Sports news from racingfigures.com / races/results

- Summer countdown: 35 days to Del Mar, 42 to Saratoga. - Curlin breezed an easy half mile in :49 flat at Churchill on Monday, in his final prep for the upcoming Stephen Foster. After grousing over the 128 impost and making vague threats about withdrawing the reigning Horse of the Year from the race, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed yesterday afternoon that Curlin would start on Saturday: "Not running would be an injustice to him" (Courier-Journal). - So true: "No matter how dominating a horse may look in a key prep race, or in a previous Triple Crown race, the...

- In today at Gulfstream: Cool Coal Man, scratched from the Pasco Stakes at Tampa last week and from the Hutcheson before that, is entered in the sixth, an allowance race with a small but intriguing field that includes Wonder Mon (stirring the Derby dreams of owner-trainer Gary Capuano) and...

- How impressive was Indian Blessing winning the Santa Ynez? Pressured early and late, the likely champion juvenile filly ran the first quarter in a speedy :22.27 and the next in an even faster :21.49 before slowing to :23.38 in the third. Final time for the seven furlong race was...

- There were only two graded stakes across the country on Saturday, but trainer Barclay Tagg took both, winning the Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct with Dave and the Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill with Bit of Whimsy. Dave, making his first graded stakes appearance in 34 starts, was an...

- Trainer Carla Gaines and jockey Joe Talamo had a very good afternoon at Del Mar, pairing up for three wins, including one in the feature. Boxed in on the rail by Victor Espinoza aboard Balance, unbeaten Nashoba's Key made up ground fast over the Polytrack stretch to win the...

- At Belmont, Rags to Riches understudy Octave won an unexciting renewal of the Coaching Club American Oaks, tracking pacesetter Folk's ambling fractions of :23.91, :48, 1:12.25, and 1:36.47 before drawing away at the eighth pole to win by half a length over the late closing Lear's Princess, who may...

- Even-money favorite Tiago won the Swaps at Hollywood on Saturday by 2 1/2 lengths after jockey Mike Smith guided the half-brother to Giacomo through an opening on the rail to the inside of pacesetter Desert Code. This was a really nice move by horse and rider: Tiago, settled into...

- Friday is a day of firsts for Scipion. Remember him, the A.P. Indy colt briefly on the Kentucky Derby trail after winning the 2005 Risen Star with a giant come from behind move at 10-1? He returns to the track as a five-year-old in Belmont's eighth, making his first...

- Saturday was a banner day for Steve Asmussen at Churchill. Not only did the trainer break the record for most wins in a meet at the track (Courier-Journal), he swept the day's juvenile stakes with Rated Fiesty in the Debutante and Kodiak Kowboy in the Bashford Manor. Rated Fiesty...

- That would be Funny Cide, in the words of Finger Lakes announcer Ross Morton, winning the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap in leisurely style this afternoon. Breaking slowly from the gate, jockey Alan Garcia settled Funny Cide into fifth down the backstretch, well off the lead and to the outside, letting...

Funny Cide travels to Finger Lakes for the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap on Wednesday, and his upstate fans, even those who'll be running or riding horses against him in the race, are feeling pretty excited about the Derby winner's appearance: Of course, Davila is going to spend most of his time...

The only knock on Lava Man is his 0-for-5 record when racing anywhere other than Southern California. "I hate traveling and apparently he does too," said co-owner Jason Wood after Lava Man won his third straight Hollywood Gold Cup (Blood Horse), matching the record held by Native Diver, with...

- Trainer Todd Pletcher swept Belmont's Sunday baby stakes with Glacken's Gal in the Astoria and Ready's Image in the Tremont (Blood Horse). Glacken's Gal earned an 84 Beyer for her second start; Ready's Image an excellent 99 Beyer for his 7 3/4 length win. - In winning the Mother...

The most intriguing horse running at Belmont on Saturday may well be Forest Jazzy in the seventh, a six furlong allowance N1X on the inner turf. The three-year-old filly galloped to a 24-length victory in her debut at River Downs six weeks ago, earning an 89 Beyer for the effort....

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens sent the Met Mile winner out for a stamina building seven furlong work this morning, which he did in 1:25.74 over Belmont's main track, getting the last eighth in :11.74 (DRF). Corinthian is being prepped for the June 30 Suburban, where he and at least three others...

Catching up after a few days on Cape Cod ... - Flashy Bull posted a mild upset in the Stephen Foster Handicap on Saturday, barely holding off Magna Graduate and giving West Point Thoroughbreds president Terry Finley a huge thrill. "Finley, in the company of other West Point members,...

A few good efforts worth pointing out from three-year-old fillies across the country on Saturday: - At Arlington, Dreaming of Anna finally returned to the winner's circle after three losses, her last a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. While her performance in the Double Delta Stakes was hardly brilliant,...

- Now, that's a matchup to look forward to this June. According to owner Don Little, Jr., the Suburban Handicap is an option for Corinthian following his game, determined win in the Met Mile. "I would say as of today our next race would be the Suburban," said Little. "It's...

- The Saratogian picks up on the Blood Horse story from earlier this week about a wild plan being floated for New York racing that includes splitting the franchise, closing Aqueduct, and turning Belmont into a slots palace. All that could never happen, right? - Calvin Borel's first ride at...

- Watch mail this week brought notice of an entry for the Southern California filly Fleetheart, who caught my attention in February after an impressive starter allowance win. "Second career start, first off layoff, up in class, tough, drew off to win with ease," say my notes on the race....