Racing all around the world Saturday. Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, Claiming Crown in Florida, the Hollywood Starlet in California and all kinds of action around the world. Here’s a quick cheat sheet for horses and races to watch. In race order, Eastern Standard Time. Send the kids to the Christmas parade, order presents on line and get on the couch. Great day’s racing.
Captain Conan. Sandown Park. Sixth Race. 10:00. One of the premier 2-mile chases in the world, the race lost the mercurial Sprinter Sacre but still attracts the likes of Captain Conan, Sir De Grugy and Somersby. Awesome spectacle as they turn down the back and jump seven fences in a row. Racing from Sandown starts at 7:20. Enjoy.
Miss Besilu. Gulfstream Park. First race. 12:40. Making her second career start, the $2.6 million yearling purchase needs to step up from her sixth-place effort at Belmont in October. Bill Mott hopes the turf will make the difference.
Beat The Drum. Aqueduct. Third Race. 1:18. First-time starter for Phipps Stable is by Smart Strike out of the great Storm Flag Flying.
Strike For Gold. Fair Grounds. First Race. 2:00. Gray colt by Incriminate rates a long look in the Kudzu Juvenile, a $25,000 stakes restricted to registered Alabama-breds. Really, we just wanted to type that sentence once in our lives.
Hertzalot. Tampa Bay Downs. Fifth Race. 2:24. Son of Megahertz makes debut for owner/breeder Lael Stable. Somebody pointed this out the other day on Twitter, Tampa Bay Downs offers a maiden turf race for $24,000 purse. The owners: Juddmonte, Lael, Calumet, PTK, Sagamore, Magnier/Tabor/Smith, Qatar Racing, Silverton Hill, Glen Hill Farm…what a game.
Ribo Bobo. Gulfstream Park. Fifth Race. 2:36. Run ’em when they’re good. Fourteen-time winner ran hard to finish second to Ben’s Cat at Penn National last week, returns as the 9-5 favorite in the Claiming Crown Express.
Enquete. Tampa Bay Downs. Sixth Race. 2:53. Undeated daughter of Indian Charlie makes her stakes debut for Todd Pletcher and the Wertheimer brothers.
Busted Account. Fair Grounds. Third Race. 2:57. This could be the claim of the year. Jonas Gibson and Michael Annechino reached in and took the 6-year-old Alabama-bred for $3,500 in August and freshened him for this $50,000 stakes. Yes, $50,000 stakes. He hasn’t won since February and he’s the 5/2 morning-line favorite. What a game.
Bad Debt. Calder Racecourse. Sixth Race. 3:00. Yes, all you jump owners and trainers, it’s the same Bad Debt that was presented to you several years ago. Still trained by Mike Trombetta, the 6-year-old goes for his 15th career victory, taking on a tough group including Paris Vegas and Tetradrachm in the Tropical Turf Handicap.
Eighttofasttocatch. Laurel. Seventh Race. 3:25. The Laurel Legend goes for his 13th career win at the Maryland oval and third consecutive win for trainer Tim Keefe. A lethal frontrunner, he hasn’t seen a horse in his two most recent wins, wire jobs in the Jennings and the Maryland Million Classic. Saturday could be different, as he breaks from the outside post and has to contend with the speed of Colleen’s Sailor, Lucy’s Bob Boy and Warrioroftheroses. At least the speed is inside him. Let them go, then let the big horse run.
Ullapool. Aqueduct. Eighth Race. 3:43. Four-year-old filly goes for her third straight victory (with a year off in between) in the Garland of Roses. Claimed for $25,000 in May, 2012, she’s won three races for trainer and co-owner Eddie Kenneally.
Somali Lemonade. Calder. Eighth Race. 4:00. The Fair Hill ladies clash in the My Charmer as Somali Lemonade meets Graham Motion’s trio Valiant Girl, Coup and Strathnaver.
North Star Boy. Gulfstream Park. Ninth Race. 4:33. Irish-bred seeks his third U.S. victory since being imported by North Star Racing and trainer Niall Saville. Nothing’s easy here, as he takes on Major Marvel going for his seventh straight win.
Bernie The Maestro. Gulfstream Park. Tenth Race. 5:03. Another bullet flying from the Ramsey turret, 6-year-old eyes eighth win since being claimed for $35,000 last summer. The Claiming Crown Jewel tops off a huge day at Gulfstream.
Sasy Ms Elizabeth. Hawthorne. Seventh Race. 5:14. Three-time winner should make it four in the Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante for trainer and co-owner Leroy Hellman.
Rosalind. Hollywood Park. Sixth Race. 6:04. Trainer Ken McPeek kept the daughter of Broken Vow in California after she finished third in the Breeders’ Cup. She breaks from the outside and takes on a competitive group in the Hollywood Starlet.
Fiftyshadesofhay. Hollywood Park. Eighth Race. 7:05. Second behind Princess Of Sylmar in the Alabama this summer, daughter of Pulpit returns in the Bayakoa Handicap for her first start since October 5 for trainer Bob Baffert.
After all that, if you’re having a good day, there must be some night racing somewhere…
