes race before Sunday. He became Delineator's 14th stakes winner and his 23rd stakes horse.
     Delineator, Katowice, and He's Tops stand at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--September 19.


Another Stakes Winner for Swiss Yodeler
     Swiss Current, already one of Swiss Yodeler's 27 stakes horses, became his 10th stakes winner with a comfortable victory in the $65,000 CTBA Marian Stakes Monday at Fairplex Park.
     The 3-year-old filly raced third, close to the leaders, until the field reached the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile event, then she moved to the front and steadily increased her lead to win by 2 1/4 lengths under jockey Aaron Gryder.
     It was her first stakes victory, but she wasn't earning her first black type. She ran second in the California Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes last October at Santa Anita. She finished fourth in two other stakes, including the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar in her start before the Marian.
     Swiss Current, who's never run in a claiming race, has three wins, four seconds, and a third in 14 starts, good for earnings of $208,460.
     She was bred and is owned by Tailwind Racing, Inc., and is trained by Dug O'Neill.
     Swiss Yodeler, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $761,442, is the sire of earners of more than $14,400,000. He stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 18.


Big, Big Day for El Dorado Farms Stallions
     El Dorado Farms sires had a huge day Sunday.
     Runners by all five of the farm's stallions with Washington foals won or placed in stakes races not only at Emerald Downs but in Canada as well.
     Private Gold's first foals are yearlings and Matty G's first Washington crop will arrive next year, but Flying With Eagles, Tribunal, Cahill Road, Free At Last, and Liberty Gold all added black type on a highly productive afternoon.
     Most of that black type was earned on the fifth annual Washington Cup Day's stakes-jammed card at Emerald Downs. The other came at the Lethbridge track in Alberta. 
     Here's the honor roll:
     Flying With Eagles: Exclusive Eagle first in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic Stakes, Gadget Queen second in the $45,000 John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes.
     Tribunal: Mulcahy first in the $45,000 Trooper Seven Stakes, Carrie's Choice third in the $45,000 John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes.
     Cahill Road: Wasserman third in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic Stakes, Classic Rox third in the $45,000 Diane Kem Stakes.
     Free At Last: Wild Cycle second in the $45,000 Trooper Seven Stakes.
     Those were all run at Emerald Downs. At Lethbridge, there was this:
     Liberty Gold: Hesademon first in the $16,200 Alberta Bred Stakes.
     Four of Sunday's runners were earning their first black type. They were 2-year-olds Hesademon and Classic Rox and 3-year-olds Carrie's Choice and Gadget Queen.
     Hesademon is Liberty Gold's second stakes winner and third stakes horse; Classic Rox is Cahill Road's 46th stakes horse, 28 of them stakes winners; Carrie's Choice is Tribunal's fifth stakes horse, two of them stakes winners; Gadget Queen is Flying With Eagles's fourth stakes horse, two of them stakes winners.
     Cahill Road, Tribunal, Flying With Eagles, Liberty Gold, and Free At Last all stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--September 18.


Lit de Justice Runners Strike at Two Tracks
     Lit de Justice's California-sired runners continued their success on two fronts Saturday with a win at Fairplex Park and a stakes placing at Bay Meadows.
     Thundering Justice became the first stakes horse from Lit de Justice's second California crop with a third-place finish in the $60,000-added Bay Meadows Juvenile Stakes at Bay Meadows and Justcruise became the seventh multiple winner from his first crop with a wire-to-wire breeze at Fairplex Park.
     Thundering Justice suffered defeat after winning both of his first two starts but he emerged from his first loss as Lit de Justice's 29th stakes horse and his second sired in California--one in each crop. He's earned $50,940 in those three starts.
     Justcruise repeated the wire-to-wire winning cruise that he achieved in breaking his maiden. He finished fourth in races before and after breaking his maiden, so his record now shows two wins and two fourths in four starts for earnings of $32,160.
     In the two crops sired since his arrival in California from Kentucky, Lit de Justice has 18 winners of more than $500,000. For his full career, he's sired 186 winners and earners of more than $15,400,000.
     Thundering Justice was bred by Magali Ventures, LLC, is owned by Joseph P. Morey, Jr., is trained by William E. Morey, and was ridden in the Juvenile by Martin Garcia.
     Justcruise was bred by Paul Boghossian, is owned by Willow Tree Farm, Inc., is trained by Kristin Mulhall, and was ridden in Saturday's race by Tyler Baze.
     Lit de Justice, an Eclipse Award-winning earner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 17.


At 4, Kalookan Dancer Learns How to Win
     Better late than never--much better--Kalookan Dancer has become a successful runner late, as a suddenly-productive 4-year-old.
     The California-bred daughter of Olympio increased her 2007 earnings to $226,535 with a wire-to-wire victory in the $65,000 Pio Pico Stakes Friday at Fairplex Park, becoming her sire's 38th stakes winner.
     Her modest earlier winnings of $7,920 combined with her 2007 income total $234,455 for a career that started slowly but now has blossomed.
     Unraced at 2, Kalookan Dancer almost didn't start at 3, waiting until December 1 to run fourth in a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park. She moved up to fourth at the same level with a third-place finish on December 15 and was ready to get down to business three weeks later at Santa Anita.
     She launched her 4-year-old season with a win at Santa Anita and followed with four more wins, four seconds, a third, and a fourth in her next 10 starts. The fourth came when she was disqualified and moved down after finishing second.
     After winning allowance races at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar, she was ready for her second try in stakes company and won the Pio Pico with ease. She'd tried once before, the B. Thoughtful Stakes at Del Mar, and finished seventh, off the board for the only time in her career.
     She was bred by Romulo and Asistio Stables and is owned by Robert Gramer, Todd Jones, David Pyle, et al. She's trained by Walther Solis and was ridden in the Pio Pico by David Flores.
     Olympio, sire of earners of more than $17,500,000, stands at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds, Vacaville, Calif.--September 16.


Lit de Justice Gets 18th Cal-Crop Winner
     First start, first out of the gate, first trip to the winner's circle.
     That was the story for Deliberation Thursday at Fairplex Park as he became the 18th winner from Lit de Justice's two California-sired crops--15 from his first and three from his second.
     Deliberation is the third winner from that second crop, now 2-year-olds--all  three scoring wire-to-wire victories, appropriate for a sire who was an Eclipse Award-winning sprinter.
     Runners from the first two crops sired by Lit de Justice since his arrival in California from Kentucky have earned more than $520,000. The first of the two crops includes a twice stakes-placed winner and seven multiple winners.
     Deliberation was under pressure on the backstretch, but jockey Antonio Castanon kept him to his task and he took command in the stretch and pulled away to lead by 2 1/4 lengths at the conclusion of the 6 1/2-furlong race.
     Bred in California by Peter S. Busch and Danny Haramoto, Deliberation is owned by Brian Trela and trained by Rosemary Trela.
     Lit de Justice, sire of 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $15,400,000, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 15.


Perfect Mandate Juvenile Wins Second Stake
     Favored Run Brother Ron finished with a tenacious stretch run to collect the second stakes victory of his brief career Wednesday in the $65,000 Beau Brummel Stakes at Fairplex Park.
     The 2-year-old son of Perfect Mandate took the lead coming out of the final turn of the 6 1/2-furlong event and held to the finish while under pressure all the way, winning by a half-length under jockey Martin Pedroza.
     The victory increased Run Brother Ron's earnings to $101,707 in just five starts, all of them stakes races following his debut with a maiden special weight win at Bay Meadows. 
     Since then, in addition to the Beau Brummel, he's won the Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity at Pleasanton and finished second in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park. He's faltered only once, racing unplaced in the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar.
     Run Brother Ron was bred in California by SLU, Inc., is owned by Philip Lebherz and George and Mary Clare Schmitt, and is trained by Jeff Bonde.
     Perfect Mandate, who stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif., has done well in the early days of the Fairplex Park meeting, with two of his runners breaking their maidens. On Sunday 3-year-old Perfectly Sweet won by two lengths and on Monday 4-year-old Mandate to Fly followed with victory by 5 1/2 lengths.--September 14.


Another Good Journey Winner Down Under 
     Far, far away, on the other side of the world, Good Journey's first foals are running and winning.
     The multiple graded stakes-winning son of Nureyev now stands in California, but he entered the stud in Australia, where his first foals turned 3 in midyear.
     Grand Journey became the second winner from that first crop Monday at Australia's Wangaratta racecourse northeast of Melbourne, winning The Toohey's New 3-Year-Old Maiden Plate at 1,600 meters by 2 1/4 lengths.
     Earlier, Across the States had become Good Journey's first winner.
     Good Journey earned $1,733,058 while winning four graded stakes races and placing in three others. He won the Grade 1 Atto Mile Stakes at Woodbine, the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park twice, and the Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Churchill Downs.
     In addition, he placed in the Grade 1 NetJet Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park and the Grade 2 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap at Santa Anita.
     Good Journey returned from Australia early this year and now stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez. His first American foals will race in 2010.--September 13.


Lit'sgoodlookngray Lookngood at Fairplex
     Almost exactly a year ago, Lit'sgoodlookngray became Lit de Justice's first California-sired stakes horse with a third-place finish in the $131,600 Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Fairplex Park.
     That was on September 17, 2006. 
     On Monday--September 10, 2007--he added his second blacktype placing with a third-place finish in the $65,000 Foothill Stakes at Fairplex Park.
     Though the purse was smaller, Monday's race marked a move upward in class for the 3-year-old. The Foothill was an open stakes race; the Barretts Juvenile was a restricted event. 
     And he improved on his earlier performance, finishing just two lengths behind the winner, making up two lengths in the stretch drive; last year he finished  3 1/2 lengths back.
     The California-bred has earnings of $67,592 in 13 starts. He's one of 15 winners from the first crop sired by Lit de Justice after his arrival in California from Kentucky.
     Bred by Pablo A. and Michelle Suarez, Lit'sgoodlookngray is owned by John Pinner and trained by Danny Velasquez. He was ridden in the Foothill by Paul Atkinson.
     Lit de Justice, an Eclipse Award-winning earner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 12.


Thekatcamehome Stays Home and Thrives
     Thekatcamehome, who's made every one of her 20 career starts at Prairie Meadows, added another stakes placing on her home grounds by finishing second in Saturday's $45,000 Central Iowa Stakes.
     It was the seventh blacktype placing for the 4-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets--one win, four seconds, and two thirds. She's earned $229,388, all in allowance or stakes races.
     In the Central Iowa Stakes, Thekatcamehome and the rest of the field were left behind by the odds-on Illinois-bred winner, but she closed well to get up in the final strides to take second by a head.
     In those 20 starts, Thekatcamehome has finished off the board only twice, racking up seven wins, five seconds, two thirds, and four fourths.
     Bred in Iowa by J. D. Santen, she's owned by Maggi Moss and trained by Dick Clark. Glenn Corbett was her rider in Saturday's race.
     Sea of Secrets, sire of seven 2007 stakes horses, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--September 10.


Another First-Crop Winner for Capsized
     Freshman sire Capsized chalked up his second winner when first-time starter Byjohn came from behind to win a stretch battle Saturday at Fairplex Park.
     Byjohn raced next to last in the field of seven through the final turn, then, according to the official chart, "dueled ferociously" in a stretch-long battle before winning by a nose in the maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs.
     Capsized, a graded stakes-winning son of Summer Squall, now has two undefeated winners from his first crop. A week earlier, Maxie's Night Cap won an allowance race at Emerald Downs to remain unbeaten in three starts.
     With two winners and three placed runners from seven starters, Capsized has earners of $63,540, placing him near the top of California's first-crop sires.
     Byjohn was bred in California by his owner, Gary Kazanjian, and is trained by Michael Pender. He was ridden in his winning debut by Tyler Baze.
     Capsized, earner of $489,593 with wins or placings in five graded stakes races, stands at Eagle Oak Ranch, Paso Robles, Calif.--September 10.


Crafty C. T. Breaks His Maiden as a Sire
     Graded stakes winner Crafty C. T. welcomed the first winner from his first crop to reach the races when Slick as They Come topped an eight-horse field Friday at Laurel Park with a wire-to-wire victory.
     The 2-year-old New York-bred broke fast and opened a quick five-length lead and held, leading by a neck at the finish of the 5 1/2-furlong race.
     It was the second career start for Slick as They Come, one of two starters to date for the earner of $832,652. She was unplaced in her first start, but looked promising enough for bettors to make her the favorite in Friday's race.
     She was bred by Gus Schoenborn Jr., is owned and trained by John E. Salzman, Sr. She was ridden to her maiden victory by Eric Camacho.
     Crafty C. T. won the Grade 2 San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita and placed in five Grade 1races--the Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap and the San Carlos Handicap at Santa Anita, the NAPA Breeders' Cup Sprint at Arlington Park, the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, and the Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct.
     The son of Crafty Prospector stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--September 8.


Scorching the Track at Yavapai Downs
     Run Nicholas Run, who had set two track records at Yavapai Downs in his last two starts, came close to adding a third as he blazed to his fifth consecutive victory in Tuesday's Fain Road Stakes at the Arizona track.
     The 5-year-old son of Free At Last set a Yavapai Downs track record of   1:07.80 for six furlongs in winning the Tribute to Newt Starter Stakes on August 11 and followed with a track record of 55.60 for 5 furlongs in the Pierces Homeremedy Starter Stakes on August 26.
     Shifting to 4 1/2 furlongs in the Fain Road, Run Nicholas Run sailed out of the gate first and stayed there, winning by two lengths and clocking the distance in 49.60 seconds, not far from the track record of 49 seconds flat.
     Tuesday's win was Run Nicholas Run's fifth in a row and ninth in his last 10 starts at Yavapai Downs, Turf Paradise, and Sunray Park, a string that began in June, 2006.
     Bred in Washington by Justin W. Lynn, he's owned and trained by Bill Brashears. He was ridden in the Fain Road by Joseph Durigon.
     Free At Last, sire of 51 stakes horses, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--September 6.


Sophomore Now Atticus's 18th Stakes Horse
     Stepping up into added-money company for the first time, Full of Run became the 18th stakes horse sired by Atticus when he took second place in the $125,000 Halton Stakes Monday at Woodbine.
     The lightly-raced 3-year-old, unraced at 2, was making only his sixth career start and came into the race as a winner only in maiden company. But he'd run a good second in an allowance turf race last month in his first effort around two turns and used that as a springboard into the one-mile Halton on the grass.
     He showed that he belonged at that level, racing close to the leaders into the final turn and briefly taking the lead entering the stretch. He yielded to the close surge of the winner and wound up second in the field of nine, beaten only two lengths.
     With one win, two seconds, a third and a fourth in six starts, Full of Run has already earned $80,517. Bred in Ontario by Patrick Lawley-Wakelin and Mark R. Frostad, he's owned by Bar None Ranches Ltd. and trained by David Bell. He was ridden in Monday's race by Justin Stein.
     Atticus, a world record-setter at one mile and sire of 18 stakes horses, including Grade 1 winner High Fly, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 5.


Tribunal a Big Success in Holiday's Racing
     Washington's leading second-crop sire, Tribunal, widened his substantial lead in that contest with a series of successes in racing over the Labor Day weekend at Emerald Downs.
     The Tribunal surge was climaxed Monday when Mulcahy captured the $100,000 Emerald Downs Derby for his second consecutive stakes victory. It had begun on Sunday when last year's Washington champion 2-year-old filly, Judicature, continued her comeback from a winter layoff with an allowance victory.
     Judicature was followed to the wire in that race by two other Tribunal 3-year-olds, Carrie's Choice in second place and Shady Unlimited in fifth in the nine-horse field.
     In an early race on Monday, Jury Duty added to the Tribunal festivities with her second career victory.
     Tribunal's runners have earned $349,513 in 2007, giving him a huge lead in the state's second-crop sire race. Tribunal ranks 34th nationally on The Blood-Horse list of the year's top 100 second-crop sires leaders; no other Washington sire is on the list.
     Mulcahy, at $115,290, and Judicature, at $77,801, are Tribunal's leading career earners.
     The three Tribunal weekend winners all were bred in Washington, Mulcahy by Mr. and Mrs. William T. Griffin, Judicature by David and Elaine Parks and Ramer and Clare Holtan, and Jury Duty by Stacey Sue Stables.
     Mulcahy is owned by Harley Hoppe and Howard Belvoir and trained by Belvoir, Judicature is owned by his breeders and trained by Bill Tollett, and Jury Duty is owned by Nordic Stable (Coleman and Webb) and trained by Delmer Webb.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--September 5.


Two More Young Winners for Lit de Justice
     Runners from Lit de Justice's first California crop are continuing to win, and now they're being joined by winners from his second crop to reach racing age.
     Lit de Justice now has 15 winners from that first crop and two more from the second. The most recent to join that group is Aire de Stripes, a 2-year-old who broke her maiden, wire to wire, Sunday at Emerald Downs.
     The following day Jojo's Justice also led from start to finish at Bay Meadows to become the seventh multiple winner from the first crop sired by Lit de Justice since his arrival at Magali Farms after standing six seasons in Kentucky.
     The Eclipse Award-winning sprinter has sired 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $15,300,000 in his eight crops.
     From his first California crop, Lit de Justice has one winner of four races, one winner of three, and five winners of two each. In addition, he's sired a stakes-placed runner.
     Jojo's Justice is a California-bred. Aire de Stripes, though conceived in California, was foaled in Kentucky.
     Jojo's Justice was bred by Recabaren Ranch, is owned by Stuart Kesselman and Tony and Marilyn Melkonian, and is trained by Art Sherman.
     Aire de Stripes was bred by John and Doris Konecny, is owned by Patrick Defeo and Richard Dondero, and is trained by Dayson Lavanway.
     Lit de Justice, a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif. --September 5.


Seaside Affair Easily Best in the Torrey Pines
     Seaside Affair, not quite a success in her earlier efforts in added-money company, made an emphatic leap upward in class with a dominating victory in the $125,000-added Torrey Pines Stakes Sunday at Del Mar.
     The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Sea of Secrets pressed the early leader from the start to the turn into the stretch, where she moved from second place into a quick four-length lead that she held to the finish of the one-mile stakes event.
     In four earlier stakes efforts, Seaside Affair could manage only one third place through disqualification, but she'd shown potential by running fourth in Grade 3 races at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.
     The one-mile distance on the all-weather track in Sunday's race appeared to fit her perfectly. In just three races around two turns in her 11 previous starts, she'd won an allowance race at Santa Anita and placed fourth in those two graded stakes.
     Her record now shows four wins, two seconds, two thirds, three fourths, and a fifth in 12 starts, off the board only once, with earnings of $229,176.
     She was bred by Justice Farm and Greg and Steve Justice, is owned by Edmund A. Gann, and is trained by John Sadler. She was ridden in the Torrey Pines by Richard Migliore
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--September 4.


Capsized Filly Still Unbeaten After Third Win
     For the first time in her brief racing career, Maxie's Night Cap saw the back end of another horse Sunday at Emerald Downs, but it wasn't for long and the 2-year-old daughter of Capsized soon seized the lead and remained undefeated with her third straight victory.
     In her first two wins, Maxie's Night Cap had led from wire to wire, but in Sunday's race, she broke second and raced briefly a length and a half behind the early leader in the five-furlong sprint.
     Coming out of the turn, she took the lead and wasn't threatened thereafter, winning by a length and three-quarters while under no pressure from jockey Ricky Frazier.
     She hasn't been seriously challenged in her three starts, winning by margins totaling 10 1/4 lengths .
     The first winner from the first crop of California sire Capsized, she was bred in Oregon by Dr. and Mrs. Jack B. Root Jr. She's owned by Margaret Root, Owners Stable and Scott Gruender and is trained by Ben Root.
     Capsized, a multiple stakes-winning son of classic winner Summer Squall, stands at Eagle Oak Ranch, Paso Robles, Calif.--September 4.


Reliable Old Plaid Continues Odd Odyssey
     Deputy Commander's remarkable 6-year-old daughter Plaid continued her curious bounce up and down the stakes ladder with a second-place finish Saturday in the $100,000 Matron Handicap at Evangeline Downs.
     That Louisiana event was far, both in geography and class, from her previous start--a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Go for Wand Handicap at Saratoga on July 28.
     Before that, she'd bounced from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Azeri Breeders' Cup Stakes at Oaklawn Park to a win and two seconds in ungraded stakes at Delta Downs and Prairie Meadows.
     Even earlier, she followed the same pattern by finishing third in the Grade 3 Gardenia Handicap at Oaklawn Park and then dropping into ungraded stakes at Evangeline Downs, Louisiana Downs, Remington Park, Zia Park, Sam Houston Race Park, and back to Oaklawn, winning three of those and finishing second in the other three.
     In all, Plaid has won five stakes races, run second in five, and finished third in one--all that in the past 13 months by a horse who'd finished fifth in her only added-money start before she began her upgraded career midway through her 5-year-old season.
     Her late-life turnaround began when she was claimed for $20,000 while winning at Churchill Downs on November 13, 2005. Before that, she'd won just three of 21 starts and was unplaced in her one stakes effort. Since the claim, when Steve Asmussen became her trainer, she's won eight of 21 starts, placed in 11 others, and hasn't been off the board even once.
     Her career record now shows 13 wins, 12 seconds, and five thirds in 42 starts at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 for earnings of $543,217.
     Plaid was bred in Kentucky by McKee Stables Inc., is owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, and is trained by Asmussen. She was ridden in the Matron by Curt Bourque.
     Deputy Commander, a millionaire son of Deputy Minister, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--September 3.


Maiden Is Game Plan's 28th Stakes Horse
     He's still a maiden after four starts, but 2-year-old Ice Cube nevertheless is the 28th stakes horse sired by Game Plan following his third-place finish in the $55,000-added Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association Lads Stakes Saturday at Emerald Downs.
     The California-bred juvenile's record now shows two seconds, a third, and a fourth in four starts since his debut on June 10--but no wins. He's earned $16,293 and his conditions are intact.
     Ice Cube has faced a longer distance in each of those starts, from 4 1/2 to 5 to 6 1/2 furlongs and then to one mile in the Lads. He wasn't ready for that two-turn challenge, taking the lead early and gradually fading to third, finishing 8 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
     Bred by Charles R. and Judy E. Clark, he's owned by Sparky Farm, is trained by Tim McCanna, and was ridden in the Lads by Macario Rodriguez.
     His sire, Game Plan, is represented by 14 stakes winners and an equal number of stakes-placed runners. He stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--September 3.


Lit de Justice Cal-Breds Keep on Winning
     Still another member of Lit de Justice's first California-sired crop has made a return visit to the winner's circle.
     Pure Justice became the sixth member of that crop to win at least twice when he employed a strong stretch run to score by a half-length Thursday at Bay Meadows.
     Four of those 15 winners have won twice, one has won three times, and one has won four times. One of the 15 is unbeaten in two starts and another is stakes-placed.
     Runners from that crop are now 3-year-olds, and their combined earnings exceed $400,000. In addition, Lit de Justice has one winner from his second crop sired since his arrival in California from Kentucky.
     For his full sire career, Lit de Justice has 185 winners, 28 stakes horses, and earners of more than $15,300,000.
     Pure Justice, bred in California by Julius H. Zolezzi, is owned by Theresa and Edward DeNike, and is trained by Lloyd Mason. He was ridden in Thursday's race by David Lopez.
     Lit de Justice, a multiple graded stakes-winner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 3.


Tempting Date: Consistency and Quality, Too
     Perfect Mandate's 5-year-old daughter Tempting Date won one stakes race at 3 and another at 4, and she's accelerated this year with another three, her fifth added-money victory coming Friday in the $45,000 Chamisa Handicap at Albuquerque.
     The California-bred has been on the Southwestern circuit since winning the California Cup Distaff Handicap at Santa Anita in her final race at 3. It was her fourth win in five starts in allowance and stakes company at Del Mar and Santa Anita. She was unraced at 2, and after those five starts in Southern California, she headed east and hasn't been back.
     Earlier this year she won the Adena Springs Matchmaker Turf Sprint Stakes at Remington Park and the Czaia Handicap at Sunland Park.
     She's never been off the board in 16 starts at six different tracks, all at sprint distances and almost evenly divided between dirt and grass. With nine wins, three seconds, one third, and three fourths, she's earned $363,817.
     The 6 1/2-furlong Chamisa was just the right distance for Tempting Date, who broke on top and stayed there all the way, outlasting a relentlessly-closing challenger to hit the wire a nose in front. It was her second stakes win at the distance, the longest she's ever tried.
     Bred by Old English Rancho, she's owned by Adam R. Lewis and trained by Chris Hartman. She was ridden in the Chamisa by Ken Tohill.
     Perfect Mandate, sire of additional 2007 stakes winners Flying First Class (at Churchill Downs) and Run Brother Ron (at Del Mar), stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--September 2.
  

Surprising Filly Becomes a Stakes Winner
     Golden Doc A didn't look like much of a threat to win the $100,000-added Generous Portion Stakes Wednesday at Del Mar--until she did.
     Second-longest shot in the field of eight and next to last entering the stretch, the 2-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat shot into the lead and emerged the winner by a length and a quarter.
     So, still a maiden after finishing fifth in her only previous start, Golden Doc A became both a winner and her sire's 13th stakes horse in the second race of her career.
     The California-bred filly's earnings now total $66,200. Bred by David Abrams, she's owned and trained by Barry Abrams. She was ridden in the Generous Portion by Victor Espinoza.
     Golden Doc A is the seventh stakes winner sired by Unusual Heat, who has sent out 33 earners of $100,000 or more--one of every five of his starters.
     Unusual Heat, a multiple stakes-winning son of Nureyev, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--August  31.


More First-Crop Winners for Stormy Jack
     Stormy Jack, who chalked up his first winner only two weeks ago, added two more over the weekend in remarkably similar races half a continent apart.
     The multiple stakes-winning son of Bertrando has four starters from his first crop to reach racing age--2-year-olds of 2007--and three of them are now winners.
     His new winners, both bred in California, broke their maidens at North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo and at Del Mar, but distance and margin of victory were almost the only differences between their performances--those and the sizes of their purses.
     On Friday in North Dakota, favored Zee Anna's Wings led from start to finish to win a maiden special weight race in the second start of her career. She'd finished second in her first start.
     On Sunday at Del Mar, favored Bob Black Jack led from start to finish to win a maiden special weight race in the second start of his career. He'd finished second in his first start.
     The differences were the distances, winning margins, and winner's purse sizes--5 1/2 furlongs, 8 1/2 lengths, and $1,560 at Fargo, and 6 furlongs, 2 3/4 lengths, and $31,800 at Del Mar.
     Zee Anna's Wings, bred by J. E. Nichols, is owned by SEJ Stables, Inc., is trained by Jeremiyah Johnson, and was ridden by Manuel Vazquez.
     Bob Black Jack, bred by Gary and Marlene Howard and Bruce Dunmore, is owned by Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff, is trained by James Kasparoff, and was ridden by David Flores.
     Stormy Jack, earner of $596,673 over four seasons, sands at G & M Thoroughbred Farms, Hemet, Calif.--August 28.


Spenditallbaby, 2nd in Stake, Tops $300,000
     Spenditallbaby overtook the front-runner but couldn't hold off a late closer and settled for second place in the $125,000-added Solana Beach Handicap Saturday at Del Mar.
     But her share of the purse pushed the career earnings of the 3-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat past the $300,000 mark. With four wins and eight stakes wins and placings in 17 starts, she's earned $314,230.
     After weaving through traffic in the one-mile grass race, Spenditallbaby overtook the frontrunner that she'd pursued since the start, but by that time a fast closer had passed both and she finished second, a length and a half behind.
     In those 17 starts, Spenditallbaby has finished on the board 15 times with four wins, four seconds, three thirds, and four fourths.
     She was bred in California by Abrams/Roberts, Nakkashian, and P. and V. Johnson and is owned by Mark Fiorito, Peggy Johnson, Tom R. Roberts, et al. She's trained by Barry Abrams and was ridden in the Solana Beach by Michael Baze.
     Unusual Heat, a stakes-winning son of Nureyev, is the sire of 33 earners of $100,000 or more. He stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger,Calif.--August 27.


Thekatcamehome's Rally Nets 2nd in Stake
     A late run enabled Thekatcamehome to reach second place in Saturday's $75,000-added Donna Reed Stakes at Prairie Meadows, but that was as far as she got as her quest for her second added-money victory fell short.
     The 4-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets won the Iowa Sorority Stakes almost two years ago and although she's place in five stakes races since then, she's still looking for that second stakes win.
     In the eight-horse Donna Reed at a mile and 70 yards, she raced in sixth place early, then moved up steadily into second, but she was unable to make an impact on the leader and finished four lengths behind.
     But Thekatcamehome has nothing to apologize for. She's started 19 times and has been off the board only twice while collecting $216,338 in earnings. She's won seven times with four seconds, two thirds, and four fourths.
     Thekatcamehome might better have been named Thekatstayedhome. She was born in Iowa and has never raced anywhere except Prairie Meadows.
     She was bred by J. D. Sanen, is owned by Maggi Moss and is trained by Dick Clark. Glenn Corbett was her rider in the Sorority.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 27.


Lit de Justice 2-Year-Old Colt Stays Unbeaten
     Thundering Justice, emerging as the star of Lit de Justice's second California crop, remained undefeated with a one-sided allowance victory Friday at Bay Meadows.
     The 2-year-old broke his maiden by three lengths July 27 at Del Mar, shipped north under new ownership, and came right back with a 4 1/2-length win in allowance company, increasing his earnings to $41,580 in just two starts.
     He's the first winner from Lit de Justice's second California crop, joining 15 winners from his first, now 3-year-olds. The Eclipse Award-winning sprinter arrived at Magali Farms prior to the 2003 breeding season.
     In Friday's race, Thundering Justice raced second early in the 5 1/2-furlong event, only a head behind, but soon moved to the lead and steadily increased his lead under jockey Russell Baze to hit the wire well in front.
     Thundering Justice is owned by the Joseph P. Morey, Jr., Revocable Trust and is trained by William Morey. He was bred by Magali Ventures, LLC.
     Lit de Justice, a Grade 1 winner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 26.


Tribunal's 13th Winner Boosts His Standing
     Tribunal, Washington's champion freshman sire of 2006, continued to build his wide lead as the state's top second-crop sire with a victory by his 13th winner Friday at Emerald Downs.
     Viking Tribunal, making her fourth career start, prevailed by a nose at the end of a hard-fought stretch battle in which she refused to surrender her narrow lead while under pressure though the stretch in the one-mile race.
     With more than $257,000 in 2007 earnings, Tribunal has amassed more than five times the winnings of his nearest challenger in Washington's second-crop sire race.
     Although she had only a third place earned through disqualification to show for her first three starts, Viking Tribunal was the bettors' second choice in the field of 10 Friday, and she justified their confidence.
     Bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. William T. Griffin, she's owned by Bill D. Bridges and Bill O'Connor, is trained by Tom Wenzel, and was ridden by Juan Gutierrez.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--August 25.


Capsized Filly Wins Wire to Wire--Again
     Maxie's Night Cap, a wire-to-wire winner in her first career start, did the same thing in her second start Sunday at Emerald Downs, taking the lead out of the gate and sailing unheaded to the finish line.
     The 2-year-old filly from Capsized's first crop to race not only is undefeated in two starts but has never run behind another horse. Her winning margin of 3 3/4 lengths was slightly smaller than the 4 3/4 lengths of her earlier race, but otherwise the story was the same as she stretched out from 5 to 5 1/2 furlongs.
     She's the first winner sired by the graded stakes-winning son of Summer Squall. 
     Maxie's Night Cap was subjected to pressure early in Sunday's race, maintaining a half-length lead to the final furlong, where she began a final run that gave her a comfortable margin at the finish. Ricky Frazier was the winning rider.
     Bred in Oregon by Dr. and Mrs. Jack B. Root Jr, she's owned by Margaret Root, Owners Stable, and Scott Gruender and trained by Ben Root.
     Capsized, a multiple stakes winner of $489,593, stands at Eagle Oak Ranch, Paso Robles, Calif.--August 24.


California Sires Do Well in Emerald Distaff
     Daughters of California sires captured two of the top three spots in the $100,000-added Emerald Distaff Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs.
     Fortunate Event, by Event of the Year, finished second and Beaulena, by Beau Genius, third in the major Emerald Downs distaff event. Both of those sires stand in California, and Wild Rush, sire of the winner, Gemstone Rush, stands even farther away--in Japan.
     Fortunate Event and Beaulena exchanged places while running second and third but never reached the lead in the 1 1/18-mile race.
     After racing in Southern California in every one of her previous 29 starts, 5-year-old Fortunate Event finally came to the home state of her owner, Dan Agnew, for the Distaff. She's a California-bred with career earnings of $314,215.
     Beaulena, a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred, is based in Washington while racing for owners Ernest and Roberta Sherman and has raced primarily at Emerald Downs. Her career earnings are $145,687.
     Fortunate Event, bred by The Thoroughbred Corporation, is trained by Mike Chambers and was ridden in the Distaff by J. C. Estrada. Beaulena, bred by Jack, George and Keith Lancaster, is trained by Richard Wright and was ridden by Macario Rodriguez.
     Event of the Year stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif. Beau Genius stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 22.


Cahill Road Sons Run 1-3 in Longacres Mile
     Sons of Cahill Road dominated the 72nd running of Washington's most important race, the Grade 3 $400,000 Longacres Mile Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs.
     The Great Face scored a wire-to-wire victory and Wasserman finished with a powerful rally to take third place. Both are 5-year-old Washington-bred sons of Cahill Road.
     The Great Face never led by more than a half-length but he refused to yield to two separate challenges and hit the wire the winner by a head. Wasserman was last in the field of 12 in the early stages of the race and was still 11th with only a quarter-mile to go, but he came on strongly in the stretch to take third money.
     Ron Crockett, Inc., is the owner not only of The Great Face but of runner-up Raise the Bluff as well, accounting for $300,000 of the purse--$220,000 plus $80,000--with Wasserman's owner-trainer Howard Belvoir collecting another $52,500.
     The Great Face's earnings now total $337,159 in 15 starts; Wasserman has earned $189,915 in 30 starts. The Great Face is trained by Tom Wenzel and was bred by Patricia J. Murphy. Owner-trainer Belvoir is also Wasserman's breeder.
     Juan Gutierrez rode The Great Face and Jennifer Whitaker piloted Wasserman.
     Cahill Road, sire of 45 stakes horses, stands at El Dorado Farm, Enumclaw,Wash.--August 21.


3rd Stakes Placing Latest for Steady The Ruzz
     The Ruzz, a consistent 3-year-old son of Matty G, continued his string of productive performances with the third stakes-placing of his brief career Saturday at Columbus--a second-place finish in the Van Berg Derby.
     After running unplaced in his first career start, The Ruzz embarked on a string in which he's finished on the board in nine of 10 starts and won or placed in eight of them, never running for a claiming price.
     Although he was never able to challenge the winner, The Ruzz accelerated in the stretch to capture the runner-up spot in the mile and 70-yard Derby, his first effort beyond six furlongs.
     In 11 starts at 2 and 3, The Ruzz has two wins, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth for earnings of $22,928.
    He was bred in Kentucky by Jack and Karen White, is owned by Pamela Hall and Russ Forsyth, Jr., and is trained by Steve Hall. He was ridden in the Derby by Damon Leeds. 
    Matty G, a Grade-1 winner and sire of four graded winners, stands at El Dorado Farm, Enumclaw, Wash.--August 20.


Lady Gamer Now a Graded Stakes Horse
     Proving that her June win in her first stakes start was no fluke, Game Plan's 4-year-old daughter came back in her next start with a jump farther up in class Friday, finishing third in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar.
       Lady Gamer made her first stakes start in the California-bred Valkyr Handicap at Hollywood Park and made it her third consecutive victory, but the move up to the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo was an ambitious move up in class.
     She passed the test and for a time appeared headed for a perfect score as she took the lead out of the gate and held it until the turn for home, where she yielded and reached the finish of the 6 1/2-furlong race in third place, 5 1/4 lengths back of the winner but a comfortable length and three-quarters ahead of the fourth horse.
     Lady Gamer's record now shows four wins, two seconds, and a third in nine starts with earnings of $186,610 at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, and Del Mar. She's never run in a claiming race.
     She was bred in California by her owners, Clark and Janine Hansen, and is trained by John Sadler. Her rider in the Rancho Bernardo was David Flores.
     Game Plan, sire of 27 stakes horses, stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--August 19.


Sea of Secrets Filly Sets NTR at Saratoga
     Sea of Secrets, California's 2006 leader in number of 2-year-old winners, has a shining new juvenile star.
     Secret Gypsy, making the first start of her career, blazed to a new track record at historic Saratoga in a 6 1/2-length, wire-to-wire victory at 5 1/2 furlongs on Thursday.
     Her time of 1:03.26 eclipsed the track record of 1:03.32 set in 2001 by Mayakovsky, who went on to become a graded stakes winner.
     The Kentucky-bred took the lead at the start and widened it steadily under a hand ride by jockey Kent Desormeaux. Her performance surprised bettors who sent her off at 13.60-to-1 odds.
     Bred by Norman Cheng, Secret Gypsy is owned by Richland Hills Stable and John Kuehl and trained by Ronny Werner.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 19.


Speedy Scottsbluff Almost Speedy Enough
     Siberian Summer's swift son Scottsbluff, probably the fastest California-bred now racing, missed by a neck adding still another victory to his record but still boosted his earnings past the $300,000 mark with a narrow second-place finish in the $85,000-added Green Flash Handicap Wednesday at Del Mar. 
     Scottsbluff broke slowly and was near the back of the eight-horse field nearing the turn in the five-furlong turf event, and his late surge fell a neck short of the front-running Kentucky-bred winner.
     The 5-year-old gelding was seeking to repeat his July 15 victory in the Robert  Kerlan Memorial Handicap in which he set a stakes record of 1:07.54 for six furlongs on the turf. That mark was upgraded to a new course record when an adjustment was made to account for the new configuration of the Hollywood turf course.
     Scottsbluff's career earnings now stand at $321,408 in 18 starts with six wins on both dirt and turf. He's run second six times and once third. Since breaking his maiden at first asking, he's raced in stakes or handicaps in 16 of his 17 starts.
     Bred by Dr. Sheldon Schoneberg, Scottsbluff is owned by Dennis E. Weir and trained by Jeff Mullins. He was ridden in the Green Flash by Clinton Potts.
     Siberian Summer is a Grade 1 stakes winner of $501,615. His 2008 location has not been announced.--August 17.


More Cal-Crop Winners for Lit de Justice
     The list of winners from Lit de Justice's first California-sired crop continues to grow.
     Two winners at Del Mar within the past few days increased to 15 the number of runners from that 2004 crop to reach the winner's circle, Rudeameanie on Saturday and Justice Is Brief on Monday.
     With 15 winners from 21 starters, that crop has produced earnings in excess of $400,000. In addition, one runner from Lit de Justice's second California crop is a winner.
     Those winners came from the first two crops sired by the Eclipse Award-winning stallion since his arrival in California from Kentucky, where he began his career at stud in 1997. From all crops, his runners have earned more than $15,200,000.
     Neither Rudeameanie nor Justice Is Brief had much trouble winning.
     Rudeameanie, favored to win, did so by taking the lead out of the gate, ahead of 10 rivals, and staying in front all the way, reaching the wire 3 1/4 lengths in front of his nearest challenger as jockey Jon Court tucked away his whip.
     Justice Is Brief broke in sixth place in the field of 12 but moved up rapidly and was in the lead at the top of the stretch. She moved away steadily and finished in front by 2 1/4 lengths under a hand ride by jockey Victor Espinoza.
     It was the seventh start for Justice Is Brief, who had placed only once in six previous efforts. Her earnings now total $21,751. Rudeameanie, starting for the fourth time, came into the race off a pair of second-place finishes. He's earned $19,080.
     Rudeameanie is owned by Leatherman Racing LLC and was bred by Mandysland Farm. He's trained by Doug O'Neill. Justice Is Brief, also trained by O'Neill, is owned by CNG Racing Stables, Victor Racing, Owners Stables, and his breeder, Magali Ventures, LLC.
     Lit de Justice, A Grade 1 winner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 16.


He's Tops's List of Stakes Horses Grows to 17
     He's Tops added another name to his steadily growing list of stakes-class runners when Arrow Junction, making only his third career start, took third place in the $45,000-added Northwest Stallion Strong Ruler Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings Sunday at Emerald Downs.
     Arrow Junction is the 17th runner sired by He's Tops to win or place in a stakes race. In Sunday's race, he finished behind the second-place runner, Courageous Son, who not long before had become the 16th stakes horse sired by He's Tops.
     That was on July 21, when Courageous Son finished third in the Premio Esmerelda Stakes in his second career start.
     Now those two Washington-bred juveniles each has a win and at least one stakes placing in three starts. They're contributors to He's Tops's position as Washington's leading juvenile sire in both total earnings and number of winners.
     Courageous Son made a late run in the Strong Ruler to close to within a half-length of the leader and was gaining at the finish. Arrow Junction was well back in third place but still five lengths ahead of the fourth horse.
     Courageous Son was bred by Reed and Erin Palmer, is owned by R and R Warren LLC, and is trained by Jim Penney. Arrow Junction was bred by Renee Larrabee, is owned by Ed Zenker and Vic Toy, and is trained by Pat Mullens. Courageous Son was ridden in the Strong Ruler by Gallyn Vick Mitchell, Arrow Junction by Douglas Portillo.
     He's Tops, a son of Seattle Slew, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--August 15.


Stormy Jack Welcomes His First Winner
     A gutty wire-to-wire performance gave Stormy Racer an under-pressure victory and Stormy Jack his first winner Monday at Del Mar.
     The California-bred filly became the first member of Stormy Jack's first crop to reach the winner's circle when she took the lead out of the gate and refused to relinquish it in spite of strong pressure from a late-closing challenger.
     She reached the wire a neck in front, best in a crowded field of 12 starters at six furlongs on the all-weather track.
     It was only the second career start for Stormy Racer, who was unplaced last month at Hollywood Park in her first trip to the post. Her earnings for those two starts now total $14,200 for owners Neil O'Shea and Judi Partridge and trainer Jorge Periban.
     She was bred by John B. Crook and was ridden in Monday's race by Osman Cedeno.
     Her sire, Stormy Jack, won five stakes races and $596,673 in 21 starts over four seasons, racing only at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar. He stands at G & M Thoroughbred Farms, Hemet, Calif.--August 15.


Tribunal Adds a Second-Crop Stakes Horse
     Already the sire of three stakes horses from his first crop to reach racing age, Tribunal now has one from his second.
     Russian, a 2-year-old Washington-bred filly, captured second place in the $45,000-added Northwest Stallion Knights Choice Stakes Saturday at Emerald Downs to become the fourth stakes horse sent out by Washington's champion freshman sire of 2006.
     In the same race, another El Dorado Farm sire added a new stakes horse when Silky Sally, by Free At Last, finished third behind Russian.
     Russian held the lead briefly on the backstretch in the 6 1/2-furlong race, but yielded it to the eventual winner while finishing well to hold off Silky Sally for the place spot.
     Russian and Silky Sally are both Washington-breds. Russian by Ronald A. and Nina M. Hagen and Silky Sally by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst.
     Russian is owned by Dr. Alfred Blue, Ron and Nina Hagen, and Kevin Murphy and trained by Doris Harwood. She was ridden in the Knights Choice by Leslie Manning.
     Silky Sally is owned by Lyle and Sue Malick and trained by Mike Chambers. Her rider was Kevin Radke.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed earner of $315,140, and Free At Last, sire of 49 stakes horses, both stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--August 14.


Red Raymond Gets Another Stakes Placing
     Already a stakes winner with three graded placings, Deputy Commander's Red Raymond added another blacktype entry in his log with a third-place finish in the $50,000 Governor's Handicap Saturday at Ellis Park.
     The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred closed late to finish third in the 10-horse field while never threatening the two leaders in the one-mile event. Red Raymond's margin over the fourth-place horse was a substantial 4 3/4 lengths.
     Red Raymond now has earnings of $245,775 with just two wins in 17 starts at 2, 3, and 4. He's added to his bankroll with three seconds and four thirds, all in stakes and allowance races.
     His accomplishments, in addition to a victory in the James C. Ellis Juvenile Stakes at Ellis Park in his third career start, include placings in the Rebel Stakes and Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park--all Grade 3 races.
     Red Raymond is owned by Thomas W. Franks and trained by Robert Holthus. He was bred by William H. Fires and was ridden in the Governor's by Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
     Deputy Commander, sire of 29 stakes horses, including Grade 1 winner Ten Most Wanted ($1,718,460), stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 14.


Katowice Filly Dominant in Juvenile Stake
     Favored No Constraints, looking for her second victory in a row, found it without difficulty Saturday at Emerald Downs, coasting to a 7 1/2-length triumph in the $45,000-added Northwest Stallion Knights Choice Stakes.
     The 2-year-old daughter of Katowice, making only her third career start, broke second in the 6 1/2-furlong race, just off the lead, and was content to remain there to the stretch, where she took control, steadily widening her lead under little prompting from rider Ricky Frazier.
     After finishing fourth in her first start on July 7, No Constraints won by a neck in a maiden special weight race on July 28 to earn the favorite's role in the Knights Choice. She's earned $33,275 in three starts, all at Emerald Downs.
     She was bred in Washington by her owner, Dunn Bar Ranch, and is trained by Tim McCanna.
     Katowice, sire of 29 stakes horses and earners of more than $8,700,000, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--August 13.


Golden Gear Mares Place in 2 Midwest Stakes
     A pair of 5-year-old daughters of Golden Gear, each making her 22nd career start, posted second-place finishes in a pair of midwest stakes races Saturday, but the similarity ends there.
     Bluesbdancing, a stakes competitor throughout her four-season career, placed in the $45,000-added Nicole's Dream Stakes at Arlington Park with a late run that missed by just a head.
     Salty Attraction, making her first appearance in an added-money event, the $45,000-guaranteed Dean Kutz Stakes at Canterbury Park, finished 8 1/4 lengths back of the winner.
     Further illustrating the difference between the two mares' careers, Bluesbdancing's share of the purse boosted her career earnings to $395,565; Salty Attraction's earnings increased her bankroll to just $91,955. 
     Bluesbdancing has won six races and placed in five others; Salty Attraction's stakes history consists of Saturday's race. 
     The performance of the late-developing Salty Attraction made an impact on her sire's record as she became Golden Gear's 16th stakes performer. Bluesbdancing made her contribution to his record almost three years ago.
     Bluesbdancing was bred in Illinois by Barry Golden, is owned by Bob and Nancy Bartles, and is trained by Terrel Gore. Rene Douglas was her rider in the Nicole's Dream.
     Salty Attraction was bred in Kentucky by her owner, Robert D. Kirby and is trained by Mike Kirby. Seth Martinez rode her in the Dean Kutz.
     Golden Gear, whose runners include millionaire Canadian juvenile filly champion Ginger Gold, stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Thoroughbreds, Santa Margarita,Calif.--August 13.


Still Another Stakes Placing for Sandys Gold
     Swiss Yodeler's late-blossoming son Sandys Gold added another stakes-placing to his record Thursday when he finished third in the $50,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap at Penn National.
     The 5-year-old Virginia-bred, who'd never won or placed in a stakes race until this year, now has won twice and placed third twice in added-money races, all in six 2007 starts.
     Unraced at 2, he won once in seven starts at 3, earning $24,072. At 4, he won four of 12 starts, earning $96,368, but he failed to place in his only two stakes efforts.
     This year, at 5, he's won two of six starts, with earnings already of $77,615. His two wins and two thirds all came in stakes races.
     His career record now shows seven wins, one second, and eight thirds for earnings of $198,073--with $174,001 of that coming at 4 and 5.
     He was never a threat in the five-furlong Governor's Cup, running last in the field of five to the stretch before staging a mild rally to take third money.
     Sandys Gold was bred in Virginia by Valerie E. Harris, is owned by LeRoy Father and Sons Stable, LLC, trained by Wallace C. Neilson, and was ridden in the Governor's Cup by Harry Vega.
     Swiss Yodeler, California's leading juvenile sire of 2007, stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 11.


Sought After Welcomes a Three-Time Winner
     Demonstrating once again that he's tenacious in the stretch, The Lasher became the first triple winner for second-year sire Sought After when he finished a nose in front Wednesday at the Bay Meadows Fair.
     Sought After, California's third-leading freshman sire of 2006 with earnings of $69,545, already has earnings of $73,661 in 2007.
     It was the third win of 3-year-old The Lasher's career and the third won by a narrow margin. He broke his maiden at Bay Meadows on April 4, winning by three-quarters of a length and followed up with a win by just a nose on May 18 at Golden Gate Fields.
     His second win by a nose came Wednesday when he won a three-horse photo finish by surging from third to first in the final stages of the one-mile race. The first three finishers were separated by two noses, with The Lasher's first on the wire.
     After a slow start in which he placed three times without winning in his first five starts, The Lasher now has won two of his last three, and three of his last five. His record now shows three wins, a second, two thirds, and two fourths in 10 starts, with earnings of $24,251.
     The Lasher, bred in California by Miraleste Inc., is owned by Theresa and Edward DeNike and trained by Lloyd Mason. He was ridden in Wednesday's race by Jose Campos.
     Sought After, a half-brother to the dam of consecutive Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, stands at Daehling Ranch, Elk Grove, Calif.--August 10.


Without Delay, Sea Captain's a Stakes Horse
     Beau Genius's 2-year-old son Sea Captain wasted no time earning his stakes credentials, breaking his maiden in his first start and taking third in the $50,000-added Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes at Santa Rosa in his second.
     Sea Captain debuted on July 2 by winning at Pleasanton and little more than a month later challenged a strong field in one of the juvenile jewels of the summer fair circuit, coming away with a blacktype placing to burnish his brief resume.
     The winner was a Florida-bred from the powerful San Luis Rey Downs-based stable of trainer Peter Miller.
     That third-place finish made Sea Captain the 75th stakes horse sired by millionaire Beau Genius.
     After being bumped at the start and racing sixth in the eight-horse field for much of the 5 1/2-furlong distance, Sea Captain accelerated on the final turn and, in spite of being bumped again, overtook all but the top two finishers.
     Sea Captain was bred in California by William and Lynn Kerr and is owned by Ron Blake, M. A. Douzos, and Sandra Matos. He's trained by Gil Matos and was ridden in the Cavonnier by Luis Martinez.
     Beau Genius, sire of earners of more than $30,600,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 8.


After Win, Deadly Zone Back on Stakes Trail
     After belatedly breaking her maiden in her ninth career start, Deadly Zone returned to stakes competition with a third-place finish in the $50,000 BC Cup Dogwood Handicap Monday at Hastings Racecourse.
     While still a maiden at 2 last year, the daughter of Cahill Road placed in three stakes races--more than half of her five starts--without ever having seen a winner's circle.
     After placing twice in three maiden special weight starts this year at 3, Deadly Zone finally became a winner on July 21 in her ninth career race. Then she returned to stakes competition Monday in the Dogwood and recorded her fourth stakes placing.
     Her next goal, of course, is to break her stakes maiden.
     For a while on Monday it appeared that she might get the job done in the Dogwood, a mile and a sixteenth race that was only her second effort around two turns.
     She ran second in the seven-horse field until she reached the stretch, where she pushed her way into a narrow lead, but she gave way in the run to the wire and wound up third.
     Her record now shows one win, three seconds, and five thirds in 10 starts, unplaced only once. She's earned $57,828.
     Deadly Zone was bred in British Columbia by her owner, Canyon Farms. She's trained by Robert VanOverschot and was ridden in the Dogwood by Keveh Nicholls.
     Deadly Zone is one of 45 stakes horses sired by Cahill Road, a Grade 1-winnng son of Fappiano who stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--August 8.


El Dorado Sires Dominate Emerald Stake
     Sons of El Dorado Farms stallions dominated Sunday's Seattle Slew Handicap, taking the top two places in the $65,000-added Emerald Downs feature for 3-year-olds.
     Mulcahy, by Tribunal, moved from last to first for a comfortable 4 1/2-length victory over favored Wild Cycle, by Free At Last, as both closed fast in the stretch to overtake a pair of early front-runners.. 
     It was the first added-money win for previously stakes-placed Mulcahy, who became the second stakes winner from the first crop of Tribunal, last year's champion Washington freshman sire, whose other stakes winner is Judicature, the 2006 Washington champion 2-year-old filly.
     Wild Cycle won a pair of stakes races at 2 last year. He is one of 19 stakes winners sired by Canadian 2-year-old champion Free At Last.
     In the 1 1/16-mile Seattle Slew, Mulcahy raced last in the field of seven down the backstretch, moved up approaching the final turn, entered the stretch in third place, and moved strongly to win by a wide margin under jockey Jennifer Whitaker.
     Wild Cycle was fifth in the early going before improving his position and gaining steadily to reach the runner-up spot by a neck in the final yards under jockey Juan Gutierrez.
     Mulcahy, bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. William T. Griffin, increased his career earnings to $60,290 in eight starts. He hasn't been off the board since his first race and now boasts two wins, three seconds, a third, and a fourth. He's owned by Harlan Hoppe and his trainer, Howard Belvoir.
     Wild Cycle, bred in Washington by Robin L. Mason, Stormy B. Hull, and Art Burt, has earned $109,759 in eight starts, with three wins, two seconds, and a third. He's owned by Frank L. Gaunt and trained by Aubrey Villyard.
     Both Tribunal and Free At Last stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--August 7.


Illinois Storm Son a Stakes Horse in 2nd Start
     In only his second start, Interest Earnings has joined the ranks of stakes horses sired by Storm Cat's son, Illinois Storm.
     The 2-year-old gelding took third in Friday's $50,000-added Idaho Cup Juvenile Championship Stakes, following up on a 4 1/4-length win in one of the trials for the annual event.
     That victory in the Juvenile Championship Trial on July 21 was the first lifetime start for the young Idaho-bred.
     In Friday's five-furlong race, Interest Earnings lagged early, eighth in the field of 10 at the first call, but moved up rapidly to capture the third spot with a six-length margin over his nearest challenger.
     Bred and owned by Shawn Davis, Interest Earnings is trained by Wayne Freeman and was ridden in the Championship by Nathan Condie.
     Interest Earnings is the latest stakes horse sired by Illinois Storm, joining other horses such as California champion 3-year-old colt Calkins Road ($520,735), Grade 3 winners Shadow of Illinois ($293,985) and Georgia's Storm ($185,085), Snoopy Cat ($264,372), and Gyrene ($171,502). 
    Illinois Storm, a twice stakes-placed son of Storm Cat, stands at Ponzo Equine Center, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 7.


Steady and Good, Tempting Date Wins Again
     Tempting Date, who's never been off the board in 15 career starts in stakes and allowance races, burnished her sparkling record with a blazing victory in the $50,000 Adena Springs Matchmaker Turf Sprint Stakes Saturday at Remington Park.
     The 5-year-old daughter of Perfect Mandate, the favorite in the field of eight, took the lead at the start, shook off early challengers, and hit the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front. Her time of 55.49 seconds for five furlongs wasn't far off the course record of 55.14 seconds.
     The Adena Springs was Tempting Date's second stakes win of the year and the fourth of her career. She's recorded eight wins, three seconds, a third, and three fourths in 15 starts for earnings of $336,817. She's never run in a claiming race.
     She was bred in California by Old English Rancho, is owned by Adam R. Lewis, is trained by Chris Hartman, and was ridden in the Adena Springs by Ramsey Zimmerman.
     Perfect Mandate, sire of 10 stakes horses, including three 2007 stakes winners, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--August 6.


Young Sea of Secrets Filly Making an Impact
     Although she's started only four times in her blossoming race career, Sea of Secrets's 2-year-old daughter Hurricane Bernie is establishing herself as a runner of quality.
     After her third-place finish in Saturday's $85,000 Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Mountaineer Race Track, the young Kentucky-bred's record shows two wins and two thirds in four starts, including a first and a third in stakes races.
     Her earnings now total $52,780. 
     First out of the gate in the six-furlong race, Hurricane Bernie set the pace to the stretch but weakened and was overtaken by two foes who had pressured her entering the turn.
     Hurricane Bernie has adapted well to different environments, having broken her maiden at Churchill Downs, won a stakes race at Canterbury Park, and placed in a stake at Mountaineer.
     She was bred by Joseph J. Perrotta and is owned by L. T. B., Inc. She's trained by Bernard Flint and was ridden by Dana Whitney.
     Sea of Secrets, sire of 18 stakes horses and earners of more than $6,800,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona,Calif.--August 6.


More Winners From Lit de Justice Cal Crop
     Runners from Lit de Justice's first California-sired crop continue to race into the winner's circle.
     Two more broke their maidens Friday to increase to 13 the number of winners from the first crop sired by the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter since his arrival in California for the 2003 breeding season.
     Both of Friday's winners went wire to wire for easy victories, Justcruise by 2 1/2 lengths at Del Mar and Alibi and Excuse by seven lengths at Santa Rosa. Both were unraced last year at 2 but have moved quickly to become winners this year at 3, Justcruise in his second start and Alibi and Excuse in her fourth.
     Alibi and Excuse was unplaced in her first three starts at sprint distances, but on Friday she moved to a flat mile and the difference was dramatic, as bettors who made her the favorite in the 10-horse field somehow were able to predict.
     She raced under pressure, leading by only a length, until the field hit the stretch, where jockey Jose Martinez Campos set her free and she leaped into a three-length lead that grew to seven lengths at the wire. 
     Justcruise, fourth at six furlongs in his debut at Hollywood Park, dropped to 5 1/2 furlongs for Friday's race and never looked back as he won comfortably over 11 rivals under jockey Aaron Gryder.
     Both were bred in California, Alibi and Excuse by Mandysland Farm and Justcruise by Paul Boghossian. Alibi and Excuse is owned by Leatherman Racing LLC and trained by Steve Miyadi; Justcruise is owned by Triple B Farms and trained by Doug O'Neill.
     Lit de Justice, sire of earners of more than $15,000,000 in a total of eight crops, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 5.


Leading Del Mar Trainer Is Based at SLRD
     The leading trainer at the current Del Mar meeting is based at San Luis Rey Downs.
     The leader is Peter Miller, who's based at San Luis Rey Downs and vans to Southern California tracks to race, most recently sent Fantastic Spring to Del Mar for a wire-to-wire victory in Thursday's allowance feature.
     During the Del Mar meeting, Miller maintains stalls at that track and rotates his runners from SLRD to the seaside track to become accustomed to the surface for several days, race, and return home to the training center.
     The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly was Miller's seventh winner of the meeting, two more than the No. 2 trainer, Jeff Mullins, who has five, and three more than Doug O'Neill, Bobby Frankel, Craig Dollase, and Rafael Becerra, who have four each.
     Miller's win followed by a day another wire-to-wire winner from SLRD--Forest Melody, trained by Paula Capestro.
     Fantastic Spring scored her second victory in five starts in the five-furlong sprint on the turf, leading all the way to win by a length and three quarters under jockey Corey Nakatani.
     Bred in Kentucky by Robert S. Evans, she's owned by Magenta Racing, Inc. Her career earnings now total $77,640, with  two wins, a second and a fourth in five starts.
     Forest Melody had a longer trip but the same result, holding the lead of the mile and a sixteenth distance on the turf to win by three-quarters of a length under Joseph Talamo in the maiden special weight race.
     She also was bred in Kentucky, by Russell B. Jones, Jr., and is owned by Capestro in partnership with R. Man Racing Stables. She's earned $55,580 in five starts, off the board only once--and that on a disqualification.
     San Luis Rey Downs, home base of both Miller and Capestro, is a year-round training center in the Northern San Diego County town of Bonsall.--August 4.


Still Another Stakes Winner for Sea of Secrets
     Sea of Secrets is having a good year, and it got even better Tuesday when his 3-year-old daughter Sea Button scored a front-running victory in the $45,000-added Pollyanna Pixie Stakes at Fairmount Park.
     Making only her fourth career start, Sea Button scored her third victory by taking the lead on the backstretch of the six-furlong race and steadily moved away from the field, winning by 2 3/4 lengths under jockey John McKee.
     Sea Button is the fourth stakes winner of 2007 sired by Sea of Secrets, whose runners have earned more than $1,600,000 since January 1. In all, he's sired 18 stakes horses, nine of them stakes winners.
     After winning a maiden special weight race at Hawthorne Park by nine lengths in her first start, Sea Button was unplaced at Churchill Downs in her next start--and hasn't been beaten since.
     She won an allowance race at Mountaineer Park by four lengths and then, in her first stakes start, won the Pollyanna Pixie. She's now won three of four starts and earned $59,323.
     Sea Button was bred in Illinois by Barney and Ann Gallagher, is owned by Button Down Racing, and is trained by William Connelly.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 2.


2 More Cahill Road Stakes Winners--Quickly
     Within the space of just a half hour Sunday at Emerald Downs, Cahill Road added stakes winners No. 27 and No. 28 to his sire record when Wasserman won the $45,000 Governor's Handicap and The Great Face captured the $70,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap in the following race.
     Both already were stakes placed, so Cahill Road's total of 45 stakes horses didn't increase, but the number of his stakes winners took a swift leap from 26 to 28.
     Wasserman and The Great Face earned their laurels in entirely different ways.
     In the day's sixth race, Wasserman went off at the second-longest price in the field of seven and in the early stages of the 6 1/2-furlong race looked as if he deserved such disrespect. He broke last and stayed near the rear to the final turn, where he swung six wide to move into third place entering the stretch, then wore down the leaders to win by a length and three-quarters.
     In the seventh race, The Great Face was the co-favorite, bet down to even money, and led all the way, reaching the finish with a comfortable 2 3/4-length lead in the mile-and-one-eighth event.
     Their victories increased Wasserman's career earnings to $137,415 and The Great Face's to $117,159. Both are 5-year-old Washington-bred geldings.
     Wasserman was bred and is owned and trained by Howard Belvoir. He was ridden by Jennifer Whitaker. The Great Face was bred by Patricia J. Murphy, is owned by Ron Crockett, Inc., and is trained by Tom Wenzel. He was ridden by Juan Gutierrez.
     Cahill Road, now the sire of earners of more than $17,200,000, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--July 31.

For an article on Cahill Road in Thoroughbred Times, click here.


Woodstead Sires' Runners Place in 2 Stakes
     A pair of 4-year-old runners sired by a pair of Woodstead Farm stallions came away with third-place finishes in stakes races on both of the final July weekend cards at Emerald Downs.
     On Saturday, She's All Silk, by Delineator, was third in the $45,000 Boeing Handicap and, on Sunday, Schoolin' You, by You and I, took the same spot in the $70,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap. Both are Washington-breds.
     Both races were two-turn events, the Boeing at 1 1/16 miles and the Mt. Rainier at 1 1/8 miles.
     Schoolin You raced in the middle of the 10-horse pack most of the way, moving up in the stretch to claim third by a length and three quarters over the fourth horse while missing second by only a neck.
     She's All Silk's effort was different. She went off as the favorite in the five-horse field and until the final stages of the race looked as if she wouldn't disappoint her backers as she took the lead out of the gate and stayed in front to the final sixteenth, where she yielded and finished almost five lengths back of the winner.
     Earning black type was nothing new for either horse. She's All Silk, last year's Washington champion 3-year-old filly, had won three stakes races and placed in three others. Schoolin' You had won two stakes.
     She's All Silk, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, is owned by Ed Zenker, is trained by Pat Mullens, and was ridden by Ricky Frazier. Her earnings now total $182,173.
     Schoolin' You, bred by Todd Pal Havens, is owned by Michael and Amy Feuerborn and John and J. Maryanski. He's trained by Jim Penney and also was ridden by Frazier. He's earned $101,783. Schoolin' You was Washngton's champion 2-year-old male of 2005.
     Delineator and You and I both stand at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--July 31.


Spenditallbaby Moves Up to Grade 2 Placing
     Climbing higher in the upper tier of Thoroughbred racing, 3-year-old Spenditallbaby moved up a notch in class with a third-place finish in the $150,000 San Clemente Handicap Saturday at Del Mar.
     The race, a Grade 2 event, was a step up from her third-place finish in the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park last November. In addition to those races, the daughter of Unusual Heat has won one ungraded stake and placed in four others.
     Her $18,000 purse moved Unusual Heat's career progeny earnings past the $10,000,000 mark.
     Spenditallbaby made a late run in the one-mile San Clemente, run on the turf course, closing from fifth to third but finished a length and a half back of the winner after jockey Michael Baze had to wait for racing room in the stretch.
     Spenditallbaby had taken the Fleet Treat Stakes only six days earlier, but wasn't able to double back so soon to get her second win in a row.
     Her career earnings now total $287,450 in 15 starts in which she's been off the board only once. She's posted four wins, three seconds, three thirds, and four fourths. In 12 starts since winning a maiden special weight race in her third start, she's run in two allowance races, winning both, and 10 stakes.
     She was bred in California by Abrams/Roberts, Nakkashian, and P. and V. Johnson and is owned by another partnership made up of Mark Fiorito, Peggy Johnson, Tom R. Roberts, et al. She's trained by Barry Abrams.
     Unusual Heat, who boasts a best-in-California Average Earnings Index of 2.05, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 30.


Beaulena's New Career Nets 2nd Stakes Win
     Before last October, in 17 starts over three seasons, Beaulena had never entered the starting gate in a stakes race, and now she's a double stakes winner following her triumph in the $45,000 Boeing Handicap Saturday at Emerald Downs.
     The 7-year-old daughter of Beau Genius had spent her entire 17-race career bouncing between mid-level claiming races and allowance races before last October 7, when she was entered in the $40,000 City of Phoenix Stakes at Turf Paradise--and won.
     In seven starts since her emergence as a stakes horse, she's seen nothing but added-money company while racing at Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs, racking up two wins, two thirds, two fourths, and a fifth and increasing her career earnings to $130,687.
     Her record now shows wins in the City of Phoenix Handicap and the Boeing Handicap and third-place finishes in the King County Handicap and the Queen of the Green Handicap.
     She'd earned her promotion to the stakes level, having finished second three straight times and then winning twice in five races following her departure from the claiming ranks.
     She was bred in Kentucky by Jack, George and Keith Lancaster and is owned by Ernest D. and Roberta M. Sherman. She's trained by Richard Wright and was ridden in the Boeing by Macario Rodriguez.
     Beau Genius, sire of earners of more than $30,500,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--July 30.


Lit de Justice Freshman Wins First Start
     It took Thundering Justice hardly any time at all to become the first winner from Lit de Justice's second California crop as he posted a wire-to-wire three-length victory in his first trip to the post.
     With that victory Friday at Del Mar, Thundering Justice joined 11 current 3-year-olds as winners sired by Lit de Justice since his arrival in California from Kentucky for the 2003 breeding season.
      After that one start, Thundering Justice not only has never been beaten but also has never seen a horse in front of him. Jockey Martin Garcia took him to the lead out of the gate in Friday's six-furlong race and he gradually extended his margin.
     Bred in California by Magali Ventures, LLC, Thundering Justice is owned by Dale Billings and trained by Terry Knight.
     Lit de Justice, an Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, has sired 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $15,000,000. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 29.


Durable Helmsman Son Gets Black Type--at 7
     The reputation for durability that Helmsman's runners have earned was underscored Saturday when 7-year-old Marion's Man became a stakes horse in the 68th start of a seven-season career.
     The occasion was the $50,000 Oak Hill Stakes at Evangeline Downs in which the Illinois-bred finished third in only the third added-money effort of his long career.
     After spending the bulk of his career racing  in the Chicago area in claiming races at prices ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, he's blossomed at the age of 7 after moving to Louisiana and gaining a new owner and trainer.
     In his first Louisiana start in the last race of his 6-year-old season, he won for $25,000 claiming at the Fair Grounds. He was claimed in his next start at the same level at the same track as he won by 4 1/2 lengths. After running fourth for a  $50,000 tag in his next start, he vaulted into allowance and stakes company and has forged a new career, abandoning the claiming scene.
     Since then in nine starts at Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs, he's won an overnight handicap and an allowance race and placed four times, including Saturday's Oak Hill Stakes.
     His record now reads like this: 68 starts, nine wins, 14 seconds, 13 thirds, earnings of $326,647.
     Bred by L. and M. Varney, he's owned by A. Philip Henderson and trained by Anthony Agilar. He was ridden in the Oak Hill by Sylvester Carmouche, Jr.
     Helmsman, a champion at 2 in Ireland, is the sire of 16 stakes horses, including juvenile Canadian champion Rare Friends. He stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--July 25.


Spenditallbaby Is a Stakes Winner at Last
     Spenditallbaby is an unusually nervous filly in the saddling paddock, but she produces on the racetrack.
     The 3-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat filled an important blank in her resume with a late-running victory in the $100,000-added Fleet Treat Stakes Sunday at Del Mar, adding a blacktype win to a record that already included five stakes placings.
     She'd earned more than $200,000 going into the Fleet Treat and her record included a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park, but she lacked the final element--a stakes victory.
     Now her record shows that she's a winner of four races--one stake, two allowances, and a maiden special weight--with earnings of $269,450 in only 14 starts at 2 and 3. In 10 starts since she won  the third and fourth races of her career last year, she's run exclusively in stakes races, with one exception--an allowance win on May 24 at Hollywood Park.
     In the seven-furlong Fleet Treat, she was off last in the field of 10 but moved up steadily to hit the stretch in fifth place, barely two lengths behind the leader. She twice moved between horses and finally seized the lead not far from the finish, winning by a neck under jockey Joseph Talamo.
     She was bred in California by Abrams/Roberts, Nakkashian, and P. and V. Johnson and is owned by Mark Fiorito, Peggy Johnson, Tom R. Roberts et al. Her trainer, Barry Abrams, is also one of her co-breeders.
     Spenditallbaby is the sixth stakes winner sired by Unusual Heat, who's represented by 33 earners of $100,000 or more. He stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 24.


Coast to Coast, 'Yodelers Thrive in Stakes
     From sea to shining sea, runners by Swiss Yodeler reaffirmed their stakes quality in added-money races Sunday with a win in Virginia and a near-miss second at Del Mar .
     At Colonial Downs, late-developing 5-year-old Sandy's Gold won his second stakes race of the year, the $60,000 Punch Line Stakes.
     At Del Mar, 3-year-old Swiss Diva surrendered a brief lead in the final yards of the $100,000-added Fleet Treat Stakes to finish second, just a neck back of the winner.
     Sandy's Gold increased his career earnings to $192,573; Swiss Diva boosted hers to $177,626. Both already were stakes winners, Sandy's Gold having taken the Tony Gatto Dream Big Stakes at Atlantic City in May and Swiss Diva the California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita in December in her final start at 2.
     Their careers have followed entirely different trajectories. Swiss Diva was unbeaten in three starts at 2 and has placed in two stakes at 3, including the Grade 3 Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita. Sandy's Gold didn't so much as place in a stakes race until this year, when at the age of 5 he's won two and run third in another.
     Both were favored in their races Sunday. Sandy's Gold was never in difficulty, running second early in the five-furlong event and taking the lead in the stretch to win by three lengths. Swiss Diva raced in the middle of the 10-horse field early before closing in the stretch to take a brief lead before yielding in the final sixteenth to finish a neck back in the seven-furlong race.
     Sandy's Gold was bred in Virginia by Valerie E. Harris, is owned by LeRoy Albertini, Jr., and is trained by Wallace C. Neilson. He was ridden in the Punch Line by Horacio Karamanos.
     Swiss Diva was bred in California by his owners, Rick and Sharon Waller, and is trained by Patrick Gallagher. His rider in the Fleet Treat was Alex Solis.
     Swiss Yodeler, sire of those two and 25 other stakes horses, stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 24.

Hurricane Bernie: Stakes Winner in 6 Weeks
     Two-year-old Hurricane Bernie wasted no time in becoming Sea of Secrets' eighth stakes winner, scoring a front-running victory Saturday in the $45,000 Canterbury Park Lassie Stakes at Canterbury Park.
     The Kentucky-bred filly made her debut on June 8 and just six weeks later became a stakes winner. She ran third at Churchill Downs in her first start, broke her maiden in her next at the same track, and took the Lassie in her third.
     Breaking from the No. 2 post position in the 11-horse field, Hurricane Bernie settled briefly into third place but soon took the lead and breezed home three lengths in front at the finish of the 5 1/2-furlong race.
     With a third and two wins in three starts, she's already earned $44,280. Bred by Joseph J. Perrotta, she's owned by L. T. B., Inc., and trained by Bernard Flint. She was ridden in the Lassie by Pal Nolan.
     Sea of Secrets is the sire of 17 stakes horses, six of them already in 2007, and earners of more than $6,700,000. He was California's leading sire of 2-year-old winners in 2006, with 26.
     He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--July 23.


Illinois Storm Fillies Doing Well at Santa Rosa
     Kooky Kelly, making only her fourth career start, earned her black type with a third-place finish Saturday in the $50,000-added Wine Country Juvenile Filly Stakes at Santa Rosa, concluding a good opening week for daughters of Illinois Storm.
     In Wednesday's opening program, 3year-old Tami's Storm got her sire off to a fast start at the Wine Country meeting by breaking her maiden with a wire-to-wire seven-length victory.
     Kooky Kelly, a 3 1/2-length maiden victor at Stockton last month, failed to extend her winning streak to two straight, but she boosted her sire's record and increased her own broodmare value with her third-place finish in the Juvenile Fillies.
     In four starts, she's run fourth, fifth, first, and now third, earning $19,440. She was bred in California by Paul and Jeanette Economus, is owned by Thomas J. Said, trained by Michael Lenzii, and was ridden Saturday by Pedro Flores.
     Tami's Storm, Illinois Storm's Wednesday winner, was bred in California by her owner, Zvida Akin, and is trained by Art Sherman.
     Illinois Storm, a stakes-placed son of Storm Cat, is the sire of California champion Calkins Road ($520,735) and seven other stakes horses. He stands at Ponzo Equine Center, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 23. 


He's Tops Son Third in Stake in First Defeat
     Courageous Son's brief reign as an undefeated racehorse ended, but he nevertheless came away as He's Tops's 16th stakes horse by finishing a competitive third in the $45,000-added Premio Esmerelda Stakes Saturday at Emerald Downs.
     The 2-year-old won his first career start on June 24, breezing to a 6 1/4-length victory at Emerald Downs, but he suffered defeat for the first time in the Premio Esmerelda, closing late but falling short of overtaking the two leaders, losing by a head and a length. He finished 11 /14 lengths in front of the fourth-place finisher.
     Courageous Son was bred in Washington by Reed and Erin Palmer and is owned by R and R Warren LLC. He's trained by Jim Penney and was ridden Saturday by Gallyn Vick Mitchell.
     Courageous Son is one of four 2007 2-year-old winners sired by He's Tops, the sire of earners of more than $2,300,000 in seven crops. His 17 stakes horses include two Washington champions.
     He's Tops stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--July 23.


SLRD Horses Frolic on New Del Mar Surface
     Enjoying Del Mar's new all-weather Polytrack surface, horses based at San Luis Rey Downs followed their pair of wins on opening day at the seaside track with another double on the second day's program.
     All four wins came on Del Mar's new artificial surface, and all four winners came from the SLRD barn of trainer Peter Miller and wore the colors of owner Gerson Racing.
     Each of  Thursday's winners did the job in a different way, though both races were the same distance--5 1/2 furlongs.
     In the fourth race, Princess Susan M moved into a one-length lead at the head of the stretch under jockey Corey Nakatani and stubbornly held onto it while under pressure from two challengers in turn. She was still a head in front at the wire.
     In the eighth race, Mix raced seventh in the field of nine to the stretch, where he burst from the pack to take a lead that steadily widened to a final margin of 5 1/4 lengths with jockey Joseph Talamo on board.
     Princess Susan M was bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. Joel M. Carino. Mix was foaled far away, in Florida, bred by McMurry Thoroughbred Services, Inc.
     Their current home is at San Luis Rey Downs in the Northern San Diego County town of Bonsall.--July 22.


33rd $100,000-Plus Earner for Unusual Heat
     Late-blooming Ballistic Heat narrowly avoided trouble and earned victory by a nose in a Del Mar allowance race Thursday to become the 33rd runner sired by Unusual Heat to surpass $100,000 in earnings.
     The 4-year-old California-bred rallied strongly in the final stages of the five-furlong race on the turf to move from third to reach the wire a nose ahead at the moment that his rider, Mike Smith, lost his whip.
     His share of the $59,800 purse increased Ballistic Heat's career earnings to $112,516, all but $400 of it earned this year. Unraced at 2, he started just once at 3, finishing unplaced and earning only his starter's fee, but he's come back strong as a 4-year-old.
     He won a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in March, but had been winless in seven starts since then. Nevertheless, he added substantially to his bankroll with three thirds and two fourths in allowance races at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park and broke into six figures in earnings with his $35,400 purse on Thursday.
     Ballistic Heat joins 32 other sons and daughters of Unusual Heat to have passed the $100,000 level. Twelve of those have topped $200,00 with five of those earning more than $300,000 each.
     Ballistic Heat was bred and is owned by David Abrams and Russell Wolkoff and is trained by Barry Abrams.
     Unusual Heat, whose average earnings per starter exceed $63,000, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 21.


Unusual Suspect Adds Another Stakes Placing
     Unusual Suspect is still looking for that first stakes win, but  he's building an outstanding racing career while he continues the search.
     The 3-year-old son of Unusual Heat chalked up a second-place finish in the $75,000-added Oceanside Stakes Wednesday on opening day at Del Mar to go with two other stakes placings--one of them Grade 3--earned last year at 2.
     In 13 starts, he's earned $196,136 while winning three races and placing third three times and second twice. He won a maiden special weight race in his second start last August at Del Mar and since then has been off the board just once in 11 starts while racing in stakes races in more than half of them and in allowance races in the others.
     In addition to his placing in the Oceanside, Unusual Suspect has run second in the Grade 3 Generous Stakes and the Real Quiet Stakes, both at Hollywood Park.
     He's won at six furlongs, but most of Unusual Suspect's success has come in races around two turns on the turf. At a mile on the grass, the Oceanside fit those preferences.
     After racing fourth to the stretch in the six-horse field, Unusual Suspect overtook the three leaders but was himself overtaken by an even faster finisher, winding up a length and a half behind.
     Unusual Suspect was bred in California by his trainer, Barry Abrams, who owns him in partnership with David and Dyan Abrams. He was ridden in the Oceanside by Mike Smith.
     Unusual Heat, who boasts the highest Average Earnings Index of all California sires, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 20.


SLRD Shippers Celebrate Del Mar Opening
     Horses shipping to the races from San Luis Rey Downs have done well at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita--as well as more distant locations on occasion--but they found the shorter trip to Del Mar welcome yesterday with a pair of victories on opening day at the seaside track.
     Bettors respected their residence at the nearby training center, sending Run Forest Run as the second favorite in the fifth race and Icanmakeitrain as the same  in the eighth.
      Both are trained by Peter Miller at SLRD, located in Northern San Diego County, not far from Del Mar. And both are owned, in part or solely, by Gerson Racing.
     Run Forest Run, ridden by Corey Nakatani, battled for the lead early in the 12-horse field but soon took the lead and held it the rest of the way while under pressure late, winning the 6 1/2-furlong race by a neck.
     Now a 4-year-old, he was bred in Kentucky by David E. Hager, II, and is owned by Gerson Racing and Burton Smith.
     Icanmakeitrain followed much the same route in his six-furlong race but waited until the field reached the stretch before taking the lead ahead of eight other horses. He hit the finish 1 3/4 lengths ahead.
    He was bred by Marco Stables VI Ltd., also in Kentucky, and is owned by Gerson Racing.
     San Luis Rey Downs is a year-round training center located in Bonsall, Calif.--July 20.


Bonfante Verifies His Speedster Credentials
     Bonfante, already established as one of the West's premier sprinters, took on another horse with the same credentials Sunday at Hollywood Park and came out second-best--by a slender nose.
     The 6-year-old son of Fruition battled world-record-setter Scottsbluff to the final stride in the $75,000-added Robert Kerlan Memorial Handicap at six furlongs on the turf and missed by the narrowest of margins, a nose.
     The winner's time of 1:07.54--shared by Bonfante--was a new stakes record. Bonfante came three wide into the stretch and caught Scottsbluff but could never pass him and missed victory in the final bob of heads.
     The runner-up share of the purse increased Bonfante's career earnings to $495,711 in 25 starts over four seasons. He's won 10 races and placed in six others, never running for a claiming price. He's won seven stakes races and placed in three others, all in California.
     Bonfante, bred in California by his owners, Eugene Tenbrink and Frankfurt Stables, is trained by Ron McAnally and was ridden in the Kerlan by Aaron Gryder.
     Fruition, a half-brother to millionaire Tranquility Lake and successful sire Benchmark, stands at Oak Hill Farm, Paso Robles, Calif.--July 18.


Another Record Sprint for Speedy Scottsbluff
     Siberian Summer's blazingly fast son Scottsbluff added another stakes victory to his ledger and another speed record as well with a victory in the $75,000-added Robert Kerlan Memorial Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.
     The 5-year-old's time of 1:07.54 for the six furlongs on the turn was a new stakes record, and it wasn't far from the 17-year-old course record of 1:07 flat. Scottsbluff holds the Hollywood Park track record for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf--1:00.26--a time that established a world record as well.
     Scottsbluff's purse in the Kerlan increased his career earnings to $298,176 in 17 starts over four seasons.
     Scottsbluff raced second, near the leader, to the stretch, where jockey Clinton Potts sent him to the lead, where he withstood a late challenge from another high-class sprinter, Bonfante, to prevail by a nose.
     In those 17 starts, Scottsbluff has won six times, finished second five times, and run third once. He's been off the board only three times. He's won three stakes and placed in four others.
     He was bred in California by Dr. Sheldon Schoneberg, is owned by Dennis E. Weir, and is trained by Jeff Mullins.
     Siberian Summer, a Grade 1 winner of $501,615, is the sire of 17 stakes horses and earners of more than $7,400,000. He stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--July 17.

  Tannersmyman Son's Earnings Near $100,000
     Gary John, the flag-bearer of Tannersmyman's first crop to race, scored a decisive victory Thursday at Hollywood Park to move his career earnings to the edge of the $100,000 mark.
     The win was the 3-year-old's fifth in 14 starts and his third in his last four outings. In his second season of racing, he's started eight times and has never been off the board with three wins, three seconds and two fourths. His earnings now total $97,785.
     His record also includes a third-place finish in the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes last summer at Santa Rosa.
     In Thursday's six-furlong race, Gary John raced near the back of the six-horse pack until the field reached the stretch, where he moved up to third and in the final sixteenth took charge, moving out to a lead that he extended to 3 1/2 lengths at the finish under steady handling by jockey Michael Baze.
      Bred in California by Jim Eaton, Gary John is owned by Gary Barber and trained by Peter Miller.
      Tannersmyman is the sire of earners of more than $150,000. He stands at Woodbridge Farm, Oakdale, Calif.--July 14.


Tribunal: Two Winners on One Race Card
     Tribunal, Washington's leading freshman sire of 2006, scored a double hit Sunday at Emerald Downs when two more members of his first crop entered the winner's circle.
     They were Tribunal's 11th and 12th winners from that crop, now 3-year-olds. In addition, he's sired one winner from his second crop to reach racing age. In all, they've earned almost $280,000.
     Shady Unlimited, making only her third start, was the winner of the day's first race; Frontier Deputy, winless but four times placed in eight previous starts, was victorious in the last race on the card.
     Shady Unlimited had an easy time of it in her win, taking charge at the top of the stretch and moving out to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Frontier Deputy's trip was altogether different as he was carried wide when a rival veered out in the stretch and had to watch his abuser reach the finish line a half-length in front.
    But the stewards came to his defense, disqualifying the offender and awarding Frontier Deputy the victory.
     Shady Unlimited, bred and owned by Shady Valley Ranch, is trained by Robert Baze. Frontier Deputy, bred by Renee Larrabee, is owned by Three Ducks Stable and trained by Aubrey Villyard. Both are Washington-breds.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--July 11.

Another $100,000 Earner for Unusual Heat
     Unusual Heat has added still another name to his long list of $100,000-plus earners.
     Heated Rebel, a lightly-raced 5-year-old, became the 32nd runner sired by Unusual Heat to break the six-figure barrier when he finished a competitive third in a one-mile allowance race on the turf Saturday at Hollywood Park.
     It was only the ninth career start for the California-bred, and his share of the $65,000 purse pushed his earnings to $108,394. Unraced at 2 and 3, Heated Rebel won two of his first three starts at 4 and has been a money-earner ever since.
     Although he's won just those two races--a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita and an allowance race at Hollywood Park--he's placed in four of his six starts since then, off the board just once while never running for a claiming price. In Saturday's race, he was beaten just a nose and one length.
     Bred and owned by Jeff Stiefel, Heated Rebel is trained by Peter Eurton.
     Unusual Heat, a stakes-winning son of Nureyev, has California's highest Average Earnings Index--2.05. He stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 11.

7 Years Old, Desert Boom Still a Stakes Horse
     Not only durable but still classy as well, 7-year-old Desert Boom added still another blacktype entry to his record with a second-place finish in the $50,000 Alamedan Handicap Sunday at Pleasanton.
     The son of Boomerang increased his earnings to $730,542 with his runner-up purse. In his 43 starts over six seasons, he's won 15 races and placed in 13 others. He hasn't won this year, but he's placed in the Alamedan as well as the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate Fields, an event that he won two years ago.
     Among his other stakes placings are the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup at Hawthorne Park and the Grade 3 Longacres Mile Handicap at Emerald Downs.
     In the Alamedan, he settled into second place at the start of the 1 1/16-mile route and stayed there the rest of the way, unable to overtake the wire-to-wire winner.
     Desert Boom, bred in California by Van Mar Farms, is owned by Robert D. Bone and trained by Art Sherman. He was ridden in the Alamedan by David Lopez.
     Boomerang, a stakes-winning son of Phone Trick, stands at Daehling Ranch, Elk Grove, Calif.--July 10.


Sandys Gold Continues Late-Career Surge
     Swiss Yodeler's 5-year-old son Sandys Gold continued his late-career awakening as a quality racehorse with a third-place finish in the $55,000-added Mo Bay Stakes Saturday at Delaware Park.
     After being claimed for $20,000 while running second on October 24, Sandys Gold has become a different horse, winning his next three starts--an allowance race at Delaware Park on November 7, another on December 10 at Laurel and then the Tony Gatto Dream Big Stakes at Atlantic City--and adding his third-place finish in the Mo Bay to the list on Saturday.
     Unraced at  2, he broke his maiden for a $40,000 price in  his fourth start at 3 and didn't win again for a year, finally winning consecutive starts in an allowance at Pimlico in April and a $16,000 claimer at Colonial Downs in July of that year.
     But since that claim last October, he's been a different horse. His earnings now total $156,573 with six wins, half of them since that revitalizing claim.
     He was never close to winning the Mo Bay, but he closed late to gain his second blacktype finish.
     He's a Virginian, bred in that state by Valerie E. Harris, owned by LeRoy Father and Sons Stable, LLC, and trained by Wallace Neilson. His rider in the Mo Bay was Jeremy Rose.
     Sandys Gold's sire, Swiss Yodeler, is represented by 27 stakes horses and earners of more than $13,600,000. He stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 10.


Secret Kin's 2nd in Stake Is a Disappointment
     All good things must come to an end, it is said, and Secret Kin found that to be true Saturday at Arlington Park as she finished second in the $75,000-added Purple Violet Stakes.
     Placing second in a $75,000-plus stakes race at a major track would look good to most racehorses, but for the 3-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets it was a disappointment because it ended a four-race winning streak.
     The unbeaten string began when she won a maiden special weight race in her final start at 2 and continued with allowance and stakes wins--all at Hawthorne Park--and continued with an allowance victory last month at Arlington Park.
     But in the Purple Violet she broke slowly, sixth in the field of eight, and was never able to make up the lost ground, passing four horses in a too-late move but never able to challenge the front-running winner, finishing second, 4 1/4 lengths back, under jockey Eduardo Perez.
     Secret Kin's record now stands at four wins, a second and a third in seven starts. She's earned $132,151.
     Bred in Illinois by her owner, Team Block, she's trained by Chris Block.
     Sea of Secrets, California's leading 2-year-old sire of 2006, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--July 9. 


Bluesbdancing Posts 11th Blacktype Finish
     Adding the 11th entry in her crowded ledger of stakes wins and placings, Bluesbdancing engaged in a four-horse stretch scramble in Saturday's $75,000-added Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington Park and wound up third, less than a length back of the winner.
     The 5-year-old daughter of Golden Gear was battling two other horses for the lead in the stretch when a fourth runner came from behind to steal the race, a neck ahead of the second-place finisher and another half-length ahead of Bluesbdancing.
     Winner of her first three starts at 2, including the Showtime Deb Stakes at Hawthorne Park, Bluesbdancing has won at least one stakes race each year since then while piling up earnings of $386,015. She's won six stakes races and placed in five others in those four seasons of campaigning.
     She was bred in Illinois by Barry Golden, is owned by Bob and Nancy Bartels, is trained by Terrel Gore, and was ridden in the Isaac Murphy by Rene Douglas.
     Golden Gear, multiple graded stakes-winning sire of champion Ginger Gold and 14 other stakes horses, stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Farm, Santa Margarita, Calif.--July 9.


Spenditallbaby, Third in Stake, Tops $200,000
     Still only a 3-year-old, Spenditallbaby recorded her fifth stakes placing and became Unusual Heat's 12th $200,000-plus earner with a third-place finish in the $100,000-added Flawlessly Stakes on the turf Friday at Hollywood Park.
     Her $12,900 share of the $107,500 purse increased Spenditallbaby's career earnings to $202,550, enabling her to join 11 other Unusual Heat runners who have reached that level. Five of those have earnings of more than $300,000. In all, 31 of his sons and daughters have earned more than $100,000 each.
     All but two of Spenditallbaby's 10 starts since she broke her maiden at 2 have been in stakes races, and she's been off the board in only one of them. The two non-stakes starts were allowance races at Golden Gate Fields and Hollywood Park, and she won them both.
     In the one-mile Flawlessly, she took a quick early lead, then lost it and engaged in a three-horse battle the rest of the way under the guidance of jockey Joe Talamo, finally finishing a length and a neck back despite having been bumped in the stretch.
     Spenditallbaby was bred in California by Abrams/Roberts, Nakkashian, P. Johnson and V. Johnson and is owned by Mark Fiorito, Peggy Johnson, Tom R. Roberts, et all. She's trained by Barry Abrams.
     Unusual Heat, a multiple stakes-winning son of Nureyev, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 8.


3-Year-Old Champ She's All Silk Thrives at 4
     She's All Silk, Washington's champion 3-year-old filly of 2006, continued to show her class with a near-miss second-place finish in the $45,000 King County Handicap Wednesday at Emerald Downs.
     The daughter of Delineator, stretching out to two turns for the first time this year, led to the final yards in the one-mile race before drifting out and yielding by a half-length at the finish.
     In her three other 4-year-old starts at gradually increasing distances, she'd finished second in an allowance race and won the Washington State Legislators Handicap, the latter at 6 1/2 furlongs, a victory that earned her the favorite's role in the King County.
     Her second place in the King County was her seventh in-the-money finish in an added-money race--three wins, two seconds and two thirds. Her career earnings now total $175,423.
     She was bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst--also the breeders of the winner of the King County--is owned by Ed Zenker and is trained by Pat Mullens. She was ridden by Ricky Frazier in Wednesday's race.
     Delineator, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--July 7.


Tribunal Welcomes a Second-Crop Winner
     Tribunal, whose first runners made him Washington's champion freshman sire last year, has the first winner from his second crop to reach the races.
     Two-year-old Russian made it a big day for El Dorado Farms owners Ron and Nina Hagen by leading wire to wire for a four-length victory Wednesday at Emerald Downs.
     In addition to standing her syndicated sire, the Hagens bred Russian and share her ownership with Dr. Alfred Blue and Kevin Murphy. Doris Harwood is Russian's trainer, with Sandi Gann in the iron's for Wednesday's win.
     Unplaced in her first two starts at 4 1/2 and then five furlongs, Russian welcomed the added distance and breezed home to win at 5 1/2 furlongs.
     She's Tribunal's 11th winner, joining 10 winners from his first crop. Their combined earnings exceed $260,000. Three of those first-crop winners have placed in stakes, led by Judicature ($65,293), Washington's champion 2-year-old filly of 2006.
     Tribunal, a Grade1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--July 7.


Beau Genius Twofer Nets 33rd Stakes Winner
     California-bred Snowdrop, stakes-placed but not a stakes winner, emphatically filled that gap in her record by sailing to a wire-to-wire, seven-length victory in the $50,000 Alameda County Handicap Wednesday at Pleasanton.
     She's the 33rd stakes winner sired by Beau Genius, who gained additional success on the same day when Beaulena, already a stakes winner, took third in the $45,000 King County Handicap at Emerald Downs.
     Snowdrop and Beaulena are among the 74 stakes horses sired by Grade 1-winning millionaire Beau Genius.
     In the Alameda County, Snowdrop held a narrow lead for most of the 1 1/16-mile race but accelerated entering the stretch and steadily increased her dominance to hit the wire seven lengths in front under jockey Roberto Gonzalez.
     Her record shows three wins, two seconds and five thirds in two seasons of racing with earnings of $134,333. She's a 4-year-old, a member of Beau Genius's second California-sired crop.
     Bred by David and Mary Ann Sawyer, she's owned by M. A. Douzos and Ron Stolich and trained by Gil Matos.
     In the King County, 7-year-old Beaulena turned into the stretch in seventh place in the field of nine, 12 lengths behind the leader, but then she moved strongly and finished in third place, only a length and a quarter back of the winner.
     She was bred in Kentucky by Jack, George and Keith Lancaster and is owned by Ernest D. and Roberta M. Sherman. She's trained by Richard Wright and was ridden in the King County by Mick Ruis.
     She sat out her 5-year-old season but came back last year at 6 to win or place in seven of nine 2006 starts. Since her return, she's been off the board just once in 11 starts. Overall, she's started 23 times with five wins, six seconds, four thirds and four fourths for earnings of $105,937.
     Beau Genius, who stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif., is the sire of earners of more than $30,500,000.--July 6.


Favored Principle Secret Has a Semi-Bad Day
     Although he went to the post as the favorite, it just wasn't Principle Secret's day. Mostly.
     The Grade 2-winning 3-year-old son of Sea of Secrets finished a well-beaten third in the $150,000 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes Wednesday at Monmouth Park, but he nevertheless posted his third graded stakes placing--two seconds and a third--and earned $16,500.
     In his second career start last year at 2, Principle Secret won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar and followed with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita. This year he's been second in the ungraded San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park and third in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore.
     That all adds up to seven consecutive stakes races, six of them graded, after a maiden special weight victory in her initial start. In those eight starts, he's been first twice, second three times and third once, earning $226,260.
     Bred in Kentucky by Victory Racing LLC, he's owned by Charles Cono LLC and trained by Christopher Paasch. He was ridden in the Jersey Shore by Joe Bravo.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--July 6.


Another Stakes Placing for You and I Juvenile
     Half of Younique Cat's starts in her budding racing career have been in stakes races, and she's collected black type in each one.
     Her second-place finish in Saturday's $50,000-added Everett Nevin Alameda  County Futurity at Pleasanton followed a third-place finish in the Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields
     Those were the third and fourth career starts for the 2-year-old daughter of You and I. She was fourth at Bay Meadows in her debut and after that reached the winner's circle with a four-length victory at Golden Gate Fields.
     That gives her a record of a first, a second, a third and a fourth in four career starts, good for earnings of $28,703.
     In the Nevin, she couldn't overtake the winner but was clearly the best of the rest in the seven-horse field, finishing three lengths in front of the third-place horse under the guidance of jockey Alfredo Miranda.
     Younique Cat, bred in California by the Jack and Barbara Hatch Revocable Living Trust, is owned by Miguel A. Conde and trained by Efrain Miranda.
     You and I, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $701,235, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--July 4.


Cal-Bred Third in Prairie Meadows Futurity
     Far from home, California-bred 2-year-old Alex's Tomcat is putting together a successful racing career in mid-America.
     The son of Iron Cat, victorious in his first career start, moved into stakes company for his second and gained black type with a third-place finish in the $50,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows.
     Alex's Tomcat began his career with a maiden special weight victory at Canterbury Downs. Both races were at five furlongs.
     In the Futurity, Alex's Tomcat started slowly and lost all chance for a win, but he moved four wide into the stretch and closed well enough to salvage third place under urging by jockey Derek Bell.
     Bred by Ric Peterson, he's owned and trained by Randy Rarick. He's earned an even $14,000 in those two starts.
     Iron Cat, a stakes-placed son of Storm Cat, stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--July 4.


No Bad Luck, Run Brother Ron Wins Futurity
     No misfortune interfered and Run Brother Ron became a stakes winner with a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000-added Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity Sunday at Pleasanton.
     It was the 2-year-old Perfect Mandate colt's second stakes effort following a maiden special weight win at Bay Meadows in his career debut.
     In his second start and his first in stakes company, Run Brother Ron finished second in the $75,000-added Willard L. Proctor Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 27, leading from the start to the final sixteenth but losing by a length and three-quarters in the final stages of the race when, according to the official chart, "the rider's whip unraveled."
     Without that mishap, Run Brother Ron might well be unbeaten in his three career starts.
     In the five-furlong Everett Nevin, Run Brother Ron again broke on top and stayed there this time as jockey Roberto Gonzalez kept his whip intact, though he had little need for it as his mount sailed home three lengths in front.
     Bred in California by SLU, Inc., Run Brother Ron is owned by Lebherz, Schmitt or Schmitt and trained by Jeff Bonde. His earnings in those three starts now total $65,957.
     He's the second 2007 stakes winner sired by Perfect Mandate, who's also represented by Flying First Class, winner of the Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs. Perfect Mandate stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--July 3.


El Dorado Farms Sires 1-3 in Emerald Stake
     Sons of El Dorado Farms sires took first and third in Sunday's $45,000-added Tacoma Handicap at Emerald Downs and came close to making it a 1-2 finish.
     Wild Cycle, by Free At Last, took charge early in the stretch run and had little trouble moving to a 1 1/4-length victory as Mulcahy, by Tribunal, missed the runner-up spot by just a half-length after rallying in midstretch from next-to-last to third place in the six-horse field.
     Wild Cycle was scoring his second stakes victory, having won the WTBA Lads Stakes in his freshman season, in which he also finished second in the Gottstein Futurity. His earnings now total $97,159 with three wins, a second and a third in seven starts.
     Mulcahy was making his first stakes start in seven career outings in which he's earned $25,640 with one win, three seconds and a third. He returned this spring from a winter layoff to finish second in his first start and then win a maiden special weight race. After running second in an allowance race, he moved into the Tacoma Handicap and earned his first black type.
     Wild Cycle is owned by Frank L. Gaunt and trained by Aubrey Villyard. He was bred in Washington by Robin L. Mason, Stormy B. Hull and Art Burt. Juan Gutierrez was his rider in the Tacoma.
     Mulcahy, also a Washington-bred, is owned by Harley Hoppe and his trainer, Howard Belvoir. He was bred by Mr. and Mrs William T. Griffin and was ridden in Sunday's race by Macario Rodriguez.
     Free At Last and Tribunal both stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--July 3.


Steady as She Goes, Plaid Extends Streak
     Remarkably consistent Plaid continued her lengthy in-the-money streak and moved her career earnings past the half-million mark with a closely-contested second-place finish in the $125,000 Iowa Distaff Breeders' Cup Stakes Saturday at Prairie Meadows.
     The 6-year-old daughter of Deputy Commander challenged through the stretch but fell three-quarters of a length short in her bid for her fifth stakes victory.
     Nevertheless, she extended her win-or-place streak to 19 in her last 20 races. Since mid-October, 2005, she's never been off the board, collecting 10 wins, six seconds, three thirds and one fourth. The last 12 of those starts were in stakes races.
     In 40 career starts, she's won 13, with 11 seconds and five thirds for earnings of $510,817. At 5 and 6, her line is 16-8-6-1-$360,044.
     In Saturday's race at 1 1/16 miles, she raced in third place early, then moved up to second in the stretch but couldn't overtake the front-runner under jockey Terry Thompson..
     Plaid is owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and is trained by Steve Asmussen. She was bred in Kentucky by McKee Stables Inc.
     Deputy Commander, sire of earners of more than $17,200,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--July 2.


Still Another Lit de Justice Cal-Crop Winner
     Taking the lead at the start and hanging on to finish a nose in front, Utility Man became the 11th winner from Lit de Justice's first California crop Saturday at Los Alamitos.
     The 19 starters from that 2004 crop include two runners that have won twice, one that has won three times, and one that has won four times. They've earned more than $280,000. Lit de Justice, an Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, stood his first season in California in 2003 after beginning his stud career in Kentucky.
     In all, his runners have earned more than $14,800,000 in eight crops, They include 28 stakes horses.
     Saturday's race was only Utility Man's second. He was bred in California by Magali Ventures, LLC, and is owned by Robert E. Bodenbender. His trainer is Christopher O'Dell and he was ridden in Saturday's race by Jeff Smith.
     Lit de Justice won or placed in 15 stakes races, including the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and earned $1,397,649. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 2.


Second Derby in a Row for Kissin Kris Son
     Tenth in the field of 11 after a half-mile, Delightful Kiss mounted a powerful closing run to capture the $250,000 Iowa Derby Saturday at Prairie Meadows and underscore his victory in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby earlier in the month.
     The 3-year-old son of Kissin Kris increased his career earnings to $476,936 with his 1 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile event.
     Forced six wide on the turn for home, Delightful Kiss ran powerfully through the stretch and pulled ahead to victory in the final sixteenth under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez.
     Delightful Kiss has made an extensive tour through the derby circuit, winning the Ohio and Iowa Derbies and finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby, fourth in the Arkansas Derby, and fifth in the Tropical Park Derby.
     His trainer, Pete Anderson, sees a bright future for Delightful Kiss. He told the Daily Racing Form, "This horse gets better with every race. There's no telling how good he's going to get."
     Delightful Kiss was bred in Florida by his owner, Hobeau Farm.
     His sire, Kissin Kris, has sired 31 stakes horses and earners of more than $16,000,000. He stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 1.


Lit de Justice Cal-Sired Runners Win and Win
     Runners from Lit de Justice's first California crop just keep on winning.
     Bestdressed was easily best in a nine-horse field Friday at Hollywood Park as he became the second member of the champion sprinter's inaugural California-sired crop to win three or more races, finishing a comfortable five lengths in front..
     The 3-year-old was winning his second race in a row and his third in his last four starts as he increased his earnings to $65,240. He's one of four members of that crop to win against winners. Two have won twice, one has won three times, and one has won four times.
     In addition, the 10 winners from that crop include a stakes-placed earner of more than $50,000. In all, runners from that crop have earned more than $300,000 in barely a year of competition.
     In scoring his third victory in seven starts, Bestdressed raced eighth in the field of nine along the backstretch before moving rapidly into third place at the top of the stretch and then taking the lead in midstretch as jockey Michael Baze steered him to an easy win at 6 1/2 furlongs.
     Bestdressed was bred in California by Paul Boghossian, is owned by Triple B Farms, and is trained by Doug O'Neill.
     Lit de Justice, sire of 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $14,800,000 in nine crops, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 30.


Tannersmyman Son Chalks Up Win No. 4
     Odds-on favorite Gary John, the leader of Tannersmyman's first crop to race, reached the winner's circle for the fourth time in his eight-month career Friday with a workmanlike victory at Hollywood Park.
     The 3-year-old stayed near the pace for most of the 7 1/2-furlong distance, then moved ahead in the final sixteenth to finish a neck in front under timely urging by  jockey Michael Baze.
     In 13 starts since his debut last October, Gary John has earned $79,185 while posting four wins, three seconds, two thirds and two fourths. He hasn't been off the board in his last 10 starts.
     Bred in California by Jim Eaton, Gary John is owned by Sierra Nevada Stables LLC and trained by Ted West.
     Tannersmyman, a stakes-winning son of Lord Carson, stands at Woodbridge Farm, Oakdale, Calif.--June 30.

Kissin Kris, Swiss Yodeler Add to Stakes Lists
     In a single race, Kissin Kris and Swiss Yodeler added new names Sunday to the lengthy lists of stakes runners that they've sired.
     The race was the $45,000-added Forrest White Stakes at Stockton in which winner Another Kris, by Kissin Kris, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of second-place Something Sonic, by Swiss Yodeler.
     Another Kris is his sire's 31st stakes horse; Something Sonic is his sire's 27th. 
     The 5 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds was a two-horse race almost all the way, with Something Sonic leading to the turn before yielding to Another Kris entering the stretch. 
     Kissin Kris has sired 13 stakes winners, including Canadian champion Kiss a Native ($1,109,022), to go with 18 stakes-placed runners; Swiss Yodeler has sired nine stakes winners, including Eclipse-Award winner Thor's Echo ($2,416,990), and 18 stakes-placed.
     Another Kris, bred in Florida by Franks Farm, is owned by Peter Redekop B. C., Ltd., and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. He was ridden Sunday by Russell Baze. In six career starts, he's won four races and earned $78,130.
     Something Sonic was bred in California by his owners, Claimboxdotcom, Tim English, Fast Lane Farms, Ron Watchorn and Doug O'Neill, and is trained by O'Neill. His rider in the Forrest White was Tyler Baze.
     Kissin Kris stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and Swiss Yodeler at Pepper Oaks Farm, both in Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 27.


Third Win in a Row for Game Plan Filly
     Lady Gamer not only is the owner of a three-race winning streak, she's also a stakes winner following her wire-to-wire victory in the $75,000-added Valkyr Stakes Sunday at Hollywood Park.
     The 4-year-old daughter of Game Plan, winner of two straight allowance races, was trying stakes company for the first time and was up to the challenge, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front under jockey David Flores.
     Lady Gamer has been lightly raced since her debut as a 3-year-old 13 months ago, starting twice at the Hollywood Park summer meeting, twice at Del Mar, once at Oak Tree and twice at the Hollywood Park winter meeting.
     Sunday's Valkyr was her first start of 2007, 6 1/2 months after her last race at 3. Her record now shows four wins and two seconds in eight starts with earnings of $162,610. She's been off the board just once.
     The California-bred may be lightly raced, but she's earned her keep for owner-breeders Clark and Janine Hansen and trainer John Sadler.
     Lady Gamer is the 27th stakes horse sired by Game Plan, a son of Danzig standing at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--June 26.


1st Stakes Try a Win for Siberian Summer Son
     Moving into stakes company for the first time, Summer Sensation had no trouble becoming Siberian Summer's 10th blacktype winner Saturday at Northlands Park, taking the lead out of the gate and fighting off a persistent challenger to reach the wire still in front.
     The event was the $50,000 Journal Handicap, and Summer Sensation proved best of the field of eight runners at 6 1/2 furlongs, finishing a half-length in front of a challenger who hooked him a half-mile out and pressed him to the finish, making up a length but falling a half-length short.
     The 5-year-old California-bred made his first start only last December, and he's been making up for lost time ever since. In seven career starts, he's reached the winner's circle five times, earning $50,855.
     He won four of his five starts at Turf Paradise before shipping north to Canada, where he's won one of two.
     Bred by Michael Power, Summer Sensation is owned by Don and Darcy Hawkes, Terry Olmstead and Hooter Ville Stable. He's trained by Darcy Hawkes and was ridden Saturday by Ron Blinston.
     Siberian Summer, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $501,615, is the sire of 17 stakes horses and earners of more than $7,300,000. He stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--June 25.


Thekatcamehome Stays Home, Hits $200,000
     Thekatcamehome, who lives at Prairie Meadows, boosted her earnings at the Iowa track past $200,000 with a close-up second-place finish in Saturday's $70,000 Hawkeyes Handicap.
     Thekatcamehome has never left home, making every one of her 18 starts over three seasons at Prairie Meadows, where she's won or placed in five stakes races. The consistent 4-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets has earned $200,218 with seven wins, three seconds, two thirds and four fourths in 18 starts--off the board just twice and never worse than sixth.
     The 1 1/16-mile Hawkeyes was not quite long enough for Thekatcamehome. She was three-quarters of a length back and, according to the official chart, "gradually gaining" at the wire.
     She was bred and is owned by RPM Thoroughbreds and is trained by Kelly Von Hemel. The Iowa-bred was ridden in the Hawkeyes by Glenn Corbett.
     Thekatcamehome is one of 16 stakes horses sired by Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat who stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--June 25.


Katowice Son Debuts in Blazing-Fast Win
     Katowice is the sire of a blazingly fast new prospect.
     Making the first start of his career at the age of 3, Get You scored a 
4 1/4-length victory in a maiden special weight race Saturday in a time that still has racetrackers buzzing.
     Here's the Daily Racing Form's report on the event:

     Get You, a 3-year-old son of Katowice and Bag Person from the barn of trainer Jim Penney, made a spectacular debut in Saturday's maiden special weight offering that went as the third race. Ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, Get You was dismissed as the 7-1 third choice behind his heavily favored stablemate, Jamaica Bound.
     "Booger had his choice between our two horses, and he chose Get You," reported Penney's son-in-law, Bryson Cooper. "We told him there would be a lot of speed in the race, and he said 'I'll show them speed.' "
     He did just that. Get You smoked the half-mile in 43.60, then coasted home to win by 
4 1/4 lengths over Jamaica Bound in 1:14.20 for 6 1/2 furlongs. It was the fastest time at the distance ever recorded by a maiden at Emerald Downs. [italics added]
     "He had shown us a lot in the mornings, but we didn't expect him to go quite that fast," said Cooper. "He is pretty exiting prospect."
     As always seems to be the case with good horses, there is a story behind Get You.
     The Penney family's Homestretch Farm acquired Get You's dam, Bag Person, for a bargain price.
     "We bought his dam for $1,200 to serve as a companion for another broodmare we owned," said Penney's son-in-law, Bryson Cooper. "Ever since we got her, she has thrown nothing but runners."
     Get You is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Nu Rays Arabella and Imagunna, an extremely fast allowance winner.

     Get You was bred in Washington by his owner, the Penneys' Home Stretch Farm. His sire, Katowice, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--June 20.


First-Time Starter Is Capsized's First Winner
     Maxie's Night Cap made the first start of her career Thursday at Emerald Downs and came out of the race as the first winner from the first crop of graded stakes winner Capsized.
     The 2-year-old Oregon-bred filly took the lead out of the gate in the five-furlong race and never looked back, gradually widening her lead until she reached the finish line 4 3/4 lengths in front, needing little urging from jockey Mick Ruis.
     That made it a West Coast sweep--a California sire with an Oregon-bred winner at a Washington track.
     She was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Jack B. Root Jr., is owned by M. Root, Owners Stable and S. Gruender, and is trained by Ben Root.
     Capsized, a son of Summer Squall, won the Grade 3 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga and placed in other graded stakes at Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct. He earned $489,593.
     Capsized stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles,Calif.--June 16.


She's All Silk Shows She Can Run at 4, Too
     She's All Silk, Washington's champion 3-year-old filly of 2006, showed that she's a quality runner at 4 by whipping an 11-horse field with a wire-to-wire victory in the $45,000 Washington State Legislators Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs.
     The daughter of Delineator was never seriously threatened in the 6 1/2-furlong race as she hit the wire a length and three-quarters in front. Sent off as only the fourth choice in the betting, She's All Silk led all the way under jockey Ricky Frazier for the third stakes victory of her career.
     She's All Silk finished her 3-year-old season with two straight wins, both in stakes, but started this year slowly, running second in an allowance race and finishing unplaced in a stakes race. But she was back in the groove Sunday in her third start of the season.
     In 15 starts over three seasons, she's been off the board only twice while compiling a record of five wins, four seconds, three thirds and a fourth, good for earnings of $166,423. She's won three stakes and placed in three others.
     Bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, she's owned by Ed Zenker and trained by H. R. Mullens.
     Delineator, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--June 12.


You and I Juvenile Earns Black Type Quickly
     Only two months after racing for the first time, You and I's 2-year-old son Younique Cat earned his stakes credentials in the third start of his life Sunday when he took third in the $50,000-added Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
     Younique Cat is the first winner from the first California crop of You and I, who came from Kentucky to stand the 2004 and 2005 seasons in California before moving to Washington, where he is completing his second season at stud.
     After running fourth in her initial start on April 4 at Bay Meadows, Younique Cat moved to Golden Gate Fields, where she broke her maiden by four lengths on May 10 before stepping into stakes company Sunday.
     Her inexperience showed in the Lost in the Fog as she moved into second place early, pressing the leader, but swung four wide on the turn for home in the five-furlong race and yielded to finish third.
      Bred in California by the Jack and Barbara Hatch Revocable Living Trust, she's owned by Miguel A. Conde and trained by Efrain Miranda. Her rider in Sunday's race was Alfredo Miranda.
     You and I, a Grade 1 winner of $701,235, has sired 39 stakes horses and earners of more than $14,700,000. He stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--June 12.


Cascadian Son Debuts With Stakes Placing
     Bypassing preparatory races, Brownstown Jazz plunged into stakes company in the first start of his career and came away with a third-place finish in the Chris Christian Stakes Saturday at Les Bois Park.
     The 2-year-old Washington-bred son of Cascadian never threatened the two leaders, but he beat five other horses in what the official chart called a "good effort."
     That performance made him the 11th stakes horse from four crops sired by the son of Seattle Slew.
     Brownstown Jazz was bred by his owner, Marie C. Monroe, and is trained by Edgar Fornue. He was ridden in the Chris Christian by Jaime Martinez.
     Cascadian, sire of Oregon juvenile champions in both 2004 and 2005, stands at Bar C Racing Stables, Hermiston, Ore.-June 12.


Birdonthewire Son Wires Field at Woodbine
     In front from start to finish, 7-year-old Executive Choice became Birdonthewire's eighth stakes winner with a comfortable 7 1/2 length victory in the $125,000 Steady Growth Stakes Saturday at Woodbine.
     Executive Choice earned black type last December with a close-up second-place finish in the Sir Barton Stakes at Woodbine, beaten just a neck, but Saturday's race was the first added-money event in which he went to the winner's circle.
     It was the seventh win for Executive Choice, who's earned $310,990 in 24 starts over four seasons.
     In the 1 1/16-mile Steady Growth he opened a clear lead out of the gate, fought off a challenge turning for home, then widened his margin steadily through the stretch under jockey Emile Ramsammy.
     Executive Choice, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, is owned by Jim Aston, Peter Buzzi and Augi Onesi and is trained by Reade Baker. 
     His sire, Birdonthewire, is among California's leaders in several categories, including average earnings per runner (almost $54,000), median earnings per runner (more than $27,000), and Average Earnings Index (1.24).
     He stands at Madera Thoroughbreds, Madera, Calif.--June 11.


Two by Deputy Commander Place in Stakes
     It was an old story for one and a new experience for the other as two runners by Deputy Commander placed in stakes races Saturday.
     Seven-year-old  Trapped Again took third in the $100,000 Brandywine Stakes at Delaware Park to go with an earlier stakes win and stakes placing.
     Three-year-old Comarillo, making her first start in added-money company, finished third in the $50,000 Panther Stakes at Prairie Meadows.
     They are two of 29 North American stakes horses sired by Deputy Commander along with two foreign champions and a $2,000,000-earning stakes winner in Japan.
     In the Brandywine, Trapped Again ducked in at the start and hit the gate but recovered to challenge for the lead down the backstretch before yielding to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile race. The purse in his 39th start increased his career earnings to $411,589 over six seasons.
     In the one-mile Panthers, Comarillo raced last in the field of nine down the backstretch before moving up steadily to finish third while never challenging the two leaders. She's earned $40,570 in 11 starts at 2 and 3.
     Trapped Again, bred in Kentucky by William Lussky, is owned by Steeplechase Farm, trained by Michael Gorham, and was ridden by Jose Caraballo.
     Comarillo, bred by Diamond G Ranch, also in Kentucky, is owned by Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC, is trained by Lynn Chieborad, and was ridden by Israel Ocampo.
     Deputy Commander, sire of earners of more than $17,000,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--June 11.


Belmont Winner Has a California Connection
     The result of Saturday's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park was good news for Sought After, but it was nothing unusual.
     A year ago, Jazil, a three-quarter brother to the young California sire, won the classic third leg of the Triple Crown, and this year Jazil's young sibling, Rags to Riches, did the same thing.
     Both are out of Better Than Honour, a stakes-winning half-sister to Sought After's dam, stakes-winning Smolensk. The top part of Sought After's female family now looks like this:

1st dam
SMOLENSK (1992 f. by Danzig). In France, 3 wins at 2 and 3, $143,042,
..........Prix d'Astarte-G2, Prix de Sandringham-G3, 2nd Prix Imprudence; in 
..........England, placed in 1 start at 3, $70,864, 2nd Coronation S.-G1; in 
..........U. S., placed at 4, $13,900.
2nd dam
BLUSH WITH PRIDE (1979 f. by Blushing Groom-Fr). 6 wins at 2 and 3, 
..........$536,807, Kentucky Oaks-G1, Santa Susana S.-G1, Ashland S.-G2, 
..........Golden Harvest H.-G3, 2nd Spinster S.-G1, Santa Ysabel S., Turkish 
..........Trousers S., 3rd Mother Goose S.-G1.
.....BETTER THAN HONOUR (1996 f. by Deputy Minister). 2 wins at 2,
...............$250,920, Demoiselle S.- G2, 2nd Acorn S.-G1, Comely S.-G3, 
...............3rd Mother Goose S.-G1. Dam of--
..........RAGS TO RICHES (2004 f. by A. P. Indy). 4 wins at 3, 2007, 
....................$1,292,528, Belmont S.-G1, Kentucky Oaks-G1, Santa
....................Anita Oaks-G1, Las Virgines S.-G1.
..........JAZIL (2003 c. by Seeking the Gold). Winner at 2 and 3, placed at 4, 
....................2007, $771,817, Belmont S.-G1, 2nd Wood Memorial S.-G1.

     More than 100 stakes winners, including 11 champions, appear under the first three dams in Sought After's female family.
     Sought After, a son of Seeking the Gold, was California's third-ranking freshman sire of 2006. He stands at Daehling Ranch, Elk Grove, Calif.--June 10.


10th Winner From Lit de Justice's 2004 Crop
     Adding her name to a list that keeps growing longer and longer, Jojo's Justice made her 3-year-old debut with a wire-to-wire win Thursday at Golden Gate Fields.
     The victory made the daughter of Lit de Justice the 10th winner from her sire's first California crop, a group that includes a four-time winner, two double winners, and a stakes-placed winner.
     Jojo's Justice joined the group by winning her first 2007 start after running third in two starts last year at 2. She was sent off as the favorite in Thursday's race and lived up to that honor by taking the lead out of the gate, holding off two separate challenges, and pulling away to reach the finish 4 1/2 lengths in front.
     The 16 starters from the first crop sired by champion sprinter Lit de Justice after his arrival from Kentucky have earned more than $260,000. The only starter from his second California crop hasn't yet won.
     Bred in California by the Recabaren Ranch, Jojo's Justice is owned by Stuart Kesselman and Tony and Marilyn Melkonian. She's trained by Art Sherman and was ridden in her win by Juan Ochoa.
     Lit de Justice, sire of 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $14,700,000, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 9.


Another First-Crop Win for Tannersmyman
     Tannersmyman has only a few foals of racing age and even fewer starters, but he has a disproportionate number of winners.
     In her first career start, 3-year-old She's a Tanner became the third to reach the winner's circle with a wire-to-wire victory Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
     From that first crop, foals of 2004, Tannersmyman has sent out five starters, three of them winners, one placed and just one--an earner of $1,650--unplaced. A sixth hasn't started.
     The leader of that crop is Gary John, stakes-placed at 2 and now a winner of three races and $65,385.
     After one race, She's a Tanner holds for the time being the distinction of never having raced behind any horse. She took the lead out of the gate Saturday and held it all the way in the six-furlong race. She was under pressure the entire distance from the 1-to-10 favorite, finally prevailing by a nose under jockey Joe Castro.
     She's a homebred, owned and bred in California by Phoenix residents Jim Eaton, Paul Arndt and Dave Marabella, and trained by Robert Hess, Sr. 
     Tannersmyman stands at Woodbridge Farm, Oakdale, Calif., where She's a Tanner was born and raised.--June 6.


Desert Boom--Old, But Still a Competitor
     He's seven years old and he's run 42 races, but Desert Boom is still competing at a high level, as he showed Saturday with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Berkeley Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
     The California-bred son of Boomerangincreased his career earnings to $720,412 with his $15,000 share of the $100,000 purse carried by the track's premier spring classic, which he won two years ago when he was a youthful 5-year-old..
     Desert Boom didn't threaten the winner, but he missed the runner-up spot by just a head after rounding the final turn four wide in the 1 1/16-mile race. The Berkeley was his third graded stakes placing, joining the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap and the Grade 3 Longacres Mile on his list of accomplishments.
     In all, he's won 15 races and placed in 12 others over six campaigns. In addition to winning the Berkeley, he's placed in four stakes and captured the Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes, the non-blacktype feature race of the annual Claiming Crown Series at Canterbury Park.
     Bred by Van Mar Farms, he's owned by Robert D. Bone and trained by Art Sherman. His rider in the Berkeley was David Lopez.
     Boomerang, a stakes-winning son of Phone Trick, stands at Daehling Ranch, Elk Grove, Calif.--June 5.


Stone Justice Makes It Three Wins in a Row
     Stone Justice, a prominent member of Lit de Justice's first California-sired crop, extended her winning streak to three with a dramatic come-from-behind allowance victory Saturday at Stampede Park.
     The 3-year-old filly raced ninth in the field of 10 to the stretch, where she took the lead after circling the field around the turn. She didn't reach the lead until the final sixteenth, but that was good enough as she hit the wire a half-length ahead in the six-furlong race.
     Winless in three starts after winning last July in her debut at Northlands Park, she's won three in a row at the Calgary track. Her record now shows four wins in seven starts, with one third, for earnings of $37,752.
     Stone Justice is one of nine winners from the first crop sired by Lit de Justice after his arrival in California from Kentucky, where he sired six crops. Sixteen starters from that first California crop have earned more than $230,000.
     She was bred in California by Pablo A. and Michelle Suarez, is owned by Al Rupertus, and is trained by Carson Frey. She was ridden in Saturday's race by Ron Blinston.
     Lit de Justice, an Eclipse-Award winner of $1,397,649, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 5.


Unbeaten Tribunal Son Wins Another Race
     Fort Yates didn't race last year at 2, but he's making up for it this year as a 3-year-old.
     The son of Tribunal has started three times at Emerald Downs and has made three trips to the winner's circle, the latest in an allowance race Friday in which he moved in the final stages of the 6 1/2-furlong race to win by a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths.
     He raced seventh in the field of 10 in the early going but moved up around the turn and moved steadily through the field in the stretch to hit the wire in front under jockey Leslie Mawing.
     His brief career, which began on April 28, now encompasses three wins in three starts for earnings of $25,025.
     Fort Yates, bred in Washington by Nick and Alexis Tomanelli, is owned by Rob and Dawn Olson and trained by H. R. Mullens.
     His sire, Tribunal, became Washington's leading freshman sire of 2006 with no help from Fort Yates, who didn't race last year. Tribunal now has sired 10 winners from 15 starters in that first crop. They've earned more than $230,000.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--June 5.


Delightful Kiss Nails Grade 2 Ohio Derby
     Delightful Kiss mounted a bold move entering the stretch to gain the lead and continue on to a comfortable victory in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby Saturday at Thistledown.
     By taking the $300,000 race by 3 1/2 lengths, Delightful Kiss became the fifth graded stakes winner sired by Kissin Kris and increased his bankroll to $326,936 for his owner-breeder, Hobeau Farm.
     Seventh in the eight-horse field in the early part of the 1 1/8-mile event, Delightful Kiss burst into the lead coming out of the final turn and widened his margin through the stretch under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez.
     After a 2-year-old campaign that was only moderately successful, Delightful Kiss has had increasing success, with an allowance win at Gulfstream Park, a third in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs and a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
     In his final start before the Ohio Derby, he was unplaced in the Grade 3 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs, and that led bettors to send him off at the second-longest price in the field, resulting in a win payoff of $51.80. He's trained by Pete Anderson.
     In 12 career starts, the Florida-bred has won three races, with two seconds and two thirds. Delightful Kiss is one of 29 stakes horses sired by Kissin Kris, who stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 4.


Deputy Commander Runners Looking Good
     Runners sired by Deputy Commander were successful in stakes races Sunday at two tracks in America's heartland, winning in Iowa and finishing third in a Grade 2 event in Ohio.
     At Prairie Meadows, durable 7-year-old Plaid recorded her fourth stakes victory with a six-length triumph in the $50,000 Wild Rose Stakes, increasing her earnings to $485,817 in her 39th start over five seasons.
     At Thistledown, Reporting for Duty recovered from a slow start to take third in the $300,000 Ohio Derby, a Grade 2 event, boosting his bankroll to $182,886 over an 11-race career that also includes a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Illinois Derby.
     Plaid, the odds-on favorite, stayed near the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race to the turn for home, where she seized the lead and extended it to her final six-length margin. She's working on a streak of remarkable consistency, winning or placing in 18 of her last 19 starts and finishing fourth in the other.
     She was bred in Kentucky by McKee Stables, is owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, is trained by Steve Asmussen, and was ridden in the Wild Rose by Terry Thompson.
     Reporting for Duty has won only once in 11 starts, but he's placed in five other races, never running for a claiming price.
     Also trained by Asmussen, he was bred in Kentucky by the McMillin Brothers and James Devaney, is owned by Cathy and Bob Zollars, and was ridden in the Derby by Luis Quinonez.
     Deputy Commander, a Grade 1-winning son of Deputy Minister, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--June 4.


Beau Genius Son Tops $300,000 in Earnings
     My Creed, making his 31st career start, moved strongly in the stretch for a three-length victory in the Grade 3 Berkeley Stakes Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, boosting his lifetime earnings past $300,000.
     The durable 6-year-old son of Beau Genius, racking up his seventh career start, increased his career bankroll to $305,150, becoming his sire's ninth earner of $300,000 or more. 
     In those 31 starts over five seasons of competition, the Kentucky-bred has seven wins, three seconds and nine thirds. He's won four stakes races and placed in four others.
     In the Berkeley, he raced sixth in the field of eight before moving as the field approached the final turn, which he took racing five wide on his way to the lead before the furlong pole. He widened his lead and hit the wire three lengths in front.
     My Creed was bred by Dave and W. D. Fishback, is owned by Seven Star Racing Stable and R. B. Hess, Sr., and is trained by Hess. His rider in the Berkeley was Modesto Linares.
     Beau Genius, a millionaire Grade 1 winner, is the sire of 72 stakes horses. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--June 4.


Still Another Lit de Justice Double Winner
     A strong stretch run brought victory to favored Bestdressed Wednesday at Hollywood Park, giving Lit de Justice still another multiple winner from his first California crop.
     The 3-year-old broke third and pressed the leaders all the way to mid-stretch, where, under jockey Michael Baze, he mounted a closing surge that brought him victory by a head.
     Lit de Justice has nine winners from his first California-sired crop. One of those has won three races and three others have won two. Still another is a stakes winner. They've already earned more than $240,000.
     Bestdressed's first five starts came at the recent Santa Anita meeting, in which he posted a win, a second and a third in five starts. His victory at Hollywood Park in his sixth start increased his earnings to $38,600.
     Bred in California by Paul Boghossian, he's owned by Triple B Farms and trained by Doug O'Neill.
     Champion sprinter Lit de Justice, sire of earners of more than $14,700,000, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--June 1.


A Good Memorial Day for SLRD Shippers
     Runners shipping from San Luis Rey Downs to race at Hollywood Park celebrated Memorial Day weekend with a pair of wins and a fourth place, two of those in stakes races.
     On Sunday, trainer Pete Miller brought up Thoroughly to capture the $75,000-added Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes and later in the day Ranchy finished fourth in the $75,000-added Cinderella Stakes for trainer Sam Semkin.
     On Monday, Susan Bump finished the holiday by saddling Le Copain (Arg) for a stretch-running win in a quick-strike invasion. Le Copain (Arg) shipped from SLRD the morning of the race and was home in his stall the same night. The other two SLRD runners shipped up the day before their races and went home afterward.
     Thoroughly is owned by Gerson Racing, Ranchy by John Kelly and trainer Semkin, and Le Copain (Arg) by Pretty In Pink Stable.
     All three are permanently stabled and train at San Luis Rey Downs, a year-round training center located in the North San Diego County town of Bonsall.--May 31.


11-Month Vacation Good for Cahill Road Son
     Eleven months away from the races can be a good thing for a racehorse, as The Great Face has demonstrated in three starts since returning to competition, most recently with a second-place finish in the $45,000 Fox Sports Network Handicap Monday at Emerald Downs.
     Unplaced in his only two starts at 4, the son of Cahill Road has come back as a 5-year-old to win an allowance race, run fourth in the Seattle Handicap, and take second in Monday's stakes event.
     He ran eighth in the Fox Sports Network Handicap on May 29, 2006, then left the track to return on April 20 this year with a 5 1/4-length allowance win at Emerald Downs that began his current campaign.
     The Great Face broke on top in Monday's 6 1/2-furlong race but couldn't hold off the winner, finishing well to hold onto the runner-up spot while under pressure. He wound up 2 1/2 lengths behind under jockey Juan Gutierrez.
     It was The Great Face's second stakes placing. At 3, in his second career start, he took second in the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Emerald Downs. In three seasons of racing, he's started 11 times with four wins, two seconds, a third and three fourths. His final pre-layoff start was the only one in which he's finished off the board. His earnings now total $67,659.
     The Great Face was bred in Washington by Patricia J. Murphy. He's owned by Ron Crockett, Inc., and trained by Tom Wenzel.
     Cahill Road, sire of  44 stakes horses and earners of more than $16,600,000, stands at El Dorado Farm, Enumclaw,Wash.--May 30.


Another New Perfect Mandate Stakes Horse
     The year is still young, and 2007 has already added two new stakes horses to Perfect Mandate's growing roster of blacktype performers.
     Two-year-old Run Brother Ron became the second newcomer Sunday at Hollywood Park with a hard-luck second-place finish in the $75,000-added Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes.
     The first was Flying First Class, winner of the $100,000 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs on April 28. 
     Perfect Mandate, an 11-year-old son of Gone West, is now the sire of 10 stakes horses, led by Allswellthatnswell, a multiple stakes winner of $308,392 who's placed in two graded races. His third 2007 stakes horse is Tempting Date, who won the Czaia Handicap at Sunland Park on April 29, but she wasn't new, having already won two added-money races.
     Going into the Procter, Run Brother Ron, who made his debut on April 4 with a maiden special weight win at Bay Meadows, was looking for his second victory, and he came close.
     He led from the start to the final sixteenth when, according to the official chart, he "shortened stride late under left-handed urging as the rider's whip unraveled." He wound up a length and three-quarters back in the 5 1/2-furlong race on the synthetic track. The unfortunate jockey was Roberto Gonzalez.
     Bred in California by SLU, Inc., Run Brother Ron is owned by Schmitt and Clare and trained by Jeff Bonde. He's earned $36,377 in his two starts.
     Perfect Mandate, whose runners have earned more than $2,000,000, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--May 29.


Lit de Justice: 3rd Cal-Bred Multiple Winner
     Lit de Justice's first California foals are continuing to win, with Gotta Getcha becoming the third multiple victor from that crop Friday at Hollywood Park.
     Gotta Getcha is one of nine winners from that crop, now 3-year-olds, and the second double winner. The 16 starters from tht  group also include a three-time winner as well as one stakes-placed winner. They've earned more than $200,000.
     Gotta Getcha broke his maiden at Santa Anita on March 25, ran unplaced in his first start at Hollywood Park and then recorded his second win Friday by racing gamely through the stretch, holding onto his lead while under pressure from the favorite and hitting the wire a head in front.
     His second victory increased Gotta Getcha's bankroll to $29,160 in six starts. He was ridden in Friday's race by Martin Pedroza.
     Bred in California by Magali Ventures, LLC, Gotta Getcha is owned by Gary and Cecil Barber and trained by John Sadler.
     Lit de Justice, an Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, is the sire of 28 stakes horses and earners of more than $14,600,000. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 27.


It Was Unusual Heat Day at Hollywood Park
     It wasn't officially designated as such, but Thursday was Unusual Heat Day at Hollywood Park as 3-year-old California-bred daughters of the stakes-winning son of Nureyev won three of the eight races on the program.
     Those daughters of Unusual Heat captured the fourth and fifth races--both allowances--and the maiden race that ended the day's program.
     The biggest purse on the day's program went to Spenditallbaby, who led all through the stretch to win by a length and take the winner's share of the $66,700 purse at six furlongs, increasing her career bankroll to $189,650. She's won three races and placed in four others in 11 starts at 2 and 3.
     Unusual Beauty led from start to finish to prevail by three-quarters of a length in her allowance race, also at six furlongs. She's started five times at 2 and 3 with two wins, a second and a third for earnings of $74,900.
     Sararah Jr. was the maiden winner, stalking the pacesetters and taking the lead a furlong out to pull clear by three lengths at 5 1/2 furlongs. Unraced at 2, she was winning in her fifth start, increasing her earnings to $10,600.
     Spenditallbaby and Unusual Beauty won on the all-weather track, Sararah Jr. on the turf.
     Spenditallbaby, who's placed in stakes races at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita and Fairplex Park, is one of 29 earners of $100,000 or more sired by Unusual Heat. She was bred by Abrams/Roberts, Nakkashian, P. Johnson and V. Johnson and is owned by Mark Fiorito, Peggy Johnson, Tom R. Roberts, et al. Her trainer is Barry Abrams.
     Unusual Beauty, bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Phillips, is owned by Red Baron's Barn LLC and trained by Darrell Vienna.
     Sararah Jr., also trained by Abrams, was bred by Abrams and Roberts and is owned by David Abrams, Karl Barth and James Robbins.
     Unusual Heat, whose 142 runners have average earnings of $65,823, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--May 26.


Olympio Colt Has an Odd--But Good--Record 
     Thesaratogaexpress, a lightly-raced 3-year-old son of Olympio, continued on an unusual career path Monday with a second-place finish in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province Handicap at Hastings Racecourse.
     After winning a maiden special weight race in his first career start last summer, the British Columbia-bred colt has raced exclusively in stakes races--and has won or placed in every one of them. He's raced only at Hastings Racecourse. 
     He followed his maiden win with a second-place finish in the New Westminster Handicap in August, then won the CTHS Sales Stakes in September. After a seven-month layoff, he returned in April to take third in the next renewal of the CTHS Sales Stakes. His second in the Coleman marked his fourth blacktype race in a row with one win, two seconds and a third.
     He now boasts earnings of $69,921. He was bred by Bent Tree Farm and is owned by Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella, is trained by Troy Taylor and was ridden in the Coleman by Mario Gutierrez.
     Thesaratogaexpress is one of four winners from Olympio's third California crop. His first California-bred crop has produced 37 winners, his second 23 and his fourth four, a total of 71. Runners from those four crops have earned more than $2,600,000.
     Overall, Olympio's 11 crops have produced earnings of more than $17,300,000. The Grade 1 winner of $1,456,315 stands at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds, Vacaville, Calif.--May 23.


Lit de Justice Greets a Three-Time Winner
     With nine winners already from his first California-sired crop, Lit de Justice added a bit of frosting to that performance cake Sunday when Stone Justice became his first three-time winner from that group.
     The 3-year-old California-bred closed fast in the stretch in the six-furlong race at Stampede Park to win by 2 1/4 lengths after entering the lane in fifth place in the field of eight.
     It was Stone Justice's second win in a row and her third in only six career starts at Stampede Park and Northlands Park. With those three wins and a third, she's earned $27,010.
     Runners sired by Lit de Justice in his first season at stud in California after moving from Kentucky have earned more than $200,000. He's had only one starter from his second crop, now 2-year-olds.
     Stone Justice was bred by Pablo A. and Michelle Suarez and is owned by Al Rupertus. He's trained by Carson Frey and was ridden in Sunday's race by Jake Barton.
      Lit de Justice, sire of earners of more than $14,600,000, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 23.


Principle Secret Still Near Head of Class
     Principle Secret, one of California's best 2-year-olds of 2006, is one of the best 3-year-olds of 2007 as well.
     He demonstrated his quality with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes Sunday at Hollywood Park, yielding in the final strides of the seven-furlong race to lose by a neck.
     It was the second runner-up finish in two 2007 starts--both stakes--for the Kentucky-bred son of Sea of Secrets and increased his career earnings to $209,760 in seven starts in which he's won or placed in three graded races.
     In the Barrera, jockey Alex Solis took Principle Secret into the lead on the backstretch and kept him here almost to the finish, but he was overtaken at the wire by a late-closer on the outside.
     Last year, Principle Secret won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar and took second in the Grade 2 Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita and was awarded the eighth-highest weight among colts on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap.
     Bred in the Bluegrass by Victory Racing LLC, he's owned by Charles Cono LLC and trained by Christopher Paasch.
     Sea of Secrets, the 2006 California leader in number of 2-year-old winners, already has two juvenile winners this year. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--May 22.


Big Weekend for El Dorado Farms Sires
     El Dorado Farms sires made their presence felt Saturday at tracks from one side of the country to the other.
     At Calder Race Course in Florida, Matty G's son A. J. Melini was second in the $45,000 Maryland My Maryland Stakes.
     At Emerald Downs in Washington, Liberty Gold's son Liberty for Al won an allowance race.
     Also at Emerald Downs, Tribunal's son Mulcahy won a maiden special weight race.
     A. J. Melini, a 6-year-old, increased his career earnings to $221,865 with his seventh stakes placing--three wins, two seconds and two thirds. His second in the Maryland My Maryland was his second runner-up finish in a row in a stakes race at Calder.
     He was bred in Florida by his owner, Trilogy Stables, and is trained by Edward Plesa, Jr. He's one of 16 stakes horses sired by Matty G.
     Liberty for Al was scoring his second victory for Liberty Gold, Washington's leading freshman sire of 2005. His 3 3/4-length win Saturday brought his career earnings to $50,589. He placed in the Strong Ruler Stakes at Emerald Downs last year.
     Bred in Washington by Claudia Atwell Canouse, he's owned by Golden Aggie Ranch and trained by Doris Harwood.
     Mulcahy broke his maiden after two consecutive second-place finishes to increase his earnings to $15,190 in five starts. He's the 10th winner sired by Tribunal, Washington's leading freshman sire of 2006.
     Bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. William T. Griffin, he's owned by Harley Hoppe and his trainer, Howard Belvoir.
     Matty G., Liberty Gold and Tribunal all stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--May 22.


Still Another Stakes Win for Bluesbdancing
     Winning stakes races is nothing new for Bluesbdancing, and she checked in with another added-money victory Saturday at Arlington Park, closing almost too late but still capturing the $45,000-added Fit for a Queen Stakes by a head.
     It was the sixth stakes win for the 5-year-old daughter of Golden Gear and lifted her career earnings to $375,987. She's won six stakes races, at least one in every season that she's raced--at 2, 3, 4 and now 5.
     Never far back in the eight-horse field, Bluesbdancing raced in fourth position to the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong race, moved into third place and moved into the lead in the final strides to win by a head under jockey Eduardo Perez.
     In addition to winning six stakes races, Bluesbdancing has placed in four others in a 19-race career. Overall, she's won 10 times along with two seconds and two thirds. Along the way, she's won three allowances and a maiden special weight race.
     She was bred in Illinois by Barry Golden and is owned by Bob and Nancy Bartels and trained by Terrel Gore.
     Golden Gear, a multiple graded stakes winner of $634,009, is the sire of earners of more than $9,300,000. He stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Farm, Santa Margarita, Calif.--May 21.


Deputy Commander: 13th Graded Performer
     Still getting used to competing in stakes company, lightly-raced Mayor Bozarth became Deputy Commander's 13th graded stakes horse with a closely-contested third-place finish in the Grade 3 Will Rogers Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park.
     Making only his seventh start in seven months, the 3-year-old Kentucky-bred raced strongly through the stretch and hit the wire only a half-length and a nose back of the top two finishers.
     After breaking his maiden at the Fair Grounds in his third start in mid-December, Mayor Bozarth won an allowance race in his next outing and from then on has competed exclusively in stakes.
     He finished fourth in the Mardi Gras Stakes and second in the Grindstone Stakes, both at the Fair Grounds, before shipping west for his third in the Will Rogers, his first venture into graded company.
     In six starts following his 10th-place debut, he's never missed the board, winning two and finishing second twice, third once and fourth once for total earnings of $91,754. He's never run for a claiming price.
     Bred by Hargus and Sandra Sexton, he's owned by Amerman Racing Stables LLC and trained by Bobby Frankel. His rider in the Will Rogers was Brice Blanc.
     Deputy Commander, himself a Grade 1 winner of $1,906,640, is the sire of two foreign champions, a $2,000,000 winner in Japan, and 28 stakes horses in North America. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--May 21.


Sought After Son Posts 2nd Win in 3 Starts
     The Lasher, a 3-year-old son of Sought After, captured his second race in his last three starts by overcoming traffic problems and getting up in the final strides to win by a nose Friday at Golden Gate Fields.
     The Lasher thus became the second double winner from the first crop of Sought After, last year's third-ranking California freshman sire.
     After racing without problems into the final turn of the one-mile race, The Lasher had difficulties described by the official chart: "blocked and eased out for room into the stretch, again found no room then angled in sharply in mid-stretch" before finding his way clear and overtaking the leader at the wire under jockey Pedro Flores.
     After running eighth in his career debut last November, The Lasher has been on the board in every one of his seven subsequent starts, with two wins, a second, two thirds and two fourths. He won at Bay Meadows on April 4, slipped to fourth on April 22, then made it two out of three in his first start at Golden Gate Fields.
     He's one of two winners from the first crop of Sought After and the second to win two races. Sought After's six starters include two winners and three others that have placed with total earnings of more than $120,000. He's had no starters to date from his second crop. 
     The Lasher, bred in California by Miraleste Inc., is owned by Theresa and Edward DeNike and trained by Lloyd Mason.
     Sought After, a son of Seeking the Gold out of a stakes-winning mare, stands at Daehling Ranch, Elk Grove, Calif.


Tannersmyman Sophomore Scores 3rd Win
     Tannersmyman's sturdy 3-year-old son Gary John reached the winner's circle for the third time in his brief career with an authoritative 5 3/4-length victory on the artificial turf Thursday at Hollywood Park.
     The leading member of Tannersmyman's first crop won twice at 2 in 2006 and placed in a stakes race, but he'd experienced trouble this year finding that third win, finishing second twice and fourth twice in four 2007 starts, once missing by just a nose.
     But he set things right Thursday by putting a head in front on the turn in 
the 7 1/2-furlong race, pulling ahead and then opening a big lead in the run to the wire under jockey Michael Baze.
     He was the second son of Tannersmyman to win on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track surface. A Toast to Tanner did the same earlier in the meeting.
     Gary John has been a reliable competitor, starting his career with a win last July in his first start and finishing first twice, second twice, third twice and fourth twice in 10 starts since then. His earnings now total $60,785.
     Bred in California by Jim Eaton, Gary John is owned by Robert D. Bone and trained by Art Sherman.
     Tannersmyman, sire of two winners from only three starters from his first crop, stands at Woodbridge Farm, Oakdale, Calif.--May 19.


Lit de Justice's First Cal-Breds Are Winning
    Champion sprinter Lit de Justice's first California-bred foals are now 3-year-olds, and they're winning races.
     His most recent winner from that first California crop is Forseti's Question, who got up in the last few strides to break his maiden Thursday at Hollywood Park in only his second trip to the post. He won by a nose.
     Forseti's Question was the ninth runner from that crop to reach the winner's circle, joining eight others in a group that includes one stakes-placed winner and two double winners. 
     And most of them are winning in California--seven of the nine. Three won at Santa Anita, one at Hollywood Park, one at Fairplex Park, one at Golden Gate Fields and one at both Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows. 
     Another won at Turf Paradise and the ninth won at both Northlands Park and Stampede Park.
     His 16 starters have earned only a few dollars less than $200,000. Only one of his second California crop of 37 foals--now 2-year-olds--has started to date.
     Lit de Justice, the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter of 1996, won the Breeders' Cup Sprint (Grade 1) and won or placed in nine other graded stakes races while earning $1,397,649. He stood in Kentucky before coming to California for the 2003 breeding season. In all, he's sired 178 winners of more than $14,600,000, including 28 stakes horses.
      Lit de Justice stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 16.


Golden Commander Returns to Favorite Race
     Golden Commander really does like the Kingston Handicap, and he proved it again Sunday with a second-place finish in that $100,000-added event at Belmont Park.
     The son of Deputy Commander, now a 7-year-old and still going strong, ran third in the Kingston at 4, won it at 5, took second at 6, and added another second Sunday in the latest renewal of the 1 1/8-mile race on the 
turf.
     He wasn't far from winning the Kingston a second time in Sunday's race, starting slowly but recovering to challenge the winner throughout the stretch, finally missing by a half-length with Edgar Prado in the saddle.
     Returning to action following a four-month layoff, Golden Commander was  unplaced in his first two starts at 7, but he rounded into form in his third start on April 29, taking second in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Handicap at Aqueduct, beaten only a neck.
     His earnings now total $386,448 for 31 starts over six seasons of racing in which he's won five races and placed in 11 others. He won the West Point Handicap at Saratoga at 4.
     He was bred in New York by Flying Zee Stable and is still owned by his breeder. He's trained by Philip Serpe.
     Deputy Commander is the sire of two champions and 29 other stakes horses, including Grade 1 winner Ten Most Wanted ($1,718,460). He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--May 15.


Woodstead Sires' Runners Place in Stakes
     Runners by two Woodstead Farm sires collected second-place finishes in weekend stakes races, one at Emerald Downs and the other farther north at Kamloops.
     Immigration, a 3-year-old son of Delineator, took second in the Auburn Stakes at Emerald Downs and Top Victory, a 6-year-old son of He's Tops, captured second place in the West Wood Fibre Stakes at Kamloops.
     Stakes placings were nothing new for either.
     Immigration, Washington's champion 2-year-old of 2006, won three stakes races at Emerald Downs last year; Top Victory was second in the Columbia River Stakes at 2 at Portland Meadows.
     The pair ran almost identical races last weekend, Immigration racing second the whole 6-furlong distance to finish 2 1/4 lengths back of the winner and Top Victory breaking third and then moving up to second for most of the 4 1/2 furlongs, winding up two lengths behind.
     Immigration, bred in Washington by Jerry D. and Peggy Woods, is owned by Dan Cobry, Harley Hoppe and his trainer, Howard Belvoir. He's earned $86,178 in six starts, four of them wins.
     Top Victory, bred in Oregon by Murdock Stevenson, is owned and trained by Tracy Lebret. He's won $53,853 in 25 starts.
     Delineator and He's Tops both stand at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--May 15.


Good Day at Emerald: Tribunal Pair Sparkle
     Two Tribunal 3-year-olds with sparkling records made them even better Saturday at Emerald Downs.
     Wings of Justice, with a second and win in two maiden starts, became her sire's second stakes horse with a third-place finish in the $45,000 U. S. Bank Stakes not long after Fort Yates remained undefeated with his second victory in two starts.
     Their accomplishments followed by a day a victory by Tribunal classmate Lucky Rylie, who won at Hollywood Park Friday for her second success in a 
row.
     Tribunal, Washington's leading freshman sire of 2006, is avoiding the sophomore jinx with continued success this year though runners from his second crop have yet to make their debut.
     Wings of Justice, bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, ran second in her first career start on March 4 and followed with a maiden special weight victory on April 21. The U. S. Bank was her third start. She's earned $18,470. She's owned by Lyle and Sue Malick and trained by Mike Chambers. She was ridden in the U. S. Bank by Sandi Lee Gann.
     Fort Yates, bred in Washington by Nick and Alexis Tomanelli, is owned by Rob and Dawn Olson and was ridden Saturday by Leslie Mawing. He broke his maiden in his first lifetime start on April 28, winning in a $22,500 claiming race, and followed by triumphing Saturday for a $32,000 tag against winners.
     Tribunal, who stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash., has a 2007 2-year-old crop of 41 foals.--May 14.


Two Wins in a Row for Tribunal Daughter
     Lucky Rylie, one of the second wave of winners by Washington freshman sire champion Tribunal, had no difficulty capturing her second race in a row Friday at Hollywood Park, pulling away to victory by a widening 4 1/4-length margin.
     Tribunal had five winners in taking last year's Washington freshman sire title, and he's had four more this year from that same first crop.
     Lucky Rylie, unraced at 2, became one of those when she won on April 15 and Friday's victory made it two wins in three starts. In her first two starts in maiden special weight races at Bay Meadows, she finished second and then won by three lengths.
     She ran for a claiming price for the first time Friday and was promptly haltered for $32,000 by trainer Jose DeLima for owner Chris York..
     Jockey Mike Smith took Lucky Rylie to the lead out of the gate in the
6 1/2-furlong race on the all-weather track. She briefly surrendered the lead tuning for home but regained it at the top of the stretch and pulled away to win by a wide margin.
     The $18,600 winner's purse almost doubled Lucky Rylie's career winnings, which now total $41,925, earned for owner Joseph Stiglich and trainer Greg Gilchrist. She was bred in Washington by Dr. and Mrs. Duane F. Hopp.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--May 13.


Golden Gear Adds a Stakes Horse--It's #15
     Making only his fifth career start, Chase for the Gold became Golden Gear's 15th stakes horse with a third-place finish in the $45,000-added Danzig Stakes Thursday at Penn National.
     The 3-year-old gelding made a late run after being bumped at the break and though he moved from fifth to third in the six-horse field, he was unable to overtake the two leaders, missing second place by a length under jockey Maria Charles.
     After winning his first start in maiden special weight company and following with an allowance victory in his second outing, Chase for the Gold slumped with two fifth-place finishes in stakes and allowance races.
     But he recovered his form in the Danzig, earning his first black type and increasing his career earnings to $39,048
     Bred in Pennsylvania by Roberta Seeger, he's owned by Plumstead Stables and trained by Robert J. Seeger.
     Golden Gear, sire of champion millionaire Ginger Gold and 14 other stake runners, stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Farm, Paso Robles, Calif.--May 12.


No Surprise--Wasserman Again 2nd in Stake
     Wasserman ran second in the $45,000 Seattle Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs, and it should hardly have surprised anybody.
     It was the fifth consecutive second-place finish for the 5-year-old son of Cahill Road, whose share of the purse boosted his career earnings past the $100,000 mark.
     A few states away, another 5-year-old son of Cahill Road, Billy Stark, became his sire's 45th stakes horse with a second-place finish in the Au Revoir Handicap Sunday at Sun Downs.
    Wasserman is starting to get closer to the winner's circle. When his streak began on August 20, he finished 5 1/4 lengths behind the winner. In his next two starts, he wound up 2 1/4 lengths back, and on Sunday the margin was 1 3/4 lengths, about the same as the 1 1/2 lengths of the race before.
     Despite the predictability of his finish position, most bettors didn't see it--he paid $16.00 to place.
     In the midst of that five-race string was a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic Stakes. Wasserman still hasn't won a stakes race, but he's placed in four, all at Emerald Downs. He's earned $104,790 with three wins, eight seconds and two thirds in 25 starts, never racing for a claiming price.
     Wasserman was bred in Washington by his owner-trainer, Howard Belvoir. Billy Stark also was bred in Washington, by Ron and Nina Hagen, and is owned by Frank Lay and trained by Keith Duane Davis.
     Cahill Road, a Grade 1-winning son of Fappiano, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--May 8.


Durable Matty G Son Second in Calder Stake
     Veteran A. J. Melini, making his 32nd start in his fifth season of racing, added another entry to his stakes resume with a second-place finish in Saturday's $50,000 My Old Kentucky Home Stakes at Calder Race Course.
     The 6-year-old son of Matty G has won three stakes races and placed in three others in a career that began at Calder in November, 2003. He finished well behind the winner in Saturday's race, but made a good finishing run to nail down the runner-up spot under jockey Manoel Cruz.
     A. J. Melini has won six races along with six seconds and seven thirds for earnings of $212,865. Until last summer, he'd never raced in added-money company and now he's won or placed in six stakes races at the ages of 5 
and 6.
     He was bred in Florida by his owner, Trilogy Stables, and is trained by Edward Plesa, Jr.
     Matty G, Washington's leading sire of 2006, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--May 7.


Juvenile Filly Upholds Cascadian's Record
     Cascadian, with three stakes horses in each of his first three crops, got a start on the next crop when 2-year-old Skamania took third place in Saturday's Kindergarten Consolation Stakes at Portland Meadows.
     Skamania is Cascadian's 10th stakes horse from only 35 starters, including two Oregon champions.
     It was only the second career start for Skamania, who finished fifth in her first start, a maiden special weight race also at Portland Meadows. She's now a stakes-placed maiden.
     Skamania raced evenly through the five furlongs of the Kindergarten, unable to threaten the top two finishers but strong enough to hold off the other two in the five-horse field, hitting the wire 2 3/4 lengths ahead of the fourth-place horse with Kay Martz in the irons.
     Bred in Washington by Jolene Loudon and Michael Thomson, Skamania is owned by her trainer, Sharon Balcom, and Peggy Buckley.
     Cascadian, by Seattle Slew out of the dam of a champion, stands at Bar C Racing Stables, Hermiston, Ore.--May 7.


Late Bloomer Wins Stake for Swiss Yodeler
     Sandys Gold has suddenly gotten good after almost two seasons of moderate success.
     The 5-year-old son of Swiss Yodeler, winner of three races through most of his 3- and 4-year-old seasons, on Thursday registered his third straight victory since last November, a wire-to-wire triumph in the $50,000 Tony Gatto Dream Big Stakes at Atlantic City.
     The Virginia-bred's time of 56.09 seconds for five furlongs on the turf was not far from the track record of 55.86. He was ridden by Harry Vega.
     After being claimed for $20,000 while running second on October 24, Sandys Gold has become a different horse, winning his next three starts--an allowance race at Delaware Park on November 7, another on December 10 at Laurel and then the Tony Gatto at Atlantic City.
     Unraced at  2, he broke his maiden for a $40,000 price in  his fourth start at 3 and didn't win again for a year, finally winning consecutive starts in an allowance at Pimlico in April and a $16,000 claimer at Colonial Downs in July.
     Then, wearing those new colors, he's become a stakes winner with career earnings of $150,458.
     His successful new trainer is Wallace Neilson for owner LeRoy Albertrini. He was bred by Valerie E. Harris.
     Sandys Gold is the ninth stakes winner and the 26th stakes horse sired by Swiss Yodeler, a multiple graded stakes winner of $761,442 who stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 5.


He's Tops Filly Places in Another Stakes Race
     For the second time in a row, Texas Bobbi R. was rewarded for winning by being promoted to stakes company, and for the second time in a row she earned a piece of that stakes race.
     The second such parlay for the daughter of He's Tops came after she won an allowance race at Turf Paradise on March 9. Her next start came in the $45,000 Joanne Dye Stakes Saturday at the same track and she rewarded her connections by earning black type with a second-place finish.
     Earlier, she won and then ran third in the Dancin at the Wire Stakes, both at Turf Paradise.
     In the Joanne Dye, she took the lead at the start of the 6 1/2-furlong race and held it to the stretch, where she was overtaken. But jockey Wilson Dieguez kept her to the task and she finished strong with a 10 3/4-length lead over the third-place runner.
     The lightly raced 3-year-old has been off the board only once in six starts, posting three wins, a second and a third for earnings of $29,500.
     She was bred in Arizona by Irwel Stable, is owned by Robert D. Bone, and is trained by Keith Bennett.
     He's Tops, sire of 15 stakes horse from only 99 starters, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--May 3.


Iron Cat Mare Finds a Race That She Likes
     Any competitor likes to have a zone of comfort, and Society Cat has found hers.
     It's at Turf Paradise in April, and it's in a race named the Ann Owens Distaff Handicap in which Society Cat has won once and placed twice, including Saturday's renewal, in which the 6-year-old daughter of Iron Cat finished a comfortable second after leading not quite all the way.
     Bettors felt the same way and sent the Arizona-bred off as the odds-on favorite.
     Society Cat took the lead out of the gate in the six-furlong race and kept it while under pressure to the final stages when she yielded and finished three-quarters of a length back while holding a 4 1/4-length lead over the third horse under jockey Juan Rivera..
     Society Cat has won in six stakes races over her five-year career, and half of them have been the Anne Owens. Overall, she's collected five wins, 13 seconds and four thirds in earning $134,025 in 33 starts, all at Turf Paradise.
     She was bred by Walter Seifried, is owned by Barbara Nielson Swenson and is trained by David Van Winkle.
     Iron Cat, a stakes-placed son of Storm Cat, is the sire of 35 winners from only 42 starters. He stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--May 2.


For Swiss Yodeler, It's Stakes Horse No. 25 
     Three-year-old Baby Swiss emerged from longshot gloom to become Swiss Yodeler's 25th stakes horse with a third-place finish in the $45,000 Joanne Dye Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
     Baby Swiss raced well back in the seven-horse field but moved up steadily to take third, a length and a half clear of the fourth-place finisher, trailing only the two favorites. Her own odds when the gate opened were 33.30 to 1, the longest price in the field.
     Although she's won just once in 12 starts, Baby Swiss has four seconds, a pair of thirds and a fourth for earnings of $21,009. She joins an array of 24 other stakes runners sired by Swiss Yodeler, including Eclipse Award-winner Thor's Echo.
     Bred in Arizona by H &E Ranch Inc., she's owned by Rick and Rita Heatter and was ridden in the Joanne Dye by Jocelyne Kenny.
     Swiss Yodeler, a multiple graded stakes winner of $761,442, is the sire of earners of more than $12,700,000. He stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 2.


Decarchy Gets First Winner, Wire to Wire
     The first foals of multiple graded stakes winner Decarchy have just turned 2, and he's already the sire of a winner.
     His second starter, Timehascometoday, broke his maiden, wire to wire, Sunday at Turf Paradise in his first career start, winning by a half-length after holding off a late challenger.
     Although he broke on top of the nine-horse field, Timehascometoday was under pressure throughout, never in front by more than a length, but he never surrendered his lead as jockey Tony Matteicco guided him to the wire.
      Timehascometoday is a family project, bred and owned by Terry C. Osborne and his trainer, Dara J. Osborne. He's an Arizona-bred.
     His sire, Decarchy, a son of Distant View out of the stakes-winning dam of five stakes winners, won two graded stakes races and placed in four others, including the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--May 2.


Another Stakes Winner for Perfect Mandate
     For the second day in a row, a runner by Perfect Mandate has entered the winner's circle following victory in a stakes race.
     Tempting Date, a 5-year-old California-bred, seized the lead in the final yards to win the $50,000 Czaria Handicap Sunday at Sunland Park, following by a day the victory of Flying First Class in the Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs (see  below).
     Always close to the pace, Tempting Date moved quickly into second place, challenging the early leader from the halfway point of the six-furlong race, finally getting up to win by a neck under urging by jockey Ken Tohill.
     The victory was the third stakes win by Tempting Date, two at Sunland Park and one at Santa Anita. The Czaria purse increased her earnings to $283,417 in 12 starts from 3 to 5, with six wins, three seconds, a third and two fourths--never off the board and never racing for a claiming price.
     Bred by Old English Rancho, Tempting Date is owned by Adam and Paul Lewis and trained by Chris Hartman.
     Her sire, Perfect Mandate, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--May 1.


Golden Commander Now a Graded Runner
     In 29 starts over a six-season career with earnings well over $300,000, Golden Commander had never earned black type in a graded stakes race, but he took care of that gap in his resume with a troubled second-place finish that wasn't far from a victory in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Handicap Sunday at Aqueduct.
     The 7-year-old gelded son of Deputy Commander encountered numerous problems during the 1 1/16-mile trip and still fell just a neck short of winning the $100,000 turf race.
     According to the official chart, Golden Commander was bumped at the start and bobbled, was steadied when in tight quarters entering the first turn and angled out in the stretch, giving jockey Edgar Prado an eventful ride.
     The New York-bred has earned $363,828 in a career in which he's won or placed in five stakes races and set a track record for a mile and an eighth at Belmont Park.
     He was bred by his owner, Flying Zee Stable, and is trained by Philip Serpe.
     Deputy Commander, sire of 29 stakes horses, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--May 1.


Still Another Winner for Young Sire Tribunal
     Tribunal, Washington's champion freshman sire of 2006, is moving right ahead, showing no signs of yielding to the traditional sophomore jinx.
     The 10-year-old son of Deputy Commander sent out his ninth winner Saturday at Emerald Downs when Fort Yates won his first start, holding on to his lead while under pressure through the stretch in the 5 1/2-furlong race.
     Tribunal sired five winners last year in leading all Washington first-crop sires in progeny earnings and he's added four more already this year.
     Fort Yates was bred in Washington by Nick and Alexis Tomanelli and is owned by Rob and Dawn Olson. He's trained by H. R. Mullins and was ridden in his winning race by Ricky Frazier.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed earner of $315,140, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--May 1.


Flying First Class Airborne Once Again
     Flying First Class's up-and-down reputation is up again--emphatically.
     The 3-year-old son of Perfect Mandate won the $100,000-added Derby Trial Stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs and is back in the hunt for the classics.
     After a triumphant visit to the winner's circle, trainer D. Wayne Lukas declared that the next stop for the California-bred colt would be the Preakness Stakes in three weeks at Pimlico rather than this weekend's Kentucky Derby.
     Lukas had tabbed Flying First Class as a Kentucky Derby contender after he won his second career start by an impressive eight lengths at Oaklawn Park with a 107 Beyer number for the six-furlong race.
     Thrust into the Grade 3 Rebel Stakes in his next start, Flying First Class went off as the favorite and finished a well-beaten eighth. Sent right back in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby, he wound up sixth.
     Saturday's race thus was a test of class to find out whether his big maiden win was genuine or was a fluke. He answered the question by swinging into the lead entering the stretch and finishing far ahead in the 11-horse field under jockey Mark Guidry.
     Saturday's purse moved Flying First Class's earnings to $111,096 in five starts--two wins, a second and those two graded defeats.
     He's owned by Ellwood W. "Buddy" Johnston and was bred by his Old English Rancho.
     Perfect Mandate, a stakes-placed son of Gone West, is sire of eight other stakes horses, including stakes winners Allswellthatnswell ($308,392), Tempting Date ($253,417) and Razen Hazen ($200,409). He stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--April 30.


Secret Kin Wins 3rd in Row, a $100,000 Stake
     Secret Kin continued her rapid climb up the class ladder with an impressive 
4 1/4-length victory Saturday in the $100,000-added Lady Hallie Stakes at Hawthorne Park.
     The triumph for the 3-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets followed a maiden special weight win on December 17 and an allowance victory on March 15. All were at six furlongs at Hawthorne, the only track at which she's raced. She ran third in her first start, also at six furlongs, and didn't like a mile and 70 yards at all in her next outing, finishing a well-beaten sixth.
     But then she found her groove and won her third straight in the Lady Hallie, in which she started far back but recovered swiftly to take the lead at the top of the stretch. Jockey Eduardo Perez guided her home from there, pulling well away in the final sixteenth.
     In five starts, Secret Kin has earned $88,400. She was bred in Illinois by her owner, Team Block, and is trained by Chris Block.
     Secret Kin is one of 110 winners, 16 of them stakes horses, sired by Sea of Secrets. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--April 30.


A Graded-Stakes Upgrade for Are You Serious
     With two stakes wins and one stakes placing, Are You Serious still had no graded races on his record, but he took care of that Saturday with a close-up second-place finish in the $150,000 Vigil Stakes, a Grade 3 event at Woodbine.
     The veteran son of You and I held the lead late in the seven-furlong race but couldn't hold on and reluctantly surrendered, finishing just a neck behind with Corey Fraser in the irons.
     Are You Serious, a 5-year-old son of You and I, increased his career earnings to  $364,104 with his $30,000 share of the purse--converted to $26,883 in U. S. dollars. He's won seven races and placed in five others in 21 starts over four seasons.
     He was bred in Ontario by Gardiner Farms Limited, is owned by Frank Giulio, Jr. and his trainer, Robert P. Tiller. He warmed up for the Vigil with a third-place finish in the Jacques Cartier Stakes two weeks earlier.
     You and I, sire of 39 stakes horses and earners of more than $14,600,000, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--April 30.


A Good Racing Day for Tribunal Runners
     Following up on his freshman sire championship season, Tribunal sent out the winners of the only two non-claiming races on Saturday's race card at Emerald Downs.
     Tribunal, Washington's champion freshman sire of 2006, hit a daily double Saturday when A Touch of Malice won the allowance feature of the day two races after Wings of Justice had won a maiden special weight event. Both were run 
at 5 1/2 furlongs.
     Both are members of the crop that gained honors for Tribunal last year, though Wings of Justice didn't make her first start until last month. They're 3-year-olds now. Tribunal has had no starters to date from his second crop.
     Saturday's two winners both are lightly raced. A Touch of Malice has won two of three starts; Wings of Justice won her second start after missing the winner's circle by a nose in her first start.
     A Touch of Malice won his race wire to wire by 5 1/2 lengths; Wings of Justice raced in second place, pressing the leader all the way, and lunged into the lead in the final strides to win by a half-length.
     A Touch of Malice is a homebred owned by Jean Welch and trained by Howard Belvoir. Wings of Justice, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, is owned by Sue and Lyle Malick and trained by Mike Chambers. Both horses were bred in Washington.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, is the sire of eight winners, including stakes-winner Judicature. He stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--April 24.


Bonfante Wins Not-So-Graded Stakes Race
     Fruition's classy son Bonfante entered Saturday's $100,000-added San Simeon Handicap in quest of his first graded stakes victory, he won it, and he's still looking for that first graded stakes win.
     After winning a grueling stretch battle by a nose, Bonfante went to the winner's circle still looking for that first graded victory. The San Simeon was programed as a Grade 3 race, but rains forced it from 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill grass course onto the main track, and it was automatically downgraded one level.
     That made it an ungraded race and it will stay that way unless its status is restored following a review by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
     Nevertheless, it goes into the record books as Bonfante's seventh stakes win and the $63,360 purse increases his career earnings to $473,817 in 23 starts over four seasons.
     The 6-year-old has won 10 races, placed second in two, and run third in three. He's been off the board just once in his last 15 starts--more than two years. He's never run in a claiming race.
     A homebred owned by Frankfurt Stables and Eugene Tenbrink, he's trained by Ron McAnally and was ridden in the San Simeon by Aaron Gryder.
     Bonfante's victory lifted Fruition's progeny earnings past the $2,000,000 mark. The son of Woodman stands at Oak Hill Farm, Paso Robles, Calif.--April 23.
 


Deputy Commander: Another Graded Runner
     After three unsuccessful forays into graded stakes company, Sweet Belle made the leap successfully Saturday at Santa Anita
     The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred missed winning the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap by just a length and a half, but her third-place finish in the $200,000 event made her Deputy Commander's 12th graded stakes runner.
     Sweet Belle had started before in three stakes races--all graded--but wasn't successful. After winning an allowance race at Santa Anita on March 29, she tried again and earned not only her first black type but a graded placing as well.
     She has won three races and placed in three others in 12 career starts, 2 to 4, with earnings of $145,513. 
     Sweet Belle is owned by Goold Family Trust and was bred by Cypress Farms. Her trainer is Jose DeLima and her rider in the San Simeon was Michael Baze.
     Her sire, Deputy Commander, is a Grade 1 stakes winner of $1,906,640. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--April 23.


He'sabigtalker Stays Steady, Second in Stake
     He'sabigtalker lived up to his growing reputation as an honest performer with a second-place finish in the Preview Stakes Monday at Portland Meadows.
     The 3-year-old son of He's Tops has won or placed in eight of his nine career starts and, with a fourth-place finish in the other, has never been off the board.
     In Monday's stakes race at 1 1/16 miles, he fought for the lead all the way, never farther back than second, but couldn't finish with the winner and had to settle for the runner-up position under jockey Joe Crispin..
     With a win in last month's McFadden Memorial Stakes, He'sabigtalker was shooting for his second stakes victory in a row in the Preview. At 2 last year, he was second in the Columbia River Stakes, also at Portland Meadows.
     In his last five starts, He'sabigtalker has won twice and finished second three times. Overall, he's won three with four seconds and a third in nine starts for earnings of $28,365.
     He was bred in Oregon by Jim Fergason, is owned by Dave Martin and Dan Warden, and is trained by Ben Root.
     He's Tops, a son of Seattle Slew, is the sire of 15 stakes horses from only 99 starters. He stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--April 18.


Another Stakes Victory for Madraar Filly
     Only two weeks after scoring her first career stakes victory, Madraar's 3-year-old daughter Alba Dabas Secret made it two in a row with a dominating triumph in the $50,000 Hallowed Dreams Stakes Saturday at Evangeline Downs.
     After capturing the $100,000 Green Oaks Stakes at Delta Downs on the final day of March, Alba Dabas Secret moved a few miles east to take the Evangeline Downs event by 4 3/4 lengths.
     She settled briefly into fourth place in the field of nine out of the gate, but jockey Marlon St. Julien wasted little time in hustling her to the lead in the 5 1/2-furlong race and she drew away in the final eighth to win comfortably.
     Alba Dabas Secret was bred in West Virginia by her owners, Joan M. Reaves and Don Roberson, and is trained by Roberson. In eight career starts, she has four wins and a third for earnings of $128,734.
     Alba Dabas Secret is a member of the second crop of Madraar, a son of Mr. Prospector out of the dam of multiple champion Fantastic Light ($8,486,957). He won seven races in Dubai and now stands at G & M Thoroughbred Farms, Hemet, Calif.--April 16.


You and I Son Third in $125,000 Stakes Race
     Are You Serious had great affection for the old dirt track at Woodbine, and he's found the new artificial surface welcoming as well.
     The 5-year-old son of You and I won six races on the dirt at Woodbine, and he showed his comfort on the Polytrack surface as well with a third-place finish in Saturday's $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes at six furlongs.
     It was his second start on the new surface, following a second-place finish in an allowance race two weeks earlier. He started slowly in Saturday's race but jockey Corey Fraser moved him from fifth in the eight-horse field to miss second place by just a nose.
     Are You Serious, who won stakes races at Woodbine at 3 and 4, has earned $337,221 with seven wins, two seconds and two thirds while never running in a claiming race.
     Bred in Ontario by Gardiner Farms Limited, he's owned by Frank DiGiulio, Jr., and his trainer, Robert Tiller.
     Are You Serious's sire, You and I, is a Grade 1 stakes winner of $701,235. He stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--April 16.


Principle Secret Returns With 2nd in Stake
     Freshened after a disappointing conclusion to his outstanding 2-year-old season, Principle Secret returned to the races with a strong performance in the $75,000-added San Pedro Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita.
     Making his first start since mid-December, the son of Sea of Secrets moved strongly in the stretch to advance from eighth in the field of nine to a second-place finish, only a half-length back of the winner in the 6 1/2-furlong event.
     That put him back on the stakes trail following unplaced finishes in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Hollywood Futurity that concluded an otherwise successful 2-year-old campaign in which he won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar and ran second in the Grade 2 Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita, beaten only a neck.
     His record, including a maiden special weight win in his first race, now shows two wins and two seconds in six starts for earnings of $187,820. He was weighted at 119 pounds on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap, eighth-highest among North American colts and geldings.
     Principle Secret was bred in Kentucky by Victory Racing LLC. He's owned by Charles Cono LLC and is trained by Christopher Paasch. He was ridden in the San Pedro by Alex Solis.
     Sea of Secrets, a Grade 2-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--April 10.


Deputy Commander Colt in Grade 2 Surprise
     Winless in five starts since breaking his maiden six months ago, Reporting for Duty tried stakes company for the first time Saturday and came away with a $100,000 reward for a second-place finish in the $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Park.
     The Derby not only carried a big purse, it also carried a Grade 2 designation, a giant leap upward for a sophomore coming off three straight second-place finishes in allowance races for non-winners of two.
     The son of Deputy Commander nevertheless showed that he clearly belonged in that class on Saturday, moving to second in the field of nine on the final turn and steadfastly remaining there to the wire.
     Reporting for Duty, the 28th stakes horse and the 11th graded stakes horse sired by Deputy Commander, has won once and finished second four times in nine starts for earnings of $144,636.
     Bred in Kentucky by McMillin Brothers and James Devaney, Reporting for Duty is owned by Cathy and Bob Zollars and trained by Steve Asmussen. He was ridden in the Derby by Christopher Emigh.
     Deputy Commander, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $1,906,640, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--April 8.

Another Stakes Placing for Matty G Maiden
     Unlike most horses, who work their way up through the several levels of racing, Matty G's 3-year-old son The Ruzz posted his second stakes placing Saturday at Fonner Park while remaining a maiden.
     The Kentucky-bred took third in the Baxter Stakes at Fonner Park in his first start of 2007, adding to his third-place finish last July in the Capital City Futurity at Lincoln.
     The Ruzz moved up steadily from seventh in the field of nine under jockey Robert Williams to finish third in the Baxter without threatening the top two.
     With three of his five career starts in stakes races, The Ruzz's record now shows a second, two thirds and a fourth.
     He was bred by Jack A. White Jr. and Karen White, is owned by Pamela Hall and Russ Forsythe, and is trained by Steve Hall.
     Matty G, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $443,275, is the sire of earners of more than $6,500,000. He stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--April 9. 


Muqtarib Tops in U. S. Juvenile Sire Race
     A powerful stretch run by first-time starter Star of Muqtarib produced a victory Wednesday at Santa Anita and propelled Muqtaribto the top of the national juvenile sire standings.
     Sixth at the start, Star of Muqtarib moved strongly to get up in the final strides to win by a head in the two-furlong maiden special weight race.
     Her purse of $21,600 combined with $9,936 earned by the Muqtarib's other 2-year-old starter sent him into first place in the national juvenile sire race with total earnings of $31,536.
     That gave him a lead over Cee's Tizzy ($28,080), Perfect Mandate ($25,662), Roar ($24,408), Sea of Secrets ($21,600) and Bring the Heat ($21,600), giving California sires the first six places in the standing. They were followed by a trio of New Mexico stallions.
     Star of Muqtarib broke slowly and gave a challenge to jockey Michael Baze, who steadied the filly and set her down for a steady drive that resulted in the victory in her debut.
     She was bred in California by Exotic Soup Stables, is owned by Robert J. Meyers, Sr., and is trained by Frank Monteleone.
     Muqtarib, a Group 2-winning son of Gone West, stands at Valley Creek Farm, Valley Center, Calif.--April 6.


Madraar Welcomes His First Stakes Winner
     Three-year-old Alba Dabas Secret provided a textbook example of courage in the stretch and gave Madraar his first stakes winner Saturday in the $100,000 Green Oaks Stakes at Delta Downs.
     Alba Dabas Secret took the lead around the final turn of the one-mile event and held on tenaciously while under pressure throughout the stretch run, never leading by more than a half-length and finally prevailing by a head over her dogged challenger, the odds-on favorite in the race.
     The win was Alba Dabas Secret's third in seven starts in a career that she launched in mid-November with a 12 1/4-length victory in a maiden special weight race at Mountaineer Park. She's earned $98,734.
     With two crops of racing age, Madraar has sired eight winners of more than $300,000, but Alba Dabas Secret is his first stakes winner.
     She was conceived in California but foaled in West Virginia, bred by Joan M. Reaves and Don Roberson. She's owned by Reaves and Windy Barco and trained by Roberson. She was ridden in the Green Oaks by Marlon St Julien.
     Madraar, winner of four handicaps in Dubai, is by Mr. Prospector out of the dam of multiple champion Fantastic Light ($8,486,957). He stands at G & M Thoroughbred Farms, Hemet, Calif.--April 4.


Swiss Diva Loses Again, But She's Rewarded
     After sailing through her 2-year-old season unbeaten and unchallenged, Swiss Diva suffered her second consecutive defeat Sunday at Santa Anita, but there was a significant consolation prize.
     The 3-year-old daughter of Swiss Yodeler finished second in the $100,000-added Santa Paula Stakes, and the addition of that Grade 3 placing to her record added substantially to her value as a broodmare.
     Her earnings now total $137,340 in five starts, including three wins, one of them in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes in the final week of 2006. With that stakes win and the Grade 3 placing, her value in the breeding shed is assured.
     In the Santa Paula, Swiss Diva took on more than she could handle in the odds-on favorite, Magnificience, who won by five lengths in stakes-record time of 1:14.61 for the 6 1/2-furlong distance.
     But jockey Agapito Delgadillo moved Swiss Diva steadily through the stretch to overtake the early front-runner and claim the runner-up spot.
     After breaking her maiden by 3 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting in October, Swiss Diva took an allowance race at Hollywood Park by 2 3/4 in November and finished her year unbeaten with an overpowering 8 1/2-length victory in the Breeders' Champion stakes. She began 2007 with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.
     She was bred and is owned by Rick and Sharon Waller and is trained by Patrick Gallagher.
     Swiss Yodeler, sire of 24 stakes horses, stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--April 3.


6 Years Old, Plaid Still a Solid Stakes Horse
     At the advanced age of 6, Plaid is still durable and is more solidly a stakes horse than she was when she was young.
     Racing in her 10th consecutive stakes race, the daughter of Deputy Commander took second in the $100,000 Goddess Stakes Saturday at Delta Downs, marking her 18th consecutive finish on the board in the past 17 months.
     Her 5-year-old season was her best, with earnings of $236,294, and she's off to a good start this year with $68,750 in the bank at 6. In five seasons of racing, she's started 38 times and earned $455,817. 
     Overall, she's posted 12 wins, 10 seconds, five thirds and two fourths and has been a steady performer with four starts after her late-year debut at 2, 11 starts at 3, nine starts at 4, 10 starts and 5 and four so far at 6.
     In the 1 1/16-mile Goddess, she took the lead moving around the turn but couldn't hold off the favored winner and settled for second, two lengths back and 2 1/4 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher.
     Bred in Kentucky by McKee Stables, Inc., she's owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Steve Asmussen. Her rider in the Goddess was Tracy Hebert.
     Deputy Commander, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $1,906,640, is the sire of earners of more than $16,300,000. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--April 3.


Bonfante Repeats in 'Meadows Turf Stake
     Fruition's durable and classy son Bonfante has faced nothing but stakes company in almost two years, and he's doing just fine racing exclusively at that level.
     The 5-year-old captured the $100,000 California Turf Sprint Championship Handicap for the second year in a row Saturday at Bay Meadows, driving from behind in the stretch to reward bettors who had made him the favorite.
     The last time Bonfante saw anything below stakes competition was on May 28, 2005, and since that time he's won six added-money races and placed in two others in 11 starts, finishing off the board only once.
     His earnings now total $410,457 for 22 lifetime starts over four seasons in which he's collected nine wins, two seconds, three thirds and three fourths.
     In Saturday's race, jockey Russell Baze, showing confidence in his mount, let Bonfante fall back to sixth place in the field of seven after breaking on top, a bold move in a five-furlong race.
     But when Baze asked Bonfante to run, he advanced quickly to fourth at the top of the stretch and moved on to win by a length in spite of having to swerve out to avoid another horse.
     Bonfante, bred in California by his owners, Eugene Tenbrink and Frankfurt Stables, is trained by Ron McAnally.
     His sire, Fruition, a winning son of Woodman, stands at Oak Hill Farm, Paso Robles, Calif.--April 2.


Tannersmyman Posts a Winner at Santa Anita
     A Toast to Tanner, second in three of his five starts going into the race, weathered a troubled trip to become Tannersmyman's second winner Friday at Santa Anita.
     Tannersmyman has had only three starters from his first crop, now 3-year-olds, but two of them have won, with A Toast to Tanner following Gary John, winner of two races and stakes-placed last year at 2. He was the latest in a lengthy series of winners who shipped from San Luis Rey Downs to win at Santa Anita, coming from the barn of trainer Sam Scolamieri at the San Diego County training center.
     A Toast to Tanner won the one-mile race by a length and a quarter, despite racing luck that brought these comments from the official chart: "bumped between horses at the start," "moved up four wide into the second turn," "took the lead three deep," "angled in some nearing the stretch," "drifted out in midstretch," and "drifted in some under urging and held gamely."
    That was a stimulating ride for jockey Agapito Delgadillo.
     A Toast to Tanner's record now shows one win, three seconds and a fourth in six starts for earnings of $25,800. 
     He was bred in California by Jim Eaton, Paul Arndt and Dave Marabela and is owned by McLellan, Selman, Serna, et al.
     Tannersmyman, a stakes-winning son of Lord Carson, stands at Woodbridge Farm, Oakdale, Calif.--April 1.


Sea of Secrets Colt Sets Santa Anita Record
     The first career start of Sea of Pleasure could hardly have been better.
     The 2-year-old son of Sea of Secrets, favored Thursday in the first race of his life, broke on top and stayed there to the finish, not only winning by four lengths but setting a new Santa Anita track record for two furlongs.
     His final time of 20.78 seconds broke the track record of 21.09 seconds set in 2004 by Muqtarib's son Whatsthenameman.
     Sea of Pleasure is the first starter and first winner from Sea of Secrets' present crop of 2-year-olds. Last year he was California's leading sire of juvenile winners, with 26.
     Bred in Illinois by Valerie Blethen, Sea of Pleasure is owned by Burnett, Burnett, DeJulio et al and trained by Shane Chipman. He was ridden by Michael Baze.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, is the sire of 107 winners and earners of more than $5,600,000. His first California foals will reach racing age in 2009. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.-March 31.


Wire to Wire, He'sabigtalker a Stakes Winner
     It wasn't easy, but 3-year-old He'sabigtalker became He's Tops's sixth stakes winner with a contested wire-to-wire victory in the McFadden Memorial Stakes Monday at Portland Meadows.
     He'sabigtalker led all the way in the 1 1/16-mile event, but he was under pressure all the way never leading by more than his final margin of a length and a half and jockey Joe Crispin kept him sternly to his task.
     The McFadden was He'sabigtalker's first stakes victory but not his first stakes placing. He was second last year in the Columbia River Stakes at Portland Meadows, the only track at which he's raced in eight starts.
      He'sabigtalker has failed to win or place only once in those eight starts and has never finished off the board. His record shows three wins, three seconds, a third and a fourth for earnings of $24,025.
      Bred in Oregon by Jim Ferguson, He'sabigtalker is owned by Dave Martin and Dan Warden and trained by Ben Root.
     He's Tops, a son of Seattle Slew, has sired 71 winners and 15 stakes horses from 98 starters. He stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--March 29.


Deputy Commander Greets 27th Stakes Horse
     Deputy Commander added the 27th name to his long list of stakes horses Saturday at the Fair Grounds when lightly-raced young Mayor Bozarth finished second in the $100,000 Grindstone Stakes after leading from the start.
     The 3-year-old colt took the lead out of the gate and stayed in front to the final stage of the 1 1 /16-mile race when he was overtaken while resisting to the end under urging by jockey Joseph Talamo.
     It was the sixth career start for Mayor Bozarth, who finished fourth last month in the Mardi Gras Stakes at the Fair Grounds in his first venture into added-money competition.
     In those six starts, he's finished worse than fourth only in his first outing. His record now shows two wins, two seconds and a fourth in his last five starts. He's earned $78,770 for the Amerman Racing Stables.
     Mayor Bozarth was bred in Kentucky by Hargus and Sandra Sexton and is trained by Robert Frankel.
     Deputy Commander, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $1,906,640, has sired 12 stakes winners and 13 stakes-placed winners in addition to two foreign champions. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--March 26.


Swiss Yodeler Filly Starts Sire's Year Well
     Swiss Yodeler, California's leading sire of 2006, got his first high-class runner of 2007 Sunday when Swiss Current captured second place in the $200,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks at Sunland Park.
     Swiss Current's success paralleles that of Eclipse-Award winner Thor's Echo, who launched his 3-year-old season with a victory in the WinStar Derby at the same track in 2005.
     Swiss Current's $43,000 share of the Oaks purse increased her career earnings to $162,633. She is one of 19 earners of more than $100,000 sired by Swiss Yodeler. Her record shows two wins, four seconds and a third in 10 starts.
     She raced near the middle of the nine-horse pack in the Oaks before mounting a mild bid in the stretch after racing three wide turning for home in the 1 1/16-mile race. She moved from sixth to fourth and then to second in the final stage of the race but couldn't threaten the leader, who won by 3 3/4 lengths. 
     Swiss Current earned her first black type last fall with a second-place finish in the California Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Santa Anita. She was bred and is owned by Tailwind Racing, Inc., and is trained by Doug O'Neill. Aaron Gryder was her jockey in the Oaks.
     Swiss Yodeler is off to a strong start in defense of his California sire championship with earnings of $545,695 to date in 2007. He stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--March 20.


Scottsbluff Returns, Second in 'Anita Stake
     Returning to action for the first time since his world-record effort last May, Scottsbluff almost scored his third stakes victory but was a bit short and had to settle for second place in Sunday's $100,000-added Crystal Water Handicap at Santa Anita.
     The 5-year-old son of Siberian Summer raced in second place, lapped on the leader, until the stretch in the one-mile race on the turf, moved to the front at the top of the stretch and just failed to hold off a late closer, losing by just three-quarters of a length.
     In his pre-vacation winning effort last spring at Hollywood Park, Scottsbluff set a world record of 1:00.26 for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. From that brilliant sprint victory, Scottsbluff came back Sunday at a mile, only the third time in his 13 career starts that he had tackled two turns, where his best effort was a second in a Turf Paradise stake, beaten a nose.
     In his 13 starts, Scottsbluff has won four times, with four seconds, a third, and two fourths, earning $176,106. He's been off the board only twice, never racing for a price.
     Scottsbluff, bred in California by Dr. Sheldon Schoneberg, is owned by Dennis E. Weir and trained by Jeff Mullins. He was ridden in the Crystal Water by Clinton Potts.
     Siberian Summer, a Grade 1-winning sire of 16 stakes horses and earners of more than $7,000,000, stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--March 20.


A Graded-Stakes Finish for Kissin Kris Son
     Delightful Kiss, making only his second start in added-money company, became Kissin Kris's 29th stakes horse with a third-place finish in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Downs Derby, a Grade 3 event Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
     The Florida-bred was last in the field of seven at the halfway point in the 
1 1/16-mile race but staged a late rally to finish third with a comfortable two-length advantage over his nearest challenger.
     Delightful Kiss entered the Derby following an allowance victory last month at Gulfstream Park. His only other stakes start came in another graded race, the Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby, in which he finished fifth.
     In nine career starts, Delightful Kiss's record shows two wins, two seconds, two thirds, one fourth and two fifths for earnings of $95,049. He's never run for a claiming price.
     He was bred by his owner, Hobeau Farm, is trained by Pete Anderson and was ridden in the Derby by Jeffrey Sanchez.
     Kissin Kris, whose stakes winners include Canadian champion Kiss a Native ($1,109,022), stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Santa Ynez, Calif.--March 19.


Another Stakes Horse for Perfect Mandate
     Bachelorette One continued her climb up the class ladder by earning black type for the first time with a second-place finish in the $125,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes Saturday on Santa Anita's downhill turf course.
     The 4-year-old daughter of Perfect Mandate was frustrated in her bid for her first stakes win by the favorite in the race, River's Prayer, who shipped up from San Luis Rey Downs for the victory.
     Bachelorette One, Perfect Mandate's eighth stakes horse from his first four crops, followed a string of three wins, a second and a third in five allowance races with her first venture into stakes company.
     With a record of four wins, three seconds, a third and two fourths in 11 career starts, she's earned $153,870. She's been off the board only once, a fifth-place finish in her second start. Since then, she's won or placed in eight of nine starts.
     Bachelorette One, bred in California by Donnie Hallmark, is owned by Tom Mankiewicz and trained by John Sadler. David Flores was her rider in the Irish O'Brien.
     River's Prayer made her trip from SLRD a success by taking the lead out of the gate and fighting off Bachelorette One's late bid to win by a length and a quarter under jockey Clinton Potts.
     She's owned by Bantry Farms, Martin Racing Stable LLC and her trainer, Paula Capestro. River's Prayer was bred in California by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC. At San Luis Rey Downs, she's stabled not far from her birthplace; both facilities are located in the Northern San Diego town of Bonsall.
     Bachelorette One's sire, Perfect Mandate, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--March 19.


Tribunal Gets First 3-Year-Old Winner
     Tribunal, Washington's champion freshman sire of 2006, took the next step toward consolidating that success Friday when favored Royal Justice methodically ran down rivals in the stretch at Turf Paradise to become her sire's first 3-year-old winner.
     Tribunal had five winners from nine starters last year. Royal Justice, who didn't race at 2, is his 10th starter and his sixth winner. Unplaced at Golden Gate Fields in her first start last month, Royal Justice profited from that experience, racing professionally to move from third at the top of the stretch to win by a length and a quarter in the 5 1/2-furlong event.
     Royal Justice, bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Sample, is owned by John and Joseph Stiglich, is trained by Dan Morgan, and was ridden by Scott Stevens.
     All 10 of Tribunal's starters have either won or placed--six winners and four placed. Those winners include double stakes winner Judicature and A Touch of Malice, winner of his first start by 10 1/2 lengths.
     Tribunal, a Grade 1-placed son of Deputy Minister, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--March 18.


Big Santa Anita Weekend for SLRD Shippers
     Runners vanning to Santa Anita from their San Luis Rey Downs home made a strong impact last weekend, winning one race on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
     They were the latest in a steady stream of winners based at SLRD who van to Southern California racetracks for an overnight stay and return home after running.
     Last weekend's string began with Burst of Light's win for owner Mary Shoemaker and trainer Dan Dunham (see March 11 story below), continued with Limited Creole's score in Sunday's eighth race and ended with World Asunder's triumph in the final race on the day's card.
     Limited Creole, trained by Peter Miller for Emerald Meadows Ranch, swung to the lead soon after reaching the flat on the 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course and won a stretch battle to finish three-quarters of a length in front, ridden by Michael Baze..
     World Asunder, trained by Laura De Seroux for San Gabriel Investments and the Sidney L. Port Trust, followed almost the same pattern in the day's finale on the same course but had to wait a bit longer before moving strongly to the lead in the final sixteenth, winning by 2 1/4 lengths under Garrett Gomez.
     Limited Creole, a 4-year-old son of Cactus Creole, was bred in California by Marjorie and Jerry Engelauf. World Asunder is a 4-year-old  son of Siphon (Brz) bred in Kentucky by Michel Zerolo, Eric Pueraro and Serge Fradkoff.
     All three winners are stabled and train at San Luis Rey Downs, a year-round training center located in the Northern San Diego County town of Bonsall.--March 13.


Odds-On Bluesbdancing Runs to Expectations
     Bluesbdancing left the gate as the odds-on favorite in Saturday's Regal Rumor Stakes at Hawthorne Park and ran every bit as expected with a wire-to-wire victory.
     The 5-year-old daughter of Golden Gear, making her first start of 2007, led from start to finish under jockey Eduardo Perez, but she was pressed all the way by a succession of challengers, holding her margin to no more than a half-length until the final sixteenth. Finally, she was a length in front at the wire for the ninth victory of her career.
     The Regal Rumor was the eighth consecutive stakes race for Bluesbdancing, who's won three times and placed three times in that stretch. In her four-season career she has nine wins, two seconds and two thirds in 17 starts, good for earnings of $347,457.
     Her career record shows five stakes wins and four stakes placings at Hawthorne Park, Charles Town, Arlington Park and Turfway Park. 
     Bluesbdancing is owned by Bob and Nancy Bartels and is trained by Terrel Gore. She was bred in Illinois by Barry Golden.
     She is one of 14 stakes horses sired by Golden Gear, whose runners have earned more than $9,000,000. He stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Farm, Santa Margarita, Calif.--March 13.


Mistical Plan's Trip Nets a Grade 2 Victory
     Mistical Plan travels often and she travels well, as she demonstrated once again Saturday with a dominating victory in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks, a Grade 2 event at the Fair Grounds.
     In her eight career starts, the 3-year-old daughter of Game Plan has only once raced twice in a row at the same track. She's run at six different tracks in California, Kentucky and now Louisiana.
     Mistical Plan took the lead out of the gate in the 1 1/16-mile Oaks and put the race away on the turn for home, pulling out to a four-length lead that she maintained comfortably to the wire, winning unchallenged by 3 1/4 lengths.
     The California-bred's earnings now total $475,765 and include three stakes wins--one graded--and placings in two Grade 3 races.
     After breaking her maiden at Santa Rosa last August, she found the winner's circle again at Santa Anita in October in the Cover Gal Stakes and three weeks later finished second in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs.
     Her sophomore season began with a third in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes and a win in the Sunshine Millions Oaks. Those races both were run at Santa Anita and marked the only time she's run two consecutive races at one track. She broke that short string by traveling to New Orleans for Saturday's race, her third 2007 start.
     Mistical Plan, bred by Carol Anderson, is owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill. Corey Nakatani made the trip to New Orleans to ride her in the Oaks. She was foaled and raised at Woodbridge Farm.
     She is one of 26 stakes horses sired by Game Plan, who stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--March 12.


More Graded Black Type for Son of You and I
     Smokeyjonessutton still hasn't won a stakes race, but he's done the next-best thing--twice.
     The 4-year-old son of You and I has placed twice in graded stakes races, most recently Saturday's $500,000 New Orleans Handicap at the Fair Grounds, in which his third-place finish yielded a purse of $50,000 and increased his career earnings to $218,015 in nine starts.
     Last year at 3, the Kentucky-bred followed a second-place finish in the $250,000 ungraded St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park with a third in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park.
     His record now shows two wins--maiden special weight and allowance--and four placings--three in stakes races--in those nine starts.
     Bred by his owner, Crysalis Stables, and Stephanie S. Clark, he's trained by Dallas Stewart and was ridden in Saturday's race by Garrett Gomez.
     You and I, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $701,235, was Washington's leading sire of 2006 and is again the leader in 2007. He stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--March 12.

Burst of Light Bursts Ahead in Stretch, Wins
    Well back in the field of 10 for most of the race, Burst of Light produced a late burst of speed to take the lead at the finish for victory in Friday's one-mile feature race on the turf at Santa Anita.
     The victory was another in a long string of wins at Southern California tracks by horses stabled at San Luis Rey Downs. Like Burst of Light, they ship to the track the day before the race and back home to SLRD after running.
     Burst of Light, trained by Dan Dunham, was ninth after a quarter-mile and not much better entering the final turn, where she was sixth. Fifth at the top of the stretch, the 4-year-old daughter of Bertrando moved strongly and got up for the victory in a crowded photo finish in which the first three horses were separated by a neck, a nose and a nose.
     Burst of Life races in the colors of Mary Shoemaker. She was bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Wygod and was ridden in Friday's race by Clinton Potts.
     San Luis Rey Downs, a year-round, full-service training center, is located in the Northern San Diego County town of Bonsall.--March 11.


Justice Prevails: Black Type for Seaside Affair
     Seaside Affair's drive for victory in Sunday's $100,000 La Habra Stakes at Santa Anita was derailed by a foul in the stretch, but the 3-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets nevertheless came away with the first stakes placing of her brief career.
     Racing in second place in the 11-horse field at the top of the stretch, Seaside Affair was bumped by Macadamia and forced out past midstretch, losing all chance for victory, though she managed to hang on for fourth, only a nose behind the third-place finisher in the 6 1/2-furlong race on the downhill turf course. 
     That bump started a chain reaction that involved two other horses, and the offender, Macadamia, was disqualified and demoted from second to sixth.
     That moved Seaside Affair up from fourth to third and gave her the first stakes-placing of her seven-race career and her sire his 15th stakes horse.
     Seaside Affair made it to the winner's circle in her fourth start, capturing a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park by 7 1/4 lengths. That earned her a sharp move upward, to the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita, in which she finished fourth.
     In her next start, she took an allowance race by three lengths before trying the La Habra, her first effort on the grass.
     Seaside Affair, bred in Kentucky by Justice Farm, has earned $93,090 in her seven career starts for owner Edmund Gann and trainer John Sadler. She was ridden in the La Habra by Jose Valdiva, Jr.
     Sea of Secrets, California's leading sire of 2-year-old winners in 2006, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--March 6.
 

Miss Elsie Right There in Another Stake
     Miss Elsie, who's been off the board only once in 14 starts since early 2006, kept her record for consistency intact with a second-place finish Saturday in the $50,000 Spring Fever Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
     The 6-year-old daughter of Golden Gear has won one stakes race and placed in six others since February 6, 2006, earning $183,970 in those 14 starts. In her four-season career, she's earned $274,010 with six wins, eight seconds and two thirds in 23 starts. She's never run in a claiming race.
     After being bumped at the start of the 5 1/2-furlong Spring Fever, Miss Elsie recovered under jockey Gabriel Saez and mounted a steady drive through the stretch that fell just a neck short, though, according to the official chart, she was "getting to the winner late."
     Miss Elsie was bred in Kentucky by her owner, Nelson McMakin, and is trained by J. Larry Jones.
     Golden Gear, a multiple graded stakes winner, is the sire of 14 stakes horses and earners of more than $9,000,000. He stands at Sue Hubbard & Associates Farm, Santa Margarita, Calif.--March 5.


Last to First, Last Outpost Wins First Stake
     Five-year-old Last Outpost closed from last to first to capture his third straight race and his first stakes race Saturday at Turf Paradise, becoming Free At Last's 19th added-money winner.
     The occasion was the 1 5/8-mile Marathon Series Final Stakes in which the Washington-bred moved strongly after a mile to move from ninth to second in the stretch and then take the lead to win by two lengths.
     Last Outpost is undefeated at Turf Paradise in three starts since moving from Bay Meadows in January and now has a career total of five wins, four seconds and eight thirds in 27 starts for earnings of $53,357. He's been on the board in 22 of those 27 starts.
     He was bred by Shady Valley Ranch and is owned by Susan K. Chapman and trained by Stan Hartman. He was ridden in the Marathon by Glenn Corbett.
     Free At Last, a Canadian champion 2-year-old, is the sire of 46 stakes horses. He stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw,Wash.--February 26.


Ballena Vista Sires Score, Coast to Coast
     President's Day was an occasion for celebration for Ballena Vista Farm sires as their sons won stakes races at tracks near the ocean shores on both edges of the continent.
     First, Sea of Secrets' son Wollaston Bay posted a wire-to-wire victory in the $65,000-added Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes at Aqueduct, then Beau Genius's son My Creed followed a different script in capturing the $50,000-added President's Day Handicap at Bay Meadows, rallying from last to first for his win.
     The Capossela was 3-year-old Wollaston Bay's first stakes victory; the President's Day was 6-year-old My Creed's third. Wollaston Bay had placed in a stakes race at Aqueduct only a month earlier; My Creed had won two earlier stakes and placed in four others over his five-season career.
     Florida-bred Wollaston Bay has won three races and placed in three others in seven career starts for earnings of $119,366. Kentucky-bred My Creed has won five races and placed in 11 others in a 28-start career that has produced earnings of $244,240.
     Wollaston Bay, bred by Louis A. Gurino, is owned by One Pond Stable and trained by Gary Sciacca. He was ridden in the Capossela by Shaun Bridgmohan. My Creed, bred by W. D. and Dave Fishback, is owned by Seven Star Racing Stable and R. B. Hess Sr. and trained by Hess. He was ridden in the President's Day by Modesto Linares.
     Sea of Secrets, sire of earners of more than $5,400,000, and Beau Genius, sire of earners of more than $29,700,000, both stand at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--February 21.


Jack Hes Tops Keeps On Moving Upward
     Jack Hes Tops hasn't been racing very long, but he's already showing that he knows how to run.
     The 3-year-old son of He's Tops gained blacktype credentials in only the third start of his life when he finished third in the $100,000 Borderland Derby Saturday at Sunland Park.
     The California-bred, who's raced only at Sunland, broke his maiden by five lengths on December 20 in his first lifetime start, a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs. In his second start on January 27, he was third in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs.
     Then, on February 17, he stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and took second in the Derby, beaten 1 1/4 lengths after leading through most of the stretch in his first effort around two turns.
      His record now shows a win, a second, and a third in three starts with earnings of $36,830.
     Bred by Ray and Charlotte Holmes and Jurene Stuart, he's owned by Lawrence M. Karp and his trainer, Dennis Ward. His jockey in the Derby was Cornelio Velasquez.
     Jack Hes Tops is the 15th stakes horse sired by He's Tops, a son of Seattle Slew standing at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--February 21.


Olympio Filly Takes Third in Arizona Oaks
     Torrance's reward for winning the first race of her life by 7 1/4 lengths was instant immersion in stakes company, and she's met the challenge successfully, most recently with a third-place finish in Saturday's $75,000 Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise.
     Since that first victory, the California-bred 3-year-old daughter of Olympio has started five times, all in stakes races. She's plowed through that obstacle course with one win, a second, and two thirds, failing to win or place only in the rich Sun Devil Stakes.
     Trying two turns for only the second time, Torrance took the lead early in the one-mile Oaks and stayed in the running all the way but couldn't hang with the leaders and had to settle for third under jockey Vicky Baze.
     Torrance was bred by The Stuart McPhee Bloodstock Agency and is owned by Dennis Weir. She's trained by Michael Stewart. Her earnings now total $46,870.
     Olympio, sire of earners of more than $17,000,000, stands at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds, Vacaville, Calif.--February 21.


Bedlam Bertie's Downhill Run Pays Off
     Bedlam Bertie, who already had placed in a graded stakes race, added to his racing credentials by scoring his first added-money victory Sunday at Santa Anita--a wire-to-wire triumph in the $125,000-added Sensational Star Handicap.
     The 4-year-old son of Game Plan had won at five furlongs and twice at a mile as well as running third in the Grade 3 Bay Meadows Derby at a mile and an eighth--all on the grass-- and he filled the gap in between with his win in the Sensational Star at 6 1/2 furlongs on the Santa Anita downhill turf course.
     Bedlam Bertie took the lead out of the gate and never looked back, gradually extending his margin to 2 3/4 lengths at the wire under jockey David Flores.
     The win was the fourth in 12 starts over three seasons for Bedlam Bertie and increased his career earnings to $191,430. In addition to the Sensational Star, he's won a maiden special weight race at Golden Gate Fields and allowance races at that track and at the Bay Meadows fair. He's never run in a claiming race.
     Bedlam Bertie was bred in California by Carl Wilson and is owned by Patricia Ford. He's trained by Mike Machowsky.
     Game Plan, who stands at E. A. Ranches, Ramona, Calif., is now the sire of 12 stakes winners and earners of more than $6,800,000.--February 20.


Plaid Continues Her Lengthy Hot Streak
     Deputy Commander's 6-year-old daughter Plaid has had a long racing career, but she's never had a streak of success like the one that she extended Saturday with a comfortable victory in the $50,000 Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
     Before October 19, 2005, Plaid had put together a moderately successful career with three wins in 20 starts--two allowances and a $30,000 maiden claimer--at 2, 3, and 4, but she finished seventh on that day at Turfway Park and hadn't won in almost eight months.
     From that day on, she's never been worse than third in a streak that now has extended through 16 races over 16 months. In that time she's won nine races--four of them stakes--run second four times, and finished third three times. In one stretch last year, she won four races in a row. Her earnings now total $427,067.
     In the Pippin, Plaid stayed near the leader while racing fourth and then third around the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile race. She came out of the turn in front, moved ahead strongly, and hit the wire a clear 2 1/2 lengths in front, giving jockey Luis Quinonez a comfortable trip.
     Plaid, bred in Kentucky by McKee Stables Inc., is owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Steve Asmussen.
     Deputy Commander, sire of earners of almost $16,000,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, CA.--February 20.


28th Stakes Horse for Deputy Commander
     Just two starts from running against maidens, No Reply became Deputy Commander's 28th stakes horse Monday with a challenging second-place finish in the $100,000 Ocala Breeders' Sale Championship Stakes at the Ocala Training Center.
     The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred captured a maiden special weight race at Aqueduct on December 1 by a resounding 8 1/2 lengths and moved immediately into stakes company, finishing fourth in the Count Fleet Stakes at the New York track, only 2 1/2 lengths back of the winner.
     The Ocala race was his next start, and he made a strong charge in the stretch under jockey Joe Bravo, moving from fifth place in the field of 10 to battle for the lead. But he couldn't overtake the winner and finished a length and a half behind.
     In six lifetime starts, No Reply has earned $63,231 with one win, two seconds, and a third.
      No Reply, bred by Brereton C. Jones, is owned by Darley Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.
     Deputy Commander, a double Grade 1 stakes winner of $1,906,640, is the sire of earners of almost $16,000,000. He stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, CA.--February 14.


A Third Graded Placing for Red Raymond 
     With two placings in graded stakes races already on his record, Deputy Commander's son Red Raymond added a third when he took second in the $100,000 Essex Handicap, a Grade 3 event, Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
     The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred raced well back in sixth place until the field of nine reached the stretch. Then jockey Luis Quinonez set him in pursuit of the leader, but he was too late and had to settle for second place, a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths ahead of the third-place horse at the finish.
     Prior to the Essex, Red Raymond had finished second in the Grade 3 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park last year at 3 and before that, at 2, he'd taken third in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park.
     He began his stakes career with a win in the James C. Ellis Juvenile Stakes at Ellis Park in his third start at 2. His earnings now total $229,234.
     Red Raymond, bred by William H. Fires, is owned by Thomas W. Franks and trained by Robert Holthus.
     Deputy Commander, earner of $1,906,640 and sire of earners of more than $15,700,000, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--February 12.


Cascadian Son a Stakes Winner in 2nd Start
     A third-place finish in his only race was evidently all the preparation that I'm Zee One Needed for the OTBA Stallion Stakes Monday at Portland Meadows as he became a stakes winner in just his second career start, breezing to a four-length victory in the six-furlong event.
     In his first start, the 3-year-old son of Cascadian had finished third, beaten three lengths on a sloppy Portland Meadows track, but the Stallion Stakes provided a fast surface and I'm Zee One found it to his liking as he outdistanced six rivals.
     I'm Zee One's success followed that of another Cascadian 3-year-old, Little Cascadian, who took second in the Ms. Stakes at Portland Meadows on January 28 to add to three other stakes placings that she collected last year at 2.
     Although she's placed in four stakes races in six starts, Little Cascadian is still a maiden. With four seconds and a third, she's been unplaced only once.
     I'm Zee One was bred in Oregon by Wayne Thom and is owned by Allen Floyd and his trainer, Jonathan Nance. He was ridden in the Stallion Stakes by Clark Jones.
     Little Cascadian, bred and owned by George Hurliman, is trained by Nick Lowe.
     From three crops of racing age, Cascadian has sired 21 winners and nine stakes horses. He stands at Bar C Racing Stables, Hermiston, Ore.--February 7.


He's Tops Filly Third in First Stakes Effort
     Three-year-old Texas Bobbi R. tested added-money competition Saturday at Turf Paradise and came away as the 14th stakes horse sired by He's Tops.
     The Arizona-bred filly took the lead out of the gate in the Dancin at the Wire Stakes and fought fiercely to keep it before yielding in the final sixteenth of the six-furlong race and finishing third, beaten just a neck and three-quarters of a length.
     Texas Bobbi R. entered the Dancin at the Wire with two wins in three starts in a career that had begun less than two months earlier, when she won by five lengths on December 8 at Turf Paradise.
     After racing unplaced in her first start against winners, she came back to win on January 8 and added a stakes placing to her resume in her fourth outing.
     She was bred by Irwel Stable and is owned by Robert D. Bone. Her trainer is Keith Bennett and her jockey in the Dancin at the Wire was Chris Landeros.
      He's Tops, sire of two Washington champions and 12 other stakes horses, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--February 5.


SLRD Racks Up Another Win at Santa Anita
     Another equine resident of San Luis Rey Downs found the winner's circle last week at Santa Anita when Pure American vanned north to Arcadia to capture an allowance race in a challenging stretch duel.
     The 6-year-old Washington-bred son of Quiet American took the lead early in the 6 1/2-furlong race on the hillside turf course, but he could never relax as he led by a head at the top of the stretch and could never extend that margin.
     But he didn't surrender that lead, staying just a head in front all the way to the wire under urging by jockey David Cohen.
     Following a familiar pattern for SLRD shippers, Pure American shipped from his Northern San Diego home to Santa Anita the morning before the race and returning home the following evening after winning his race.
     Pure American's home is in trainer Frank Lancelotti's Barn J at SLRD. He was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Al Kirkwood and is owned by G. Stephen Hendrick.
     San Luis Rey Downs is a full-service, year-round training center located in the San Diego County town of Bonsall.--February 1.


Game Plan Filly Wins Sunshine Millions Oaks
     A final-sixteenth burst carried Game Plan's 3-year-old daughter Mistical Plan to victory in Saturday's $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks at Santa Anita and brought her the biggest payday of her brief career.
     Far back in eighth place in the field of  12 through the backstretch in the six-furlong Oaks, Mistical Plan, urged on by jockey David Flores, moved up on the turn and closed steadily through the stretch, finally hitting the wire a nose in front.
     The winner's purse of $137,500 more than doubled the career bankroll of the California-bred, which grew to $235,765 in only seven starts. At 2 last year she won the Cover Gal Stakes at Santa Anita and took second in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. In her first start of the new year, she was third in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.
    She has three wins to go with her two graded stakes placings. She's been unplaced only twice, both times in Grade 1 stakes races.
     Mistical Plan, bred by Carol Anderson, is owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill.
     Game Plan, a son of Danzig who's sired 26 stakes horses, stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--January 29.


Showcase Sires' Runners on Experimental
     Seven 2-year-olds sired by Showcase stallions were honored with weights on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap announced Thursday by The Jockey Club.
     Street Sense, 10-length winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile, received the high weight assignment of 127 pounds on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap,  available at http://www.jockeyclub.com.
     The filly division is headed by undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Dreaming of Anna at 123 pounds.
     The Experimental Free Handicap, published annually by The Jockey Club 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. 
     This year's weighting committee of racing secretaries was composed of Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs, 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 92 males and 85 fillies. Eligible for weighting were all 2-year-olds of 2006 that finished among the top four in graded or other unrestricted races with an added value of at least $75,000, run in the continental United States.
     Here are the sons and daughters of Showcase stallions assigned weights, listed in the order of their weight assignments--two each by Unusual Heat and Free At Last and one each by Sea of Secrets, Swiss Yodeler, and Game Plan:

COLTS

     119--Principle Secret, dark bay or brown, by Sea of Secrets--Beright, by Gray Slewpy. Bred in Kentucky by Victory Racing LLC.
     110--Unusual Suspect, dark bay or brown, by Unusual Heat--Penpont (NZ), by Crested Wave. Bred in California by David Abrams.
     100--Wild Cycle, dark bay or brown, by Free At Last--Northern Whirl, by Island Whirl. Bred n Washington by Robin L. Mason, StormyB. Hull and Art Burt.
     100--Swiss Ski, bay, by Swiss Yodeler--Lots of Stingers, by Drone. Bred in California by Heinz Steinmann.
FILLIES
     111--Spenditallbaby, chestnut, by Unusual Heat--Andoverthe Money, by Dynaformer. Bred in California by Abrams/Robets, Nakkashian, P. Johnson and V. Johnson.
     109--Mistical Plan, bay, by Game Plan--Mistical Bel, by Bel Bolide. Bred in California by Carol Anderson.
     103--Irene's Bonus Baby, bay, by Free At Last--Moscow Symphony, by Moscow Ballet. Bred in Washington by Ronald A. Hagen and Nina M. Hagen.--January 26.


Harvard Avenue Moves Past $500,000 Mark
     Harvard Avenue, a talented 6-year-old son of You and I, added to his lengthy graded-stakes record and increased his earnings to more than $500,000 with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap Saturday at Santa Anita.
     The $150,000 Palos Verdes was the sixth graded race in which Harvard Avenue has won or placed on his way to career earnings of $505,126 in 23 starts over five seasons.
     Harvard Avenue, bred in Kentucky by his owner, Ron Crockett, finished well down the stretch but was unable to overtake the leader while opening 7 1/2 lengths over the third-place runner.
     His record shows victories in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap and the Grade 3 El Conejo Handicap, a second in the Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap, and thirds in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes--all at Santa Anita.
     Harvard Avenue is trained by Doug O'Neill and was ridden in the Palos Verdes by Victor Espinoza.
     You and I, sire of earners of more than $14,000,000, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--January 22.


Wavy Lass Earns Black Type in First Try
     Winner of three allowance races in her last four starts, Wavy Lass was ready to move up to stakes company for the first time Saturday, and she came away with black type, earned by a third-place finish in the $45,000 Sun Devil Stakes at Turf Paradise.
     Coming off a five-length allowance win at Bay Meadows five weeks earlier, the 3-year-old California-bred daughter of Helmsman left the gate as the favorite in the Sun Devil, but her challenge in the stretch of the one-mile race failed, and she faded to third after moving to within a head of the lead entering the stretch.
     It was her first start of her 3-year-old season. Her record now stands at three wins and a third in seven starts for earnings of $46,397.
     Wavy Lass, bred by Thomas W. Bachman, is owned by Lester Hunsucker and trained by Dean Pederson. Her rider in the Sun Devil was Juan Ochoa.
     She's the 15th stakes horse sired by Irish champion Helmsman, whose runners include Canadian champion Rare Friends ($772,916). He stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--January 22.


Streak Broken, But He's a Stakes Horse Now
     Wollaston Bay's two-race winning streak came to an end Monday at Aqueduct, but his consolation prize was a second-place finish in the $65,000-added Jimmy Winkfield Stakes in his first venture into stakes company.
     The 3-year-old son of Sea of Secrets won a maiden special weight race on September 24 at Belmont Park and followed that with an allowance victory at Aqueduct. That earned him the favorite's role in the Jimmy Winkfield, but he surrendered an early lead in the six-furlong race and could never regain it, finishing 3 1/4 lengths back of the winner and 6 1/4 lengths ahead of the third-place horse.
     In six starts, Wollaston Bay has posted two wins, a second, and two thirds for earnings of $77,324, never running for a claiming price. He's Sea of Secrets' 14th stakes horse.
     Wollaston Bay was bred in Florida by Louis A. Gurino, is owned by One Pond Stable, and is trained by Gary Sciacca. He was ridden in the Jimmy Winkfield by Shaun Bridgmohan.
     Sea of Secrets, a graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--January 17.


Helmsman Adds to His List of Stakes Winners
     Five weeks after earning his first black type in his second season of racing, Helmsman's 4-year-old son Guiding Hand took the next step up the ladder by becoming a stakes winner Saturday at Sunland Park.
     The California-bred finished second in the Zia Park Derby on December 9 at Zia Park to earn his first stakes placing and moved up another notch Saturday with a 3 1/2-length victory in the $50,000 Winsham Lad Handicap.
     Guiding Hand has won three races and run second in two others in his last five starts. In 14 career starts, he's recorded five wins, three seconds, and a third for earnings of $115,392.
     Sent off as second choice in the wagering in the Winsham Lad, he proved much the best in the field of 11, taking the lead at the start of the one-mile race and gradually pulling away under jockey Ken Tohill.
     Bred by Charlotte M. Wrather, Guiding Hand is owned by Frontier Stables, LLC, and trained by Chris Hartman.
     Helmsman, champion 2-year-old colt in Ireland and sire of earners of more than $8,600,000, stands at Windfall Farms, Paso Robles, Calif.--January 15.


Fast Parade Makes It Three Stakes in a Row
     Favored Fast Parade, a 4-year-old son of Delineator, extended his winning streak to three in a row--all in stakes races--with a victory in Wednesday's $75,000-added Impressive Luck Handicap.
     Fast Parade scored those wins by shipping from his home base at San Luis Rey Downs to Del Mar, Woodbine, and now Santa Anita. His victory Wednesday was the latest of numerous wins by horses trained by SLRD-based  Peter Miller.
     The Washington-bred not only has won three straight races, he's won five of his last six and six of his nine career starts. He's been second twice--once in a race in which he finished first and was disqualified to second--and has been unplaced only once. His career earnings now total $275,013.
     In the Impressive Luck, he broke second and raced lapped onto the leader to the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong race on the downhill turf course. Jockey Garrett Gomez sent him to the lead at that point and he stayed there to the finish while "under a snug hold late."
     Fast Parade, bred by Dr. Michael John Konecny, is owned by Gary and Cecil Barber.
     Delineator, a graded stakes winning son of Storm Cat, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--January 12.


Multiple Stakes-Placed Maiden Does It Again
     Little Cascadian has started five times and is still a maiden--but she's placed in three stakes races.
     In her fifth start, the 3-year-old daughter of Cascadian took third in Saturday's Invitational Handicap at Portland Meadows, her third stakes-placing after second-place finishes in last year's Janet Wineberg Stakes and Jane Driggers Debutante Stakes at the Portland track.
     After finishing second in her first start, a maiden special weight race at Portland Meadows, she was thrust immediately into stakes company, and she's stayed there ever since, finishing unplaced only once, when she ran fifth in the Lassie Stakes.
     In Saturday's race at six furlongs on a sloppy track, she vied for the lead while running second in the early going but tired and settled for third at the finish, a comfortable 4 1/2 lengths ahead of the fourth horse.
     Bred in Oregon by her owner, George Hurliman, Little Cascadian is trained by Nick Lowe, and was ridden by Javier Ortega.
     Cascadian, sire of eight stakes horses, stands at Bar C Racing Stables, Hermiston, Ore.--January 8.


Mistical Plan Adds Another Graded Placing
     A stakes winner and graded stakes-placed at 2 in 2006, Game Plan's daughter Mistical Plan launched her sophomore campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita.
     That gave her a record of a victory in the Cover Gal Stakes at Santa Anita, a second in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs, and a third in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel following a maiden special weight win at Santa Rosa in her first career start.
     Her earnings now total $98,265 in six starts.
     In the Santa Ysabel, Mistical Plan held second place, challenging for the lead, until far into the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile event. She faltered in the final furlong and had to settle for third place.
     She was bred in California by Carol Anderson and is owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill. She was ridden in the Santa Ysabel by Corey Nakatani.
     Game Plan, a son of Danzig who's sired 26 stakes horses, stands at E. A. Ranches, Santa Ysabel, Calif.--January 8.


Olympio Moves to Northern California
    Olympio, sire of 37 stakes horses and earners of more than $16,900,000, has been moved to Victory Rose Thoroughbreds, Vacaville.
    The six-time graded stakes winner of $1,456,315, moving from Hideaway Farms, San Jacinto, will remain under the ownership of John Zamora. His fee will stay at $5,000, live foal, with the first 10 mares booked offered half-price breedings, according to Victory Rose manager Ellen Jackson.
     In three seasons of competition, Olympio won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby, American Derby, Minnesota Derby, and Malibu Stakes, and the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup Stakes.
     In addition, he placed in four graded stakes races, including the Grade 1 Super Derby and Secretariat Stakes.
     He has sired 24 stakes winners, including Oak Hall ($635,067), Olympian ($557,725), Olympic Charmer ($499,036), Johnny Dollar ($369,010), Deep Gold ($364,246), and Classic Olympio ($336,578).--January 6.


Two SLRD Shippers Score at Santa Anita
     Continuing the parade of San Luis Rey Downs horses winning at Southern California racetracks, two trainers vanned runners to Santa Anita to score victories in the opening week of the winter meeting.
     Breeder-owner-trainer Paula Capestro launched the meeting by capturing the first race on opening day and trainers Peter Miller and Daniel Dunham followed up three days later by saddling the first- and second-place runners in the same race.
     Capestro's winner was Taylor's Route, a 2-year-old Mud Route colt that she bred in Kentucky. He took an early lead, briefly surrendered it, and came back to take the lead in the stretch and win by a length and a half.
     Miller sent out Celtic Sunshine for owner Altamira Racing Stable, following the same pattern as Taylor's Route, leading early, dropping briefly into second place on the backstretch, then coming back to take the lead and finish a length in front of Dunham's late-finishing Silver Sceptre, owned by Charlotte Wrather.
     SLRD horses typically van from their permanent quarters at the training center the day before they race and return home in the evening after they run.
     San Luis Rey Downs is a year-round training center located in the Northern San Diego County town of Bonsall.--January 4.


Liberty Gold Filly Ends Year Undefeated
     Cya Liberty made her only start in her first year as a racehorse a success by coming from behind in the stretch to win at Portland Meadows and enter 2007 with a perfect record.
     The Liberty Gold filly triumphed in the first race of her life to become her sire's 12th winner from his first two crops. Liberty Gold, Washington's leading freshman sire of 2005, was represented by four winners from his second crop to go with eight from his first.
     His runners have earned more than $248,000, $56,017 of that won by his 10 second-crop starters.
     Cya Liberty was bred in Oregon by her owners, Shirley Webb and her trainer, Delmer Webb. Clark Jones was in the saddle for Cya Liberty's victory.
     Liberty Gold, a graded stakes winner of $598,963, stands at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.--January 4.


Huge Stretch Run Wins for Son of You and I
     A powerful finish gave You and I's 5-year-old son Harvard Avenue his second graded stakes victory Monday at Santa Anita as he successfully met the daunting challenge of coming from last place to win a 5 1/2-furlong race.
     When the nine-horse field in the $100,000-added El Conejo Handicap turned for home, Harvard Avenue was last, more than 10 lengths behind the leader, but he moved up to sixth around the turn and persevered through the stretch to get up in the final strides to win by a nose under the urging of jockey Garrett Gomez.
     The victory was Harvard Avenue's second graded stakes win at Santa Anita, along with three placings in graded races at the same track, including the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes. He's won the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap and the Grade 3 El Conejo.
     Harvard Avenue's earnings total $475,126 in a career in which he's won five races and placed in nine others in 22 starts over four seasons, never running in a claiming race. He's won the last two of his three starts since he returned November 1 from a 14-month layoff.
     Harvard Avenue, bred in Kentucky by his owner, Ron D. Crockett, Inc., is trained by Doug O'Neill.
     You and I, a Grade 1 stakes winner of $701,235 and sire of earners of more than $14,000,000, stands at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--January 3.


Perfect Mandate Filly Nails Another Stake
     Tempting Date, a successful 4-year-old daughter of Perfect Mandate, returned to her pre-layoff level with a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Bold Ego Stakes Sunday at Sunland Park.
     Before taking a year's vacation from the races, Tempting Date had won four of five career starts, including the California Cup Distaff Handicap, her final race on November 6, 2005, before leaving the track.
     Upon returning to action on November 25, 2006, she finished fourth and then third in allowance races before getting back to stakes company in the Bold Ego. She's now won five of eight starts to go with a second, a third, and a fourth--never off the board while earning $234,829.
     In the 5 1/2-furlong Bold Ego, jockey Ken Tohill took Tempting Date to the front at the start and she never surrendered the lead, finishing first by a length and a half in the eight-horse race.
     Bred in California by Old English Rancho, she's owned by Adam R. Lewis and trained by Chris Hartman.
     Perfect Mandate, sire of seven stakes horses among his 20 winners, stands at Old English Rancho, Sanger, Calif.--Janaury 3.


Swiss Yodeler Leads 2006 California Sires
     Swiss Yodeler has just concluded the best of his five years as a sire, scoring the prime double among California sires as the 2006 leader on both the general and juvenile lists.
     The $4,880,827 won by his runners gave him a comfortable lead over runner-up Bertrando in total earnings and the $1,070,412 earned by his 2-year-olds gave him a narrower victory over Sea of Secrets.
     Swiss Yodeler's first foals raced in 2002, and their earnings have increased each year, from $748,718 to $1,391,389 to $1,873,256 to $2,925,736 to $4,763,651.
     He was followed on the California general sire list by Bertrando ($4,036,635), In Excess (Ire) ($3,767,941), Benchmark ($3,274,506), and Deputy Commander ($3,176,239).
     The $1,070,412 earned by his 2-year-olds eclipsed Sea of Secrets ($907,943), Bertrando ($679,485), In Excess (Ire) ($646,993), and Salt Lake ($519,882).
     Swiss Yodeler, whose career progeny earnings exceed $11,700,000, stands at Pepper Oaks Farm, Santa Ynez, Calif.--January 2.


Matty G, Tribunal Top Washington Sire Lists
     Tribunal was an easy winner of the 2006 Washington freshman sire race, and the state's overall sire championship went to either Matty G , Slewdledo, or Delineator, depending on the rules of the competition.
     Matty G ($1,510,595), You and I ($1,474,749), Slewdledo ($1,449,187), Delineator ($955,420), and Cahill Road ($874,091) were the top five in total earnings for the year.
     But Matty G and You and I, recent arrivals in the state, have no Washington crops and Slewdledo is dead. By one definition, Matty G is the champion; by another, it's Slewdledo, followed by Delineator, both of whom stood in Washington when last year's juveniles were conceived.
     Depending on the definition, Matty G was the Washington sire with the greatest total earnings, Slewdledo was the sire standing in Washington with the greatest total earnings, and Delineator was the sire still standing in Washington with the greatest total earnings.
     In contrast, the champion freshman sire clearly was Tribunal, who's still alive and standing in Washington and had such a lead in the race that the runner-up was nowhere in sight.
     Led by stakes winner Judicature, Tribunal's nine runners earned 
$102,024.
     Matty G, Tribunal, and Cahill Road stand at El Dorado Farms, Enumclaw, Wash.; Delineator and You and I stand at Woodstead Farm, Chehalis, Wash.--January 2.


Atticus Colt Concludes Big Year With Victory
     Atticus's talented 3-year-old son Can't Beat It concluded a banner year with a two-length victory in the $100,000 Pete Axthelm Stakes Saturday at Calder Race Course.
     Following a 2-year-old season that produced little indication of things to come, Can't Beat It has won three stakes races and earned $238,800 in eight starts as a 3-year-old, increasing his career bankroll to $267,960.
     In his freshman year, Can't Beat It won once in six starts, requiring four races to break his maiden and earning $29,160. But in the new year, he moved quickly upward, competing in stakes races in eight of his nine 2006 starts. He started once in allowance company, winning that one and moving three weeks later to his first stakes victory.
     In addition to the Axthelm, he's won the Grade 3 Calder Derby and the Hallandale Beach Stakes, the latter at Gulfstream Park.
     Can't Beat It, sent off as the favorite in the race, gave his supporters concern early in the Axthelm, racing 10th in the 11-horse field after a half-mile in the 7 1/2-furlong event. Then jockey Eddie Castro swung him around the turn, hitting the stretch eight wide, and he moved steadily forward to hit the wire two lengths in front.
     Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Live Oak Plantation, Can't Beat It is trained by Martin Wolfson.
     Atticus, a world-record-setting miler who earned $1,205,933, is the sire of 16 stakes horses. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--January 1.


Filly's Brief 2006 Campaign Nets Win in Stake
     Torrance's 2-year-old race year spanned barely more than two months, but the Olympio filly put the time to good use, climaxing her brief campaign with a 6 1/4-length victory in the $40,000 Arizona Juvenile Fillies Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
     The California-bred squeezed four races into two months and three days following her victorious debut on October 27, placing in two non-blacktype stakes and then capturing the Juvenile Fillies to climax her year.
     Her two wins were earned by a combined 13 1/2 lengths--7 1/4 lengths in front in her maiden allowance debut victory and 6 1/4 in Saturday's stake. All four of her starts have been at Turf Paradise. She ended the year with two wins, a second, and a third in four starts for earnings of $37,570.
     She didn't take command in the Juvenile Fillies until the quarter pole, where jockey Lorenzo Lopez took her to the front and let her draw away to a one-sided victory in the 6 1/2-furlong event.
     Bred by the Stuart McPhee Bloodstock Agency, Torrance is owned by Dennis E. Weir and trained by Michael Stewart.
     Torrance is one of three winners from the fourth California crop of Olympio, sire of earners of more than $16,000,000. He stands at Hideaway Farms, San Jacinto, Calif.--January 1.


Twinpost Finishes Year With 2nd Stakes Win
     Twinpost, a busy 3-year-old daughter of Wild Deputy, finished a successful 2006 with a one-sided victory in the one-mile Bersid Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
    In her 14th start of the year, Twinpost registered her fourth triumph of the season and swelled her stakes record to two wins and three placings to go with victories in allowance and maiden allowance races.
     Her career record now shows four wins, five seconds, and two thirds in 15 starts for earnings of $48,974. She's failed to win or place in only one of her most recent 10 starts.
     In the Bersid, Twinpost raced in the middle of the pack to the head of the stretch, where she took command and pulled out to a clear lead that she maintained to the finish, winning by 3 3/4 lengths.
     Bred in California by Dennis E. Weir, she's owned by SEJ Stables, Inc., Paul M. Gaubet, and Dave Colone and trained by Justin Evans. She was ridden in the Bersid by Hector Ventura, Jr.
     Wild Deputy, sire of earners of more than $2,100,000, stands at AA Ranch, Anthony, N.M.--January 1.
 
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