aqueduct racetrack stakes races 4-9-11.wmv [06:12]
picks for stakes races
Tags: horse, racing, handicapping, free, selections, aqueduct, racetrack, wood, memorial, 2011, uncle, mo, repole, kentucky, derby, horseracingkid
2011 Tom Fool (G3) - Calibrachoa [01:23]
Calibrachoa collected his third consecutive stakes victory and second in a graded race on Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack when he closed into a hot pace to win the 36th running of the Grade 3, $150000 Tom Fool Handicap. Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Calibrachoa settled well back in third as entrymate Have You Ever and Deputy Daney opened up on the field, hurrying through a quarter in 21.63 and a half-mile in 44.03. Gaining ground as the front runners lost momentum, Calibrachoa easily overtook Deputy Daney just past the eighth pole and drew off to win by 4 ½ lengths. His final time for six furlongs over Aqueduct's fast inner track was 1:09.67. "I was trying to slow him down as much as I could," said jockey Ramon Dominguez, who picked up his second stakes victory on the card in the Tom Fool. "I knew the horses in front of me were going extremely fast, and I just didn't want to fall into chasing and then having someone close on me. I certainly at no point in the race wanted someone to take my position, but at the same time I was trying to reserve as much as I could. I was actually surprised at how much they opened on me. My horse finished up pretty strong." It was the third straight stakes victory over the inner track for the 4-year-old son of Southern Image, who won the $65000 Gravesend on December 18 and the Grade 3 Toboggan on January 22. Owner Mike Repole claimed the colt for $40000 out of a winning effort at the Big A on November 18.
Tags: Calibrachoa, nyra, horse, racing, tom, fool, aqueduct, repole, pletcher, dominguez
New York Watch: Uncle Mo [01:38]
Uncle Mo (5th, $3.80), bet long and strong throughout, showed what the buzz was all about with an eye-catching debut by 14 1/4 lengths. The 14th 2-year-old winner at the meet for Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo ran six furlongs in 1:09.21 under John Velazquez. Admiral Perry, at 51-1 the longest shot shot on the board, finished second.
Tags: uncle, mo, saratoga, todd, pletcher, repole, stable, new, york, watch, nyra, horse, racing
New York Watch: Stopspendingmaria [01:28]
What do you do after you lose a horse you named after a loved one to a claim? If you are Mike Repole, you buy another horse and also name it after that person. Stopspendingmaria, whom Repole named in honor of his wife, drew off in hand to break her maiden by seven lengths on Thursday at Belmont Park and become the first 2-year-old featured in the New York Watch Series, which shines the spotlight on promising colts and fillies that have recently cleared the maiden and allowance ranks at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, or Saratoga Race Course. Repole had already named a different horse, No Shopping Maria, after his wife, but was forced to part ways with the 5-year-old mare after she was claimed for $5000 at Laurel Park in January. "My wife doesn't know as much about racing, and she couldn't understand how I could sell her horse," said Repole. "I promised her I'd name another horse after her. She thought I'd name it 'Go Shopping Maria,' but I'd never do that. She thinks [the name is] hysterical. She won't stop shopping, but she thinks it's funny." Repole chose a 2-year-old filly he purchased at this year's OBS February Selected Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training to be the second horse whose name was inspired by his wife's spending habits. "I've got to give the credit to my racing manager Jim Martin and Todd Pletcher," said Repole. "I wasn't at the sale as I was vacationing in the Caribbean. I was really looking for colts who could possibly go long, and I asked Todd if there ...
Tags: New, York, Watch:, Stopspendingmaria, repole, todd, pletcher, maiden, belmont, park, horse, racing, nyra