Archived News

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.40 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 46th best out of 71 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Martin after the breeze and John said, “She worked well and she’s doing fine. She’s right on target for the Starter Allowance on February 12.”

John plans to train Satin Bouquet up to the Starter Allowance going 1 mile at Golden Gate Fields on February 12.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Tuesday's 10th race at Parx which is a Claiming $7,500 race going 1 mile for 4-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races. He drew post position 3 and jockey Stuart Elliott is named to ride. Elliott is currently ranked 5th in the Parx jockey standings with 8 wins and a 20% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $23,000.

First race post time is 12:25 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 4:16 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Parx for a fun day of racing.

Shanbongus breezed on Friday going 4 furlongs in 53.60 over the Palm Meadows turf training track with the dogs up. That work was 17th best out of 25 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Sam, after the work and she said, “The recorded time is very deceiving. The dogs were up and the cones were out very wide on the track. Shanbongus worked in company with a new workmate named Golden Tornado. This is the first time that Golden Tornado worked on the grass and he was very slow getting to the pole. I didn’t want Shanbongus to go past him and leave him behind so I instructed the rider using the walkie-talkie to lay back with him, take the first 1/8 easy, and then breeze through the wire out an additional pole. Because of that the first 1/8 went in about 14 seconds so the next 3/8s went in about 39.60. Shanbongus worked passed the wire very well, galloped out, and overall it was a good breeze.”

Linda is working to find the best race for which Shanbongus to debut. She’s asked the racing secretary to put up as an extra a Maiden Special Weight going 7 ½ furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 52.20 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 69th best out of 85 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Martin after the breeze and John said, “I had her work a nice, easy half. She went well. We’ll have her ready for her next start.”

John plans to train Satin Bouquet up to the next Starter Allowance race going 1 mile at Golden Gate Fields.

Shanbongus breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs in 48.66 over the Palm Meadows turf training track with the dogs up. That work was the bullet out of 13 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Sam, after the work and she said, “She breezed very nicely this morning. As nice as her first breeze was, this one was even better. She was much more relaxed and has shown us now that she really likes the grass. This was a big step forward for her. I think she’d benefit from some more gate schooling and I intend to get her back in the gate next week. We’ll see how she comes out of the work and then plan accordingly.”

Linda will breeze Shanbongus back on a 10-14-day work schedule as she gears her up for a debut which might be a Maiden Special Weight going 5 furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park on February 3.

Shanbongus breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 50.79 over the Palm Meadows turf training track with the dogs up. That work was 5th best out of 14 at the distance. The bullet went to a 5-year-old gelding in 50.22.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s Florida assistant, Sam, after the work and she said, “She worked well and she didn’t show any indication of disliking the grass. She was a bit eager to the pole and I would much rather see her relax next time. She worked in company with an unraced 3-year-old colt named Third Martini. Third Martini has already breezed three times on the grass so he’s a bit more experienced than Shanbongus. Third Martini worked 0.11 seconds faster than Shanbongus who worked to Third Martini’s immediate outside. I’d like to breeze her back in 10 to 14 days and see where we are at that point.”

Linda will breeze Shanbongus back on a 10-14-day work schedule as she gears her up for a debut which might be a Maiden Special Weight going 5 furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park on February 3.

Satin Bouquet broke her maiden on Monday in convincing fashion. She stalked the pace throughout and closed strongly to win by 3 ½ lengths in hand and earn her diploma in Hibiscus Stables’ first start of 2012.

Satin Bouquet, breaking from the 5-post, came out of the gate alertly but Surround, at 7-1, was a step quicker and beat Satin Bouquet to the rail as they raced in front of the clubhouse for the first time. As they entered the first turn, rather than duck to the rail behind Surround, jockey Aaron Gryder elected to take an outside trip and press Surround through the turn. They raced that way into the backstretch with Surround on the lead and Satin Bouquet moving along comfortably in second about a length behind as the quarter went in 24.59. They raced that way all throughout the backstretch with Satin Bouquet perhaps inching up a bit on Surround as the half went in 49.01. They moved into the turn with Satin Bouquet applying the pressure and continuing to nibble into Surround’s lead. About halfway through the turn Satin Bouquet drew up alongside Surround and moved ahead of her all without being asked. The three-quarters went in 1:13.84. As they came out of the turn and into the lane Satin Bouquet had opened up a daylight lead. Gryder shook her up a bit to keep her interested but at that point it wasn’t terribly necessary. She began to open up and expand her lead to 3 lengths. Gryder gave her one light tap around the sixteenth pole but by that time she was gone. She coasted under the wire in hand in a final time of 1:38.65. Satin Bouquet posted a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 66 in the race and graduated with a classy performance.

We spoke with jockey Aaron Gryder after the race and Aaron said, “She finished very strong and galloped out nicely. She’s a nice horse and I definitely like her.”

We also spoke with trainer John Martin after the race and John said, “She ran a nice race. I didn’t have her very long so I’m still getting to know her. So I’d have to say that a good deal of what she did today was on her own. We’ll see how she comes out of the race and we’ll find a good spot to run her back.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “I’m glad this filly finally was able to show us what she’s capable of. She looked very nice and comfortable today. John is a 30% winning trainer and he knows what he’s doing. Satin Bouquet is in very good hands here at Golden Gate. One disappointing thing is that this was the very last turf race at Golden Gate until April. So despite such a nice performance on the turf we’re going to have to try her on the Tapeta for a bit. Obviously we’d all like to run her back at the same trip in her next race but we’re not going to be able to do that. But, for now, congratulations to the partners and to Satin Bouquet.”

Satin Bouquet earned $7,980 for Monday's win.

We'll see how Satin Bouquet comes out of the race and trainer John Martin will point her accordingly.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs in 48.87 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 17th best out of 61 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Shanbongus circled the track to the outside of her workmate. They came out of the turn and down the lane with the workmate on the inside and Shanbongus slightly behind on the outside. As they approached the wire Shanbongus rolled up and moved ahead before the wire to finish about a head in front. Shanbongus worked in hand and was never asked.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and she said, “She worked in 48.4 and out in 1:02.4. She’s doing everything we ask her to do. I want to get her to Florida after this work so we can begin working her on the grass. She has a turf foot and the plan is to debut her on the Gulfstream Park grass.”

Linda will make arrangements to transport Shanbongus to Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida to get her some works on the grass and work up to a debut at Gulfstream Park towards the end of January.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Monday's 4th race at Golden Gate Fields which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up, going 1 mile on the turf. She drew post position 5 and jockey Aaron Gryder is named to ride. Gryder is currently 2nd in the Golden Gate Fields jockey standings with 7 wins and a 30% winning percentage. In 2010 Gryder has 168 wins and a 20% winning percentage.

Satin Bouquet is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite. She’s the co-DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select her to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $13,300.

First race post time is 12:45 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 4 which is scheduled to go off at 2:15 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Golden Gate Fields for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 4 furlongs in 51.40 over the Golden Gate Fields track.

We spoke with trainer John Martin after the breeze and John said, “That was just a leg-stretcher and she did well. She’s doing fine and I’m going to enter her on Friday for Monday’s race on the turf.”

John plans to enter Satin Bouquet in Monday’s Maiden $20,000 Claiming race going 1 mile on the turf at Golden Gate Fields.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.09 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 63rd best out of 92 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Shanbongus circled the track to the outside of her workmate, a 2-year-old gelding named Firebay. They came out of the turn and down the lane with Firebay on the inside and Shanbongus slightly behind him on the outside. As they approached the wire Shanbongus edged up but came up just short of being able to catch Firebay at the wire. Both horses worked under restraint. Prior to the horses going onto the track trainer Linda Rice had indicated that the training track was cuppy and she intended for Shanbongus to put in another easy work and she instructed the rider to work Shanbongus in hand.

We spoke with Linda after the work and she said, “The quarter went in 25 flat and Shanbongus completed the half in about 50.1 and out in 1:04.1. I’m very pleased. I’ll probably work her one more time here in New York then send her to Palm Meadows right after the New Year for some training on the turf.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 8 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs in 50.86 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 45th best out of 61 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Shanbongus circled the track to the outside of her workmate, a 2-year-old gelding named Snacks. They came out of the turn and down the lane with Snacks on the inside and Shanbongus slightly behind him on the outside. As they approached the wire Shanbongus edged up and they crossed the wire practically simultaneously while under restraint. Prior to the horses going onto the track trainer Linda Rice had indicated that she intended for Shanbongus to put in a very easy work and she instructed the rider to keep a firm hold of her and to work her in hand.

We spoke with Linda after the work and she said, “The quarter went in 25.3 which was perfect. Shanbongus completed the half in 51.2 which was slower than I would have liked. The rider held her perhaps a bit too much. She galloped out in 1:05.1. Overall it was fine. This filly is coming along right on queue and she’s progressing very nicely. I’m going to give her one or two more breezes here in New York and then plan to send her to Palm Meadows where we can work her over the turf training course and find out if we have a turf horse. The More Than Readys are strong grass runners so we really need to fully explore that. Even if she shows us that she doesn’t like the grass we’ll get her out of New York and race her in Florida over the winter. She’s too nice a horse to subject to the harsh weather and usual missed days of training here in the northeast in January and February.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Sunday's 9th race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 7 furlongs. She drew post position 2 and leading jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride. Rosario currently leads the Hollywood Park jockey standings with 23 wins and a 20% winning percentage.

Satin Bouquet is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. She’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 6 furlongs in 1:15.20 over the Hollywood Park track.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “Her breeze wasn’t bad. She probably went a little fast early but overall it was good. She had great energy. John’s going to enter her for next Sunday.”

John plans to enter Satin Bouquet in Sunday’s Maiden $20,000 Claiming race going 7 furlongs at Hollywood Park.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 6th best out of 21 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked really well and had good energy. We’re going to work her back next week going 6 furlongs and then point her to a race on December 11.”

John plans to breeze Satin Bouquet 6 furlongs next week and then enter her in December 11’s Maiden $20,000 Claiming race going 7 furlongs at Hollywood Park.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 37.83 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 24th best out of 29 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Shanbongus circled the track to the outside of her workmate, a 2-year-old gelding named Snacks. They came out of the turn and down the lane with Snacks on the inside and Shanbongus slightly behind him on the outside. As they approached the wire Shanbongus moved ahead of Snacks and crossed the wire in front. She worked totally within herself and looked very good.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and she said, “She went in 37.4 and out in 51 flat and 1:05.4. She’s doing great and coming right along and moving forward. I am very pleased.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut.

Satin Bouquet was scratched from Friday’s race on the decision of John Sadler. John is now pointing Satin Bouquet to a race at Hollywood Park in early December.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Friday's 10th race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. She drew post position 7 and leading jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride. Rosario currently leads the Hollywood Park jockey standings with 11 wins and a 28% winning percentage.

Satin Bouquet is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 5:07 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun day of racing.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.24 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 24th best out of 38 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “She’s doing well and coming along. She actually worked 3 furlongs in 36.2 and out in 49.4. I’ll work her back in 7 to 10 days and keep her moving forward.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 15th best out of 34 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She came out of it well and she’s ready to run. John likes a maiden race on Friday and he’s going to enter her there.”

John plans to enter Satin Bouquet in Friday’s Maiden $20,000 Claiming race going 6 ½ furlongs at Hollywood Park.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Friday's 5th race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 1/2 furlongs. She drew post position 7 and apprentice jockey Eswan Flores is named to ride.

Satin Bouquet is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. She’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race and two DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 7:05 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 9:05 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun evening of racing.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Friday working 3 furlongs in 39 flat over the Belmont Park training track in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “This was her first breeze back so I worked her a nice easy 3 furlongs in 39 flat and out in 50. It was really more like a 2-minute lick. She’s doing very well.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 9 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Tuesday working 6 furlongs in 1:14.40 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 6th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “We wanted to give her this 6 furlong work just to make sure she’s fully fit when she runs. She’s doing very well. We’re going to look for a good spot for her to make her return at Hollywood Park.”

John is pleased with Satin Bouquet’s progress and will review the current condition book at Hollywood Park and look for an appropriate return race for Satin Bouquet.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Wednesday working 6 furlongs in 1:14.40 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 4th best out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked well and had good energy. She’s doing great and she’s ready to run. We’re going to start to look for a race for her.”

John is pleased with Satin Bouquet’s progress and will review the current condition books at both Santa Anita and Hollywood Park and look for an appropriate return race for Satin Bouquet.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Wednesday working 6 furlongs in 1:14.60 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 2nd best out of 5 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “Technically it was a 5 furlong work and she galloped out strong to 6 furlongs. We’re extremely pleased.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 6 to 7 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which is expected to be sometime around the beginning of November.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 48 flat over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 5th best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked a very nice half. She got a little tired galloping out to five eighths. We’ll work her back in about 6 days probably going 5 furlongs next time.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 6 to 7 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which is expected to be at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49 flat over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 10th best out of 33 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “We let her gallop out to the 7/8s pole. She galloped out the 6 furlongs in 1:15.4. She went nice and she continues to get fit. She’s doing very well.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 6 to 7 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which is expected to be at the upcoming Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:01 flat over the Hollywood Park track. The breeze was incorrectly recorded as a 3 furlong work. Had the work been recorded properly it would have been 11th best out of 34 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked from the half mile pole and worked past the wire but the clockers put it down as a 3 furlong breeze. She went great.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 7 to 8 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which could be at the upcoming Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 48 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track in an unpublished work. Had the breeze been recorded it would have been the 2nd best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked well. We’re moving horses around next week and we’re going to move Satin Bouquet to Hollywood Park. So we won’t be able to breeze her back until the following weekend.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 7 to 8 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which could be at the upcoming Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Roman Thunder breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 50.9 over the Saratoga turf training track with the dogs up. That work was 54th best out of 55 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He worked well. He needed this breeze in anticipation of entering him for Sunday. I don’t want to send him into the race short. I’ll see how he comes out of the breeze and we’ll see if we can enter him for Sunday.”

Linda will see how Roman Thunder comes out of the breeze and then look to enter him into a maiden race on Sunday at Saratoga.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Saturday's 11th race at Saratoga which is a Claiming $15,000 B race going 7 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races or 3-year-olds or that have not won a race since March 3. He drew post position 5 (Program Number 6) and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen is currently ranked 10th in the Saratoga jockey standings with 12 wins and a 13% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently 10-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $22,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 11 which is scheduled to go off at 6:18 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Saratoga for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Thursday working 4 furlongs in 48.2 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 3rd best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked well. She’s coming right along. I’ll work her back next week either a sharp 4 furlongs or an easy 5 furlongs.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 7 to 8 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race which could be at the upcoming Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Roman Thunder's Monday race at Saratoga was washed off the turf and, as such, he was scratched. Trainer Linda Rice will continue to look for an appropriate race for Roman Thunder.

Roman Thunder is entered to run in Monday's 10th race at Saratoga which is a Maiden $25,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 2 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen currently has an 11% winning percentage.

Roman Thunder is currently 8-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $22,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Roman Thunder's race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 6:04 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Saratoga for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs in 49.4 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 8th best out of 28 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She put in another nice work. She continues to do well and I’ll breeze her back next week.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 5 to 6 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.4 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 22nd best out of 30 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She went a nice easy half. She’s doing very well and looks fantastic in terms of her weight. We’ll work her back in about 5 days going another half, this time a bit faster; perhaps in about 48 seconds or so.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 5 to 6 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race.

Gold Raptor ran a disappointing 3rd as the 8-5 favorite in his Saturday race at Monmouth.

Gold Raptor, breaking from the 8-post, broke well and jockey Angel Serpa angled Gold Raptor in and established good position in about third place entering the clubhouse turn. Our Concerto at 10-1 was on the lead, Trippi’s Tiger at 9-2 was behind him in second and Gold Raptor was to their outside. As they raced into the backstretch Serpa moved Gold Raptor up on the outside and into the second position as he pressed Our Concerto. The quarter went in 25.41. They raced that way through the backstretch with Our Concerto on the lead and Gold Raptor right alongside him in second and Trouble for Tiger at 10-1 moving along side them in the three-path. The half went in 49.97. They went into the turn with Our Concerto still on the lead and Gold Raptor right at his throatlatch. Midway through the turn Gold Raptor moved to the lead as Our Concerto began to fade. The three-quarters went in 1:14.25. In the turn Trouble for Tiger rolled up to Gold Raptor’s outside and ultimately moved his head in front of Gold Raptor. As they came out of the turn Trouble for Tiger was on the outside and Gold Raptor had fought back on the rail and they raced that way into the lane. They battled that way through the stretch slugging it out. It appeared that Gold Raptor had aim on Trouble for Tiger however Sinatra’s Dancer at 9-1 and Layers at 12-1 came from the clouds down the middle of the track and got up for first and second. Gold Raptor hung on for third as the final time went in 1:40.33.

We spoke with jockey Angel Serpa after the race and Angel said, “He ran well but Trouble for Tiger started to crowd him and squeeze him along the rail down the stretch. Gold Raptor didn’t like being in there and he somewhat gave up a bit. The other horses on the outside came past them.”

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda said, “This is just one of those things. I’m not worried about it.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “This is disappointing. He has absolutely no excuses in this race. The track bias was such that every single other dirt race was won by the horse on the lead or in the second position. On top of that Gold Raptor had very soft fractions and you would have thought that he would have put that field away in the lane. It’s disappointing but sometimes these things defy explanation. We’ll just come back and try again.”

Gold Raptor earned $2,640 for Saturday's 3rd place finish.

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Saturday's 6th race at Monmouth Park which is a Claiming $16,000 B race for 4-year-olds and up which have never won 2 races or 3-year-olds going 1 mile. He drew post position 8 and jockey Angel Serpa is named to ride. Serpa is currently ranked 5th in the Monmouth Park jockey standings with 27 wins and a 13% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race and two DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $24,000.

First race post time is 12:50 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 3:20 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Monmouth Park for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 36 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 4th best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked very well although it was perhaps a bit faster than I wanted. I’ll work her back on a 6 to 7 day breeze schedule. I might work her an easy half mile next week.”

John will work Satin Bouquet on a 6 to 7 day work schedule as he trains her back to a return race.

Gold Raptor breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 48.86 over the Belmont Park training track. That work was 12th best out of 53 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He worked well. He’s ready for a race and I plan to enter him in the next spot at Saratoga that makes sense.”

Linda will continue to work Gold Raptor between starts and as she looks for an appropriate race for him.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.41 over the Saratoga training track. That work was 10th best out of 22 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I’m pleased with the way this filly is coming along. Barring any setbacks we should be able to make a debut before the end of the Saratoga meet.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut which we hope to be in Saratoga.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 2nd race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N3X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 2 and jockey Antonio Lopez is named to ride. Lopez is currently 3rd in the Charles Town jockey standings with 66 wins and a 17% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 8-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fifth choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 7:41 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Roman Thunder was scratched from Sunday’s race on the decision of Linda Rice. Linda is now pointing Roman Thunder to a race at Saratoga later in the month.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Thursday's 1st race at Belmont Park which is a Claiming $25,000 B race for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races or 3-year-olds going 7 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 9 as a MTO entrant.

Gold Raptor is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $27,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

The Hook and Ladder 2-year-old colt, now named New York’s Bravest, continues to thrive in Saratoga.

We spoke with Linda Rice and she said that the colt is doing excellent, galloping every day, and will be ready for his first breeze very soon.

Linda will have the colt breezing soon and we hope to have him ready for a debut before the end of the Saratoga meet.

Roman Thunder is entered to run in Sunday's 7th race at Belmont Park which is a Maiden $16,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 8 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez is currently 2nd in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 59 wins and a 21% winning percentage.

Roman Thunder is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him as their second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Roman Thunder's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 4:12 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 37.44 over the Saratoga training track. That work was 12th best out of 48 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “She worked well. She went 3 furlongs in 37.2 and galloped out in 49.3. The last time I breezed her she worked very greenly so this time I worked her in company. She went fast, maybe a little faster than I would have liked. But overall she’s doing very well.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 7 to 10 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut which we hope to be in Saratoga.

The Hook and Ladder 2-year-old colt arrived in Saratoga on Thursday.

We spoke with Linda Rice’s assistant trainer, Josie, who said that he arrived in good order and he looks good.

Linda will have the colt go right on with his training and we hope to have him ready for a debut before the end of the Saratoga meet.

Roman Thunder ran a reasonable fourth in his career debut at Belmont Park after a troubled break. He rallied from last place and finished fourth only missing a second place finish by 1 ½ lengths.

Roman Thunder, breaking from the 7-post, broke flat-footed and then bumped the gate on his way out. He then ducked to the outside as the horse to his immediate outside came across on him and jockey Ramon Dominguez had to guide him back to the inside. That all cost Roman Thunder the entire break and he immediately found himself in 8th place seven or eight lengths off the lead. They raced down the backstretch and Dominguez hustled Roman Thunder up a bit and midway through the backstretch Roman Thunder was in sixth still about seven lengths off the lead. The quarter went in 22.46. They entered the turn and Roman Thunder began to mount a bid. He moved up in the three-path and got to within about three lengths of the lead. The half went in 46.37. They came out of the turn and Dominguez was behind some horses. He asked Roman Thunder for a late run but Roman Thunder flattened out. The winner, Yesterday’s Story, was rallying from last to first and he won easily. Roman Thunder showed a bit of good late stride and settled for fourth. The final time went in 1:10.09.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race. Ramon said, “When the gate opened it caught him a little bit off guard and he broke flat footed. He was very green. When he moved up between horses he wasn’t too comfortable and he was looking around a bit. When I got between the eighth pole and the sixteenth pole I was looking for racing room but he flattened out. I think he’ll get a lot out of this race. He’ll be fine.

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda said, “He was very green. It’s nothing unusual from a first-time starter. We’ll win this race.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, “The trouble at the start was too much for him to overcome. He showed good interest moving up and getting into the fray. He just couldn’t keep up at the end. I think that because of the bad start we can draw a line through this race. He picked up a grand and we’ll just move on to Saratoga. If he saves the win for the Spa then it’s not entirely a bad thing at all. We had great turnout by the partners today. Everyone had a great time and that’s very important.”

Roman Thunder earned $1,000 for Wednesday's race.

We'll see how Roman Thunder comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly. He’ll most likely make his next start at Saratoga.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly, now named Shanbongus, breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs in 37.95 over the Saratoga training track. That work was 17th best out of 40 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I was pleased. I wanted her to go nice and easy but she’s hard to hold so I just let the rider allow her to run. So it was more like a two-minute lick and less like a 3 furlong breeze. She’s doing very well and if all goes properly she could get a start at Saratoga before the end of the meet.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 10 to 14 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut which we hope to be in Saratoga.

Roman Thunder is entered to run in Wednesday's 9th race at Belmont Park which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 7 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 49 wins and a 23% winning percentage.

Excluding the MTO entrant Roman Thunder is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $20,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Roman Thunder's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 5:17 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Saturday's 8th race at Belmont Park which is an Allowance N2X for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 mile on the turf. He drew post position 7 and jockey John Velazquez is named to ride. Velazquez is currently 7th in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 25 wins and a 19% winning percentage. We’re proud to have John Velazquez ride Gold Raptor for us as it was he who rode this year’s Kentucky Derby winner.

Gold Raptor is currently 12-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line and this will be his first attempt on the turf.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:44 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 11th race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N3X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 9 and jockey Gilberto Santiago is named to ride. Santiago currently has 30 wins and a 17% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 6:00 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 11 which is scheduled to go off at 11:00 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Gold Raptor breezed on Thursday working a two-minute lick over the Belmont Park infield turf course.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “They don’t time the works over the Belmont infield turf course. I worked him a nice easy two-minute lick. It was just a maintenance thing in between races. He went well and is doing well. I was pointing him to the race next Wednesday but the racing office has informed me that they’re not going to use that race. So I’ll have to open up the condition book and look for another race for him.”

Linda will continue to work Gold Raptor between starts and as she looks for an appropriate race for him.

Roman Thunder breezed on Thursday working a two-minute lick over the Belmont Park infield turf course.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “As always, they don’t time the works over the Belmont infield turf course. He worked a two-minute lick. He’s doing well and he really moves well over the grass. He’s at a point now where I can begin to look for an appropriate race for him to debut. I want to find something that’s the right distance for him.

Linda will now begin to look for a good spot for Roman Thunder to make his debut.

Gold Raptor breezed on Thursday working a two-minute lick over the Belmont Park infield turf course.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “They don’t time the works over the Belmont infield turf course. I worked him a nice easy two-minute lick. It was just a maintenance thing in between races. He went well. He seems to like the grass and we’re going to try to get a start with him on the turf to see how he handles it in a race situation.”

Linda will continue to work Gold Raptor between starts and will probably begin to look for a race for him in a few weeks.

Roman Thunder breezed on Thursday working over the Belmont Park infield turf course in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “As always, they don’t time the works over the Belmont infield turf course. This was much less a two-minute lick and more so a real breeze. He showed more fitness today and I’m happy with the work. He’s very close to a race. Ideally I’d like to work him one more time but I won’t let that get in the way of a race. If something comes up between now and next week then I’ll run him. Otherwise I’ll look to work him one more time.”

Linda will begin to look for a good spot for Roman Thunder to make his debut or possibly work him one more time in about a week.

The More Than Ready 2-year-old filly breezed on Monday working 3 furlongs in 39.04 over the Saratoga training track. That work was 43rd best out of 51 at the distance.

We spoke with Linda Rice’s assistant trainer, Josie, after the breeze and she said, "I don’t know what the clockers were looking at because she actually worked in 37.3 and galloped out in 51 flat which would put her in at 15th best out of the 51. It was only her very first work and she did it easily and came out well. I’m very pleased.”

Linda will work the filly back on a 10 to 14 day breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut which we expect to be in Saratoga.

Roman Thunder breezed on Friday working over the Belmont Park infield turf course in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “They don’t put a clock on them when they’re over the infield turf course. I worked him in a nice easy two-minute lick and he went well. He really appears to enjoy the grass and he has plenty of grass in his breeding. I expect that he may only need one more work before he’s ready to run.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder back in about a week and then begin to look for a debut for him.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 6th race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N3X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 6 and jockey Gilberto Santiago is named to ride. Santiago currently has 18 wins and a 15% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and two DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 9:27 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Wednesday's 1st race at Belmont Park which is a $50,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds going 1 mile on the turf. He drew post position 1 and jockey Cornelio Velasquez is again named to ride. Velasquez is currently 2nd in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 12 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently 10-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $46,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Roman Thunder breezed on Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.87 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 7th best out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He worked well and continues to show talent. I’ll continue to work him on roughly a 7-day breeze schedule. He’s should be ready for his debut in two to four weeks.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7-day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime in late May or early June.

Roman Thunder breezed on Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.69 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 12th best out of 14 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He worked very well. I worked him from the half and had him continue out past the pole. He continues to do everything we ask him to do. He’s very professional and goes about his business. He’s a pleasure to train and appears to be a talented horse. We’re all looking forward to his debut which shouldn’t be too far off now.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime in late May or early June.

Roman Thunder breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 51.2 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in an unpublished work.

We were present for the breeze. The conditions were raining and the training track was sealed. Linda was unsure if she wanted Roman Thunder to breeze or just gallop and the decision to breeze was literally made on the racetrack. Roman Thunder set off along with his workmate at the 3/8s pole with Roman Thunder to the outside. They came around the turn and down the lane and as they approached the wire Roman Thunder was going so well that Linda communicated with the rider via walkie-talkie to continue on after the wire and work him the additional furlong. The entire breeze was done easily and in hand.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He went in 38 flat and 51.2. It was a very easy breeze because of the track conditions and he went entirely in hand. I would have liked for the track to have been fast but he needed the breeze so we went ahead with it.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime in late May or early June.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 4th race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N3X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have never won 3 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 5 and jockey Antonio Lopez is again named to ride. It was Lopez who guided Slamentine to an easy gate-to-wire victory in his last race. Lopez is currently 3rd in the Charles Town jockey standings with 36 wins and a 19% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 4 which is scheduled to go off at 8:33 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Roman Thunder breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:04.51 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 17th best out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He actually worked 4 furlongs in 50.3 and galloped out in 1:04.2. The clockers recorded it as a 5 furlong work. As we’ve done in previous breezes he’s working in hand and this time we stretched him out to 4 furlongs for the first time and he did well. He’s worked twice in a row with his current workmate, Veteran Bob. They’re both unraced 3-year-olds at the same point in their training. Roman Thunder appears to be a talented horse and we’re targeting a debut in May.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime in May.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Sunday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is The Packetts Landing Stakes $60,000 for New York-breds, 3-years-old, going 1 mile. He drew post position 5 and jockey Cornelio Velasquez is again named to ride. It was Velasquez who guided Gold Raptor to a gate-to-wire allowance win in January. Velasquez is currently 2nd in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 7 wins and a 28% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently 10-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $60,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:43 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Roman Thunder breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 50.03 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 86th best out of 117 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He actually worked 3 furlongs in 37.4 and galloped out in 50.4 and 1:03.4. The clockers recorded it as a 4 furlong work. I’ve been working him in hand and asking him to go a little farther with each breeze. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and he continues to come along.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime in May.

Gold Raptor breezed on Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:00.49 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 2nd best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I clocked the breeze as 1:01.3 with a gallop out in 1:14.3. It was a very nice work. I instructed the rider to work him in hand and not ask too much of him being so close to his race. We didn’t want to get to the bottom of him. We want to leave something in the tank for the race. He came out of the work in good order and we’ll point him to the race on April 10.”

Linda is pointing Gold Raptor to the Packets Landing Stakes going 1 mile at Aqueduct on April 10.

Roman Thunder breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 37.25 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 14th best out of 28 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Roman Thunder worked in company with another horse. They both circled the training track in tandem with the other horse to the inside and Roman Thunder to the outside. They crossed the wire together in what we timed as 36.4 and Roman Thunder galloped out in 50.3 and 1:06 flat. He once again worked in hand and looked very professional. Had the work been recorded in our 36.4 it would have been 5th best for the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I asked the rider to give him 3 furlongs in 37 and gallop out on his own in 50 or so. The breeze went right according to plan and this horse continues to move forward right on schedule. He’s very professional and he looks absolutely fantastic.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime around May.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Thursday's 8th race at Santa Anita which is a Maiden Claiming $50,000 race for fillies, 3-years-old, going 5 ½ furlongs. She drew post position 8 and leading jockey Garrett Gomez is named to ride. Gomez is currently ranked 6th in the Santa Anita jockey standings with 33 wins and a 17% winning percentage.

Satin Bouquet is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. She’s tied for the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race; one DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $31,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Santa Anita for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.00 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 12th best out of 29 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “I wanted to give her this 5 furlong work before I run her on Wednesday. She went well and this should set her up nicely.”

John will enter Satin Bouquet to the Maiden race going 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt at Santa Anita on March 30.

Slamentine cruised to an easy gate-to-wire victory at Charles Town on Saturday night putting away a field of 9 other horses and winning by 4 ½ lengths.

Slamentine, breaking from the 8th post, broke well and went right to the top without any urging. Jockey Antonio Lopez guided him down toward the rail while Joe’s Lad at 8-1 moved up the rail to try to challenge. Slamentine was cruising along down the backstretch and Joe’s Lad continued to pull to the inside and it was about three lengths back to the third place horse as the quarter went in 22.50. They moved that way through the turn with Slamentine opening up to a more than three length advantage while continuing to do it totally on his own and well in hand. They came out of the turn and Slamentine simply accelerated away from the rest of the field as the half went in 46.76. Slamentine crossed the wire in a gallop winning by 4 ½ lengths and the final time was 53.40.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and Jeff said, “There’s not much to say after this one. It was pretty straightforward. We always have to see how the horse comes out of the race and then we’ll decide where we go from here. It was a nice win tonight.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “After his last race we didn’t really know what to expect. This win was pretty convincing and he did it in a very nice time. That’s two wins in his last three starts for this horse. We’re pleased to finally have him going in the right direction.”

Slamentine earned $6,600 for Saturday's win.

We'll see how Slamentine comes out of the race and trainer Jeff Runco will point him accordingly.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 3rd race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N2X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up which have never won 2 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 8 and jockey Antonio Lopez is named to ride. Lopez is currently 10th in the Charles Town jockey standings with 15 wins and a 14% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. One DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 8:07 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Gold Raptor breezed on Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.74 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 12th best out of 31 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. The clockers recorded the breeze incorrectly. In fact Gold Raptor worked 4 furlongs in 48.3 and galloped out 5/8s in 1:01.3 and 3/4s in 1:15. Had it been recorded correctly as a 4 furlong work it would have been very close to the bullet, which went in 48.45, out of 47 at the distance. There isn’t too much to report on the breeze other than Linda worked him alone and he went entirely in hand. It was a very nice work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I instructed the rider to give him a nice easy half-mile work and to keep it around 49 seconds and then gallop him out to three-quarters in around 1:15. He went almost precisely in those splits and I’m pleased. It was just a maintenance drill keeping him fresh for his next race. I don’t want to ask too much of him because he’s already a thin horse and I want to keep his weight up. He’s doing fantastic.”

Linda will perhaps give Gold Raptor one more breeze as she prepares him for his next race which will be the Packets Landing Stakes going 1 mile at Aqueduct on April 10.

Roman Thunder breezed on Friday working 3 furlongs in 38.54 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 17th best out of 22 at the distance.

We were present for the breeze. Roman Thunder worked in company with another horse. They both circled the training track in tandem with the other horse to the inside and Roman Thunder to the outside. They crossed the wire together in 38.2 and Roman Thunder galloped out in 51 flat. He worked in hand and looked very professional.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I worked him in company with another unraced 3-year-old coming off a layoff so they’re both basically at the exact same point in their training. This was only their very first work since a layoff so I just wanted them to go nice and easy. I told the riders to keep it between 38 and 39 to gallop out around 51. It was perfect. We’ll bring him along and progressively go a little faster. I’ll work him on a 7 to 10 day work schedule and next time look for something around 37 or so.”

Linda will work Roman Thunder on a 7 to 10 day work pattern as she trains him up to his debut which is expected to be sometime around May.

Slamentine breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 38.2 over the Charles Town track. That work was 5th best out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the breeze and Jeff said, “He’s doing well. Today’s breeze is to prep him for a race next week. I plan to enter him on Sunday for a race on Thursday.”

Jeff will enter Slamentine to a $5,000 Claiming N2L race going 4 ½ furlongs at Charles Town on Thursday.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Thursday's 2nd race at Santa Anita which is a Maiden Special Weight for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 1 mile. She drew post position 5 and leading jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride. Rosario is currently tied for 1st in the Santa Anita jockey standings with 63 wins and a 22% winning percentage.

Satin Bouquet is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line in a race with an even money favorite and a 2-1 second choice. One DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $54,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:31 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Santa Anita for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:00.00 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 12th best out of 51 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “This filly is doing fantastic. Today’s was a very nice work. I’ve trained her up to a race going 1 mile and we’ve been trying to get her into one but it’s had difficulty going. There’s one in the book for next Thursday that enters today and I’ll be entering her there. We just hope the race goes.”

John will enter Satin Bouquet to the Maiden Special Weight going 1 mile on the dirt at Santa Anita on March 10.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 6 furlongs in 1:13.80 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 10th best out of 11 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “This was another maintenance breeze. It was a very nice work. We’re still keeping her in a holding pattern until they put up her race. Hopefully we can get her in the gate soon.”

John will point Satin Bouquet to the next Maiden Special Weight going 1 mile on the dirt at Santa Anita.

Slamentine ran a disappointing fifth on Thursday going off the 7-5 favorite.

Slamentine, breaking from the 4th post, broke evenly and after the first few jumps Law’s Hill at 20-1 vied for the lead. Slamentine, who was to Law’s Hill’s inside, pushed ahead of him and put his neck in front. They traveled down the backstretch with Slamentine maintaining a very narrow lead with Law’s Hill to his immediate outside and Blanche’s Narder at 20-1 to his inside about a half length behind as the quarter went in 22.13. They went into the turn with Slamentine holding a half length lead with those two rivals pressing him every step of the way, one to his inside and one to his outside. As they exited the turn Blanche’s Narder had moved ahead of Slamentine by about a half length and Law’s Hill had moved up to be even with him. The half went in 47.23 and Slamentine began to tire as they passed the one-sixteenth pole. Law’s Hill went on to win and pay $42.00 and Blanche’s Narder held on for second to round out a $759.40 exacta. The final time was 54.22.

We spoke with jockey Oscar Flores after the race and Oscar said, “He didn’t seem to like the track tonight. He never really got a good hold of it. He just never seemed to get comfortable.”

We also spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and Jeff said, “It was pretty muddy out there and it appears that he didn’t like the footing. You could see even going down the backstretch he wasn’t comfortable. We’ll just put this one behind us and try again next time.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “The track was listed as fast but it was raining and the conditions were wet. This horse has not run all that well on wet tracks and I think that contributed to tonight’s puzzling performance. Additionally, the first time against winners is always tough for any horse. In this race the half and the final time were actually slower than his last race which he won by 8 lengths in hand. So it’s confusing but we’ll chalk it up to just one of those things and move on.”

Slamentine earned $330 for Thursday's fifth place finish.

We'll see how Slamentine comes out of the race and trainer Jeff Runco will point him accordingly.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.20 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 39th best out of 75 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “This was a maintenance breeze. She’s doing great. She’s sitting on a race and we’re just keeping her fresh until we can get the race to go. We’ve trainer her up to a mile on the dirt and we’re going to run her in that race as soon as we can get it to go.”

John will point Satin Bouquet to the next Maiden Special Weight going 1 mile on the dirt at Santa Anita.

Slamentine is entered to run in Thursday's 9th race at Charles Town which is a Claiming $5,000 N2X race going 4 1/2 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up which have never won 2 races; West Virginia races not included in the eligibility. He drew post position 5 and jockey Oscar Flores is again named to ride. Flores is currently 4th in the Charles Town jockey standings with 17 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:52 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 6 furlongs in 1:13.40 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was the bullet out of 14 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She worked by herself today and she did that totally on her own. She’s been training very well and is physically sharp and happy. Her coat looks fantastic. She’s really in great condition. We’re just on hold right now waiting for the racing office to give us a race. She’s trained so well on the conventional dirt I want to run her there next. I’m looking for anything in the flat mile to 1 1/16 mile range. As soon as that race comes up I’ll run her in that spot.”

John will point Satin Bouquet to the next Maiden Special Weight going long on the dirt at Santa Anita.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is The Undaunted Mettle Stakes $60,000 for New York-breds, 3-years-old, going 1 mile 70 yards. He drew post position 1 and jockey Cornelio Velasquez is again named to ride. It was Velasquez who guided Gold Raptor to a gate-to-wire allowance win last month. Velasquez is currently 3rd in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 29 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in a somewhat evenly matched race. He’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $60,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:45 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 6 furlongs in 1:12.40 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 5th best out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “It was a good breeze. I worked her in company with a Limehourse 3-year-old filly that’s already broken her maiden in a Maiden Special Weight. Satin Bouquet worked right along with her which showed me something. This horse has trained very well on the dirt and I think next race I’d like to race her long on the dirt. I asked the racing secretary to write an extra for us on Sunday so we’ll look to run her in that spot.”

John will point Satin Bouquet to a Maiden Special Weight going long at Santa Anita on February 13.

Slamentine crushed a field of eight other maidens at Charles Town on Tuesday night going gate to wire and drawing off to win by 8 ¾ lengths.

Slamentine, breaking from the 6th post, broke perhaps a half step slow but jockey Oscar Flores hustled him right up to the front. By the time they were out of the chute and past the gap Slamentine was on the lead and Flores was able to allow him to relax. They traveled down the backstretch with Slamentine holding to a two length lead as the quarter went in 22.56. Flores kept a firm grip on Slamentine as they went into the turn. Slamentine opened up a four length lead as he came out of the turn and simply widened that lead through the stretch while traveling in hand. The half went in 47.16. Slamentine crossed under the wire in a gallop winning by 8 ¾ lengths in a final time of 53.87.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and Jeff said, “He ran a good race. I was able to see from looking at his past performances that he wants to be on the lead and only knows one way to go. I was also able to see that he’s had trouble carrying his speed so I knew the shorter the better for him. The fact that they write 4 ½ furlong races here is to his advantage. This is a good win for the partners.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “We’ve been through a lot with this horse and most recently we had to scratch a remarkable three times in a row as the favorite at Finger Lakes. Then Chris’ barn at Finger Lakes got hit with a quarantine. It was one bad break after another. It’s great to have Slamentine finally get his diploma. The partners have been nothing but patient with him and that’s always appreciated. Now that we finally have him moving in the right direction we’ll go on with him and try to get some more wins on the board.”

Slamentine earned $6,600 for Tuesday's win.

We'll see how Slamentine comes out of the race and trainer Jeff Runco will point him accordingly.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Monday working 4 furlongs in 46 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was the bullet out of 42 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “I had her going in a nice easy 47 flat. The clockers got it as 46 flat. Either way she’s doing very well. The next condition book comes out on Wednesday and we’ll start to look for her next race.”

John will continue to work Satin Bouquet on a 6-day work schedule getting her ready for her next race.

Gold Raptor crushed a field of first-level allowance runners at Aqueduct on Friday. Wheeled back on 5-days rest and stretched out to 1 mile 70 yards he took them gate to wire and then drew off in hand to win by 8 lengths.

Gold Raptor, breaking from the rail, broke alertly. Freuds Ana Streak at 3-1 tried to break on top but Gold Raptor at 5-1 out-hustled him to the lead and they entered the first turn with Gold Raptor on the lead. They rounded the turn and entered the backstretch with Gold Raptor firmly held and galloping along about one length in ahead of Freuds Ana Streak. They traveled that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in a reasonable 24.66. They continued that way all the way down the backside with Cornelio Velasquez maintaining a firm hold on Gold Raptor, still maintaining a one-length lead, as the half went in 49.53. They cruised into the turn and Freuds Ana Streak and favorite Awesome Merger at 8-5 both began to mount their bid. Freuds Ana Streak and Awesome Merger pulled up to Gold Raptor’s outside getting to perhaps within a half-length of the lead. It wasn’t until that point that Cornelio finally asked Gold Raptor for a little extra. Gold Raptor looked both of those foes in the eye and turned them back like flicking a mosquito off his shoulder. The three quarters went in 1:13.88 with Gold Raptor opening back up a one-plus length lead. They came out of the turn and turned for home with Gold Raptor widening his lead. Cornelio guided Gold Raptor down the lane never really asking him for much more as he continued to open up on the rest of the pack. It was essentially a hand-ride inside the eighth pole and Cornelio did nothing more than show Gold Raptor the whip a few times. Gold Raptor traveled under the wire in 1:43.23 and won by an ever expanding 8 lengths. Gold Raptor never really exerted himself throughout the entire trip.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda laughingly said, “After his race last Saturday I told Mike I wanted to enter him right back into the route race and Mike told me, ’You’re the trainer. That’s your decision. Do what you think is right.’ This horse has the look and the pedigree to go a route of ground and I’ve said that since the day we bought him. Today he showed us without question that he can go long.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “The big question here was whether to run him back on such short rest. I left that call completely in Linda’s hands. Without trying to influence her decision I badly wanted to run in this spot. It was a short field and we drew the rail over a track with an extreme speed bias. There was no other real speed in the race. Other than that I also knew this might be Gold Raptor’s last chance to face straight three-year-olds before they start writing the races for three and up. This was a gigantic opportunity to notch this win and I would have been much happier had the racing office not tricked us into entering into the sprint on Saturday. Once Linda gave the green light to run I told her in no uncertain terms I wanted Gold Raptor on the lead. In the paddock I told Cornelio to not fool around and instead to send hard, get on the lead, and play come and get me. I knew in my heart no one was going to go with him and I was confident Gold Raptor was going to show more heart and more stamina inside the eighth pole than any other horse in the field. He’s bred to run all day and today he showed us what he can really do. I can’t wait for his next race.”

Gold Raptor earned $24,600 for Friday's win.

We'll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly.

Slamentine is entered to run in Tuesday's 2nd race at Charles Town which is a Maiden $5,000 Claiming race for 4 and 5-year-olds, going 4 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 7 and jockey Oscar Flores is named to ride. Flores is currently 6th the Charles Town jockey standings with 7 wins and a 15% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 9-5 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus best bet of the day. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race; one as his best bet of the day, and one DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 7:41 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 48 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track in an unpublished work. Had it been published it would have been 11th best out of 21 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She went fine. It was her first breeze after her race so we didn’t want to ask her to do too much.”

John will continue to work Satin Bouquet on a 6-day work schedule getting her ready for her next race.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is an Allowance N1X for New York-breds, 3-years-old, going 1 mile 70 yards. He drew post position 1 and jockey Cornelio Velasquez is named to ride. Velasquez is currently 3rd in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 20 wins and a 20% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in a very evenly matched race.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:45 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor ran a disappointing fifth on Saturday beaten by 9 lengths by a rock-solid 2-5 favorite.

Gold Raptor, breaking from the 5-post, broke well with the rest of the pack however he was unhurried by jockey Cornelio Velasquez as the 2-5 favored Dr Disco went immediately to the lead. Gold Raptor quickly found himself in 5th place about seven lengths off the leader. They essentially went around in order with nothing more than the 2nd and 3rd runners trading positions deep in the stretch. Dr Disco won by an easy 4 ¾ lengths in 1:10.51 and Gold Raptor loped home taking 5th beaten by nine.

We spoke with jockey Cornelio Velasquez after the race and Cornelio said, “He ran evenly throughout the race.”

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda said, “It wasn’t our first option to run in this race. All along I wanted to run him in the route but this race came up first in the book. The racing office didn’t think the route would fill and we were stuck having to make a decision and possibly not get another chance to run for another month. Sometimes you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. The route race fills on Sunday and I’m going to go ahead and enter him right back just in case it fills. There’s nothing to lose by doing so.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “Today is a classic example of the racing office hustling entries to get their Saturday Allowance race to fill. They hustled us into this race and we hooked a monster. Dr Disco is going to go on to be a stakes horse. Beyond that though, I can’t help but question the ride Cornelio gave us. The track is extremely speed-favoring and to take back by nine lengths just makes absolutely no sense. When a jockey puts in a masterful ride I’m the first to give credit and when they do something questionable I’ll be the first to point that out too. Today I have to question the decision making on the track. Linda is going to enter Gold Raptor back tomorrow into the route race. We’ll see if it really fails to fill. If it goes we may very well run back. Today’s performance will be chalked up as a breeze with a purse attached. If the horse is right we might just run him back in the spot we wanted all along on Friday.”

Gold Raptor earned $1,200 for Saturday's race.

We'll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice may enter him back to the Allowance N1X going 1 mile 70 yards on Friday.

Slamentine breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 37.6 over the Charles Town track. That work was 3rd best out of 11 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the breeze and Jeff said, "He’s doing very well and he worked well. I don’t need to do too much more with him and I can begin to look for a race for him. He should be ready to go when the next race comes up.

Jeff will begin to look for a good race for Slamentine to make his return and point him accordingly.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Saturday's 3rd race at Aqueduct which is an Allowance N1X for New York-breds, 3-years-old, going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 6 and jockey Cornelio Velasquez is named to ride. Velasquez is currently 4th in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 14 wins and a 17% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 10-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race where there’s a 3-5 prohibitive morning line favorite.

The purse for this race is $40,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 1:25 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race at Santa Anita which is a Maiden Special Weight for fillies, 3-years-old, going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf. She drew post position 12 and leading jockey Rafael Bejarano is named to ride. Bejarano currently leads the Santa Anita jockey standings with 21 wins and a 28% winning percentage. Bejarano is also the leading turf rider at the meet with 5 turf wins.

Satin Bouquet is currently 5-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $54,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 3:05 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Santa Anita for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Thursday working 6 furlongs in 1:14.60 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 16th best out of 18 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “I was happy with the work. Don’t be misled by the slow time. I usually work Satin Bouquet in company. This morning she worked alone. When she works alone she sometimes has difficulty getting interested. She’s fine. There’s a Maiden Special Weight in the condition book for January 13 going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf. I’m pointing her to that race.”

John will enter Satin Bouquet in the Maiden Special Weight going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita on January 13.

Gold Raptor breezed on Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.88 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 3rd best out of 10 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “This was more or less a maintenance drill. He went very well. I’m very pleased. There are a couple of N1X Allowances in the condition book later in the month. I’m pointing him to one of those. I’ll decide at the time of entries if I want to use the sprint or the route. I think we can go either way with this horse.”

Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor as she readies him for his next race which is expected to be at the end of January.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 57th best out of 114 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She’s doing fantastic. She breezed well. There are no races for her in the overnights at this time and the new condition book isn’t out yet. Once we see an appropriate race we’ll work her accordingly. I’ll probably breeze her back again next week. The new book will be out at that time and we’ll know more.”

John will breeze Satin Bouquet back in about and week and point her to the next Maiden Special Weight going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:01 flat over the Santa Anita Park dirt track. That work was 57th best out of 150 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She worked well, especially considering how much training was missed due to the unprecedented weather. I’m going to breeze her back late next week and then see where we stand. I’ll either look to enter her or work her again depending on what she shows me. I’m going to run her in a 6 ½ furlong turf sprint down the hill. They write that race very often and I’ll look at the next one that comes up.”

John will breeze Satin Bouquet back in about and week and point her to a Maiden Special Weight going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 35.6 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was the bullet out of 5 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “That was a very nice work. She did that totally on her own. She came out of her last race in very good order and she won’t need much to get to her next start. This breeze was ten days after her race and she’s probably only about two breezes away from her next race. Something towards the end of December is not out of the question.”

We’ll see how Satin Bouquet continues to train and John Sadler will point her accordingly.

Gold Raptor broke his maiden on Sunday with an exciting late rally inside the eighth pole putting away a field of Maiden Special Weight foes at Aqueduct.

Gold Raptor, breaking from the 7-post, broke well however, as expected, 9-5 Final Vow shot right to the lead and was challenged to his outside by 10-1 Say Goodbye. With a Cape settled about a length or so behind along the rail with Uncle Smokey to his outside and Gold Raptor settled in fifth relaxing off the pace allowing the leaders to slug it out on the front end. Final Vow and With a Cape continued to lock horns on the lead while One Way to Rock rolled up on the outside to join them as the quarter went in a swift 22.92. Gold Raptor continued to allow those horses to do the heavy lifting as he settled in about two lengths off the lead. They went into the turn that way as Say Goodbye moved ahead in the two-path and One Way to Rock came up next to him in the three-path. They came out of the turn three across the track with Final Vow on the rail, Say Goodbye in the middle and One Way to Rock on the outside. Gold Raptor was about two lengths behind them and Uncle Smokey began to come rolling down the middle of the track. They passed the eighth pole that way as the half went in 46.58. Final Vow drifted down more towards the rail as Say Goodbye drifted a bit to the middle creating a hole in the two path that jockey Ramon Dominguez quickly seized with Gold Raptor. Dominguez shook up Gold Raptor with the whip and Gold Raptor responded with a sudden burst of speed through the hole and rallied past the fading Final Vow and the foot-weary Say Goodbye. Gold Raptor stormed to the lead as they passed the sixteenth pole and at that point it seemed that his biggest challenge was about to come from Uncle Smokey charging down the middle of the track. Jockey Jorge Chavez rode Uncle Smokey vigorously but Dominguez kept Gold Raptor to task and crossed the wire about 3/4s of a length in front of Uncle Smokey. The finish was less in doubt than it appeared because Chavez was riding Uncle Smokey very hard while Dominguez had put away the whip in the last few jumps. Dominguez hand-rode Gold Raptor across the wire and Gold Raptor was striding out and cruising while Uncle Smokey was all out and it almost seemed like Uncle Smokey was moving two strides to every one for Gold Raptor. The final time went in 1:13.64 in the deep mud.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and Ramon said, “It was like he was spinning his wheels early in the race but once he got going he was full of run. I still think he’d like to go longer at some point.”

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda said, “We’ll stretch this horse out but first I wanted to get this win under his belt and this purse banked. He ran second in his last race going 6 furlongs and he was sitting on this win so I didn’t want to change any of the variables. Now that we’ve gotten this win out of the way we can try to stretch him out. We’ll next look for a N1X going 1 mile or 1 mile and 70 yards. That said, if an easy N1X pops up going 6 furlongs we’ll certainly take advantage of it. We have plenty of options and that’s always a good thing.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “Coming out of the turn it looked like we were in trouble but Gold Raptor showed such a nice late kick. From the day we bought this horse and with all of his breezes Linda has always said that he gallops out strong and that he’ll appreciate a route of ground. You can see he does his best running late. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do routing. For now, it’s fantastic to have Gold Raptor get his diploma. A win is always great but a 2-year-old win is that much nicer. I couldn’t be more pleased for the connections, the horse, and especially the partners.”

Gold Raptor earned $24,000 for Sunday's win.

We'll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Sunday's 2nd race at Aqueduct which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York-breds, 2-years-old, going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 7 (Program Number 6) and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Aqueduct jockey standings with 14 wins and a 48% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. All four DRF handicappers select him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $40,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 12:56 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs in 49.05 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 19th best out of 60 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He went well. I’m pleased. This will set him up for his next start on December 11.”

Linda is pointing Gold Raptor to the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on December 11.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Thursday's 1st race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden Special Weight for fillies, 2-years-old, going 1 1/16 miles. She drew post position 5 and jockey Victor Espinoza is again named to ride.

Satin Bouquet is currently 5-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. Two DRF handicappers select her as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.8 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 16th best out of 34 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She did what she was supposed to do there. She went well. There’s a turf race going 1 mile on Friday and we’ll point her to that.”

John is pointing Satin Bouquet to a Maiden Special Weight going 1 mile on the turf on Friday, December 3.

Slamentine was scratched from Friday’s race on the decision of Chris Englehart. Chris is now pointing Slamentine to a race at Finger Lakes later in the month.

Slamentine is entered to run in Friday's 2nd race at Finger Lakes which is a Maiden $4,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 9 and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 150 wins and a 32% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the even money Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection best bet of the day to win the race. All three DRF handicappers select him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his best bet of the day.

The purse for this race is $8,000.

First race post time is 12:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 12:42 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

Satin Bouquet rallied from behind and finished a very credible 4th on Sunday in her career debut at Hollywood Park.

Satin Bouquet broke out of the gate a step slow which was totally expected based on the way she’s trained and on the trainer’s instructions to the jockey. She found herself in eleventh place out of the gate and in ninth after the quarter. As they moved down the backstretch jockey Victor Espinoza allowed Satin Bouquet to relax and settle and she simply loped along tucked comfortably along the rail about five lengths off the lead. They continued that way through the turn and about midway through Satin Bouquet quietly began to make up some ground along the rail and moved up to about sixth position. As they came out of the turn Satin Bouquet showed a nice turn of foot and a burst of speed as she began to rally and move into fourth position. At about the 1/16th pole it appeared that Satin Bouquet poked her head in front of Mrs. Rosa who was in third but then Satin Bouquet began to flatten out. Mrs. Rosa rallied a bit back into third and Satin Bouquet held on for fourth beaten by about 4 lengths and a good 3 ½ lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the race and John said, “She did great. I’m very pleased. Our strategy is not to get these 2-year-olds all cranked up for their career debuts. We develop horses here. Today was a positive. I think this horse may appreciate a mile at some point. Right now we have a great many options. We can run her next on dirt or turf and short or long. She’s got the breeding and the stride to be a two-turn horse and the pedigree to relish either dirt or turf. We’re in a good spot. We’ll see how she trains up to her next race before we make any decisions.

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “When I saw her at 40-1 on the board I was getting concerned. With these maiden races you never know what’s going on. However John came over to me in the paddock before the race and he told me that she wouldn’t disgrace herself today. He was right. She showed a very nice turn of foot which is crucial for turf racing. I think she put in a very good account of herself today and we’re all very pleased.”

Satin Bouquet earned $2,280 for Sunday's 4th place finish.

We’ll see how Satin Bouquet comes out of the race and trainer John Sadler will point her accordingly.

Satin Bouquet is entered to run in Sunday's 9th race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden Special Weight for fillies, 2-years-old, going 6 furlongs on the turf. She drew post position 6 and jockey Victor Espinoza is named to ride.

Satin Bouquet is currently 8-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Satin Bouquet's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:37 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor ran a very good 2nd in his Wednesday race at Aqueduct losing to a $108 winner who rallied from the clouds with a bias-assisted stretch drive down the middle of the track.

Gold Raptor, breaking from the 5-post, broke well along with the rest of the field with the exception of Litigate, who walked out of the gate. As expected Rudy Rudy Rudy went immediately to the front and Final Vow went out with him. Grey Foose broke with those two but settled in behind along the rail with Gold Raptor to his immediate outside in the 2-path. They raced that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in 23.34. They continued that way into the turn with Rudy Rudy Rudy in front and Final Vow to his outside. Grey Foose was stuck along the rail and Gold Raptor was to his outside stalking the leaders. They continued to be positioned that way out of the turn as jockey Ramon Dominguez began to swing out Gold Raptor and to take aim on the leaders. The half went in 47.07. They moved into the top of the stretch and Rudy Rudy Rudy began to weaken. Gold Raptor moved up to challenge Final Vow however Litigate, who broke dead last, came screaming down the middle of the track. He flew past the pack just as they passed the eighth pole as the 5/8s went in 59.37. Gold Raptor dug in and battled with Final Vow. Gold Raptor pushed ahead of that rival a few jumps before the wire and finished a very strong second. The final time went in 1:11.47.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and Ramon said, “He went very well. He ran a good race and galloped out nicely. It was very straightforward. He was just second best today.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “It’s interesting because Gold Raptor was the morning line favorite however Grey Foose, who was 4-1 in the morning line, went off as the 3-2 favorite. Gary Contessa is not known for 2-year-olds or first-time starters so when you see one of his taking money you know something is going on. That horse was a concern and Ramon did a masterful job keeping that one bottled up. As a matter of fact Gary was complaining after the race how his rider was outridden by Dominguez. I never in my wildest dreams expected to get beaten by a 53-1 shot that broke dead last. It’s not unheard of for wild things like that to happen in maiden races with a lot of first-timers. That horse came screaming from last down the middle of the track and was assisted by a pronounced outside bias today. We would have preferred that Gold Raptor get his diploma but second money is very good. He really showed us something today because he could have backed away after getting dirt kicked in his face, he could have hung after getting alongside Final Vow, he could have backed down after getting looked in the eye. Instead he showed gamliness and heart as he put away Final Vow. Litigate was so far outside Gold Raptor never even saw him. In Gold Raptor’s mind he thinks he won the race. That will be of great benefit next start. We’ll have Linda bring him back next time and try again.”

Gold Raptor earned $8,000 for Wednesday's 2nd place finish.

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly.

The Flower Alley filly, now named Satin Bouquet, breezed on Sunday working 6 furlongs from the gate in 1:14.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 8th best out of 11 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “She worked well. She broke from the gate a bit slow, in fact slower than when she got her gate card, but she again finished strong. This horse really strides out nicely. She’s not a sprinty type. It really looks like she’ll eventually want two turns. But we need to start somewhere and we’ll start her at six furlongs and then stretch her out when she shows us she’s ready for the added distance. She’s ready to roll and we’re ready to enter her for Sunday.”

Jockey Joe Talamo breezed Satin Bouquet and he said, “She moves so well. She has a nice long stride. It’s a quiet stride. I think, in time, this horse will want to go long and will appreciate a route of ground.”

Satin Bouquet now has her gate card. Trainer John Sadler is pointing her to a debut on November 14 at Hollywood Park in a Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs on the turf.

Slamentine was scratched from Friday’s race on the decision of Chris Englehart. Chris is now pointing Slamentine to a race at Finger Lakes later in the month.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Wednesday's 2nd race at Aqueduct which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York-breds, 2-years-old, going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 5 and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently has 318 wins and a 24% winning percentage for 2010.

Gold Raptor is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race and one selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $40,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 12:56 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine is entered to run in Friday's 3rd race at Finger Lakes which is a Maiden $4,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 6 and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 137 wins and a 32% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 4-5 Daily Racing Form morning line odds-on favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection best bet of the day to win the race. All three DRF handicappers select him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his best bet of the day.

The purse for this race is $8,000.

First race post time is 12:35 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 1:29 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

The Flower Alley filly, now named Satin Bouquet, breezed on Monday working 6 furlongs in 1:16.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 15th best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “That was her first 6 furlong breeze so don’t be at all concerned with the time. We had jockey Joel Rosario work her and we told him to go easy. He obviously went very easy in the early part of the work but when he asked her to pick it up she really opened up and the last quarter went in 24.4. Rosario said she was fantastic.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is now expected to be in a Maiden Special Weight at Hollywood Park on Sunday, November 14 going 6 furlongs on the turf.

The Flower Alley filly, now named Satin Bouquet, breezed on Tuesday working 5 furlongs in 1:02 flat over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 2nd best out of 13 at the distance. The bullet was put in by a 4-year-old filly named Freedom Star. Our filly again outworked all the colts including older horses and also outworked every other filly.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler’s assistant, Larry, after the breeze and Larry said, “The track was very dead today as you can see from the times. I clocked her going in 1:01.3 and out in 1:14.4. She outworked a couple of older horses that galloped out in 1:15 plus. Those same older horses galloped out in 1:13 plus last week. We’ll probably move her over to Hollywood Park over the weekend and then plan to work her back next week going 6 furlongs. Overall this filly is doing great.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule, next time possibly working her 6 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be in very early November.

Gold Raptor breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 49.6 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 17th best out of 43 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “He worked very well. I’m very pleased. I’m not sure if I’m going to work him back before his next start. I’ll have to see how it goes. I’m still pointing him to the Maiden Special Weight on November 6.”

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the breeze and Linda will decide whether or not to breeze him back. She’s pointing him to the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on November 6.

The Flower Alley filly, now named Satin Bouquet, breezed on Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:00.6 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 2nd best out of 11 at the distance. The bullet was put in by a 4-year-old colt named Bolinas. Our filly outworked all the other colts including older horses and also outworked every other filly.

After the breeze we received a text message from Larry, John Sadler’s assistant. The text message simply read, “1:00.2 and out in 1:13.4. Wow wow wow.”

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “I know it sounds like a broken record but she continues to do everything we ask and she does it the right way. There are no negatives. We expect to have her ready for the first Maiden Special Weight in the next condition book which will be the beginning of November. She’s close. I continue to like what I see.”

We also spoke with John’s assistant, Larry, and Larry said, “I worked her by herself today because I wanted to give her a good breeze and sometimes working in company having two riders out there just causes confusion. I had Pedroza work her and he’s the king of this track. She’ll have her gate card this week. She’s inching closer to her debut. I might work her 6 furlongs next week.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule, next time possibly working her 6 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be in very early November.

The Flower Alley filly, now named Satin Bouquet, breezed on Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.4 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 2nd best out of 6 at the distance and two ticks off the bullet which was put in by a 4-year-old colt.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She continues to impress. She does everything we ask of her with class. There’s been nothing but positives so far. We expect her to be ready for her debut sometime in the early part of the next condition book in the beginning of November.”

We also spoke with John’s assistant, Larry, and Larry said, “Her workmate, Black Sox, has started to develop a bit of a shin. So I wanted to give her a nice easy breeze. I took that opportunity to work her again with Satin Bouquet this time making Black Sox the sacrificial lamb. I worked Black Sox easy and allowed Satin Bouquet to break far behind. I then had the rider roll up Satin Bouquet to the outside, blow past Black Sox, and outfinish her. Satin Bouquet wound up beating Black Sox by more than two seconds and she crossed the wire strong. She continues to show us class and intelligence. She’s been to gate and she handles it like a pro. This horse is ready to go.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule, next time working her 6 furlongs or possibly again at 5 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be in very early November.

Slamentine was scratched from Saturday’s race on the decision of Chris Englehart. Chris is now pointing Slamentine to a race at Finger Lakes later in the month.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.6 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 12th best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “Going 1:02 and change in her first 5 furlong work is not bad at all. She looks absolutely great. I have no complaints here.”

We also spoke with John’s assistant, Larry, and Larry said, “That was good for her first 5 furlong work. She worked with her usual workmate, the El Corridor filly named Black Sox, and she worked slightly better again. For the “good” 5 furlong work next week I think I’ll work her with a better horse. I’m extremely pleased.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule, next time again working 5 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Slamentine is entered to run in Saturday's 1st race at Finger Lakes which is a Maiden $7,500 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 5 and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 121 wins and a 33% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 9-5 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $9,000.

First race post time is 1:10 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor ran 6th in his 2-year-old debut after a troubled start at Belmont Park on Saturday. The connections, however, were pleased with Gold Raptor’s performance in the race.

Gold Raptor breaking from the 2-post, took one step out of the gate and was immediately slammed by Seattle Louie who was coming out of the 3-hole to his outside. As the three horses to Gold Raptor’s right all veered in and to the rail Gold Raptor was shoved along with the crowd and pushed inside and then slammed into Tap Attack who was coming out of the 1-hole. Within the first few strides Gold Raptor was soundly bumped on his right and then his left and found himself off a step or two behind as Seattle Louie, Crafty Concorde, and a number of other horses who all vied for the lead in front of him. The bouncing around took a step out of Gold Raptor and jockey Ramon Dominguez found himself four or so lengths off a pair of 50-1 pace setters among a wall of other horses. They raced that way down the backstretch as Dominguez allowed Gold Raptor to pick up the tempo a bit and move closer into contention. The quarter went in 22.73. Gold Raptor was in fifth about three lengths off the lead as they entered the turn. Midway through the turn Gold Raptor appeared to be in good position on the rail about two lengths behind three other horses spread across the track in front of him. Gold Raptor then pulled up to about a length and a half behind the leader as the half went in 46.51. They came out of the turn with three horses strung across the track and Gold Raptor now about a length behind. As they passed the three-sixteenths-pole Gold Raptor began to tire and the leaders began to pull away. Dominguez wrapped up on Gold Raptor and saved the horse for another day. Gold Raptor settled for sixth as Sky Music, a first-time Sky Mesa horse went on to win. The final time of the race was 1:18.99.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and Ramon said, “He did good. He’ll do better next time. He got good experience in this race. He broke a little flat-footed and next time I think he’ll be up closer to the pace. He didn’t like having a horse to his outside in the turn and he stayed on his left lead. I didn’t ask him to change because it was his first race and I didn’t want to ask him to do too many things. He did good though. I definitely had some horse there underneath me. I think he might like to go longer. He’ll be fine.”

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and she said, “I think he did fine. He’ll get a lot out of this race. I think he he’ll appreciate going longer. We’ll run him back at the same distance next time and then begin to stretch him out. Overall I’m pleased and encouraged.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “At first it looked like a dull effort but after watching the head-on replay you could clearly see that he got slammed pretty well on his right and then on his left. That certainly knocked him off his stride and took a step away from him. In his morning breezes there is never more than one other horse with him and he’s never been jostled around like that. So this was all a big education for him. The fact that Ramon likes him to me is very significant because Ramon doesn’t sugar-coat anything and he’d tell us if he thought the horse needed to run against softer. We’re all looking forward to his next race already.”

Gold Raptor earned $215 for Saturday's 6th place finish.

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the race and trainer Linda Rice will point him accordingly.

Slamentine settled for third place on Friday after dueling with a 12-1 horse in his Finger Lakes debut while going off as the 1-5 favorite.

Slamentine, breaking from the 2-post, broke a step or two slow and Coruscation at 12-1 caught a flyer and immediately shot to the lead. In a couple of jumps Slamentine rushed up the rail to challenge and poke his head in front with Donatello’s Fellow in third to the outside. They raced down the backstretch with Slamentine on the rail and Coruscation at his throatlatch to his immediate outside as the quarter went in 22.38. Donatello’s Fellow was in third but had fallen four lengths behind. They raced into the turn with Slamentine on a narrow lead and Coruscation a head behind. They went through the entire turn that way and Donatello’s Fellow was tracking behind getting poised to roll up on the outside. They went into the top of the stretch with Slamentine on the rail and Coruscation right to his outside and Donatello’s Fellow ready to pounce in the 3-path as the half went in 46.58. As they passed the eighth-pole the handwriting was on the wall as Donatello’s Fellow mounted his bid. He rumbled up past the two pace-setters as they all passed the sixteenth-pole together. The five-eighths went in 1:00.32. Donatello’s Fellow put them both away in the shadow of the wire as Coruscation stuck his head in front of Slamentine who had to settle for third. The final time of the race was 1:07.75.

We spoke with trainer Chris Englehart after the race and Chris said, “I thought he would have won that race. I didn’t expect that other horse to go out and press him like that but I still thought he would have won. Maybe he just needed a race over the track.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “Naturally when you go off at 1-5 you expect to win. I thought he was a shoe-in in this spot. Although he was pressed the fractions weren’t all that swift. That’s why they make you run the race. We’ll have to regroup and move on and try again next time.”

Slamentine earned $1,670 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Slamentine comes out of the race and Chris will point him accordingly.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Sunday's 2nd race at Belmont Park which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York-breds, 2-years-old, going 6 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 2 and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 23 wins and a 26% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:31 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Thursday working 4 furlongs in 50.2 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 9th best out of 16 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “The clockers again made a mistake because I had her going in 49 and change. That was a very nice work and the entire staff is all smiles after this one.”

We also spoke with John’s assistant, Larry, and Larry said, “That was nice work…very nice. She just went so easy. She was on the bridle the entire time and she was never even asked. She worked again with the El Corridor filly named Black Sox and that filly just can’t keep up. I would have liked our filly to have gone a bit faster but she didn’t have any competition today. I need to find her a new workmate. I am so impressed. It really became clear today that our horse has class. This horse has talent. She’s a real athlete. I’m extremely pleased.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule, next time stretching her out to 5 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Gold Raptor's Thursday race at Belmont Park was canceled as the entire card was canceled due to heavy rainfall and high winds. Trainer Linda Rice will look to enter Gold Raptor back into an appropriate race.

Slamentine is entered to run in Friday's 6th race at Finger Lakes which is a Maiden $15,000 Claiming race for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 2 and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 114 wins and a 33% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently the 7-5 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race as his best bet of the day and one DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $16,700.

First race post time is 12:35 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 2:50 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor is entered to run in Thursday's 9th race at Belmont Park which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York-breds, 2-years-old, going 6 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 15 (MTO) and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 17 wins and a 23% winning percentage.

Gold Raptor is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Gold Raptor's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 5:15 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign rallied from last place to a very strong second place finish against open company allowance foes on Saturday at Finger Lakes. Salt Water Reign has now raised her career earnings to more than $220,000.

Salt Water Reign broke very sharply from the gate and went right to the front along with Doodlin at 4-1 and Wise Awake at 6-5. Jockey John Davila, Jr. immediately sensed the speed duel developing and decided to take back and allow the other horses to slug it out on the front end while Salt Water Reign settled back into the pack about two lengths behind the leaders. They raced that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in 22.31. They entered the turn with Wise Awake cutting the fractions. Salt Water Reign had settled all the way to the back of the pack about 4 or 5 lengths off the leader and it appeared for a bit that she was being outrun. Right about the time they rounded into the beginning of the turn Davila let Salt Water Reign lose as she moved to the outside and began to pick off horses. She circled the field and by the time they reached the quarter pole she was in fourth only about 2 1/2 lengths off the lead. The half went in 46.10. They came out of the turn with Doodlin and Wise Awake nose to nose and Salt Water Reign in full gear in the 4-path. She was forced to take the turn very wide and when Davila set her down for the drive through the lane she had a lot of running to do. As they reached the eighth pole Wise Awake had repelled Doodlin and was drawing away. Salt Water Reign was full of run down the middle of the track as she again was picking off horses. Wise Awake drew off and won by 6 while Salt Water Reign finished second best finishing a strong second a full length ahead of Primal Baby who took third. The final time went in 1:12.10 as Wise Awake became Finger Lake’s first 7-time winner this year.

We spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “Chris and I had been strategizing for a while on where to run her. I wanted to run her in the Starter Allowance on October 4 but Chris was adamant about not liking that spot because there was a monster that had rattled off 6 in a row that regularly shows up in that race. Chris said he didn’t want to go up against that horse and he wanted to run here. So we entered and to our surprise that horse, Wise Awake, showed up in the race with us. Then the question became weather Wise Awake would scratch or would she run and what should we do. In the end Chris elected to run and we had to hope that Wise Awake failed to fire. Her last race was a dud and we didn’t know if she simply didn’t like the synthetic at Presque Isle or if something went wrong. Well you can see why Chris wanted to avoid her because she won today for fun. Our hands were pretty much tied, though. It’s an example of the game within the game that no one is aware of.”

Salt Water Reign earned $3,360 for Saturday's 2nd place finish plus an additional $336 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards.

We’ll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and trainer Chris Englehart will point her accordingly.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Thursday working 4 furlongs in 49 flat over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 3rd best out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, “She went nice and easy. I worked her in company and went slightly better than her workmate, a 2-year-old El Corridor filly. She’s very willing and real smart. She’s growing up and doing well. I’ll work her back another half in about 7 days. I continue to be very pleased.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Saturday's 7th race at Finger Lakes which is a N1X Allowance Optional Claimer for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up which have never won one race other than maiden, claiming, starter, or restricted, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 8 (Program Number 6) and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 111 wins and a 33% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. She's the DRF consensus third choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $16,800.

First race post time is 1:10 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 3:52 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 37.4 over the Fairplex Park track. That work was 11th best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, "The clockers made a mistake because I had her going in 36.3. Had it been recorded accurately it would have been 5th best out of 20. She galloped out in 50 and that’s very strong. She worked in company and she went well. She did exactly what I wanted her to do. She’s an excellent mover and she has a nice fluid motion. She’s growing right now and she really looks like an athlete. I like this horse a great deal. I’ll plan to work her back on Thursday this time going 4 furlongs in about 49 or 50. Overall I continue to be very pleased.”

John will work the filly back on a 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Slamentine dueled through sharp fractions at Delaware Park on Wednesday and settled for third in his second career start.

Slamentine broke sharply from the gate and went immediately to the lead. Paperless, the 4-5 favorite, and Just Repent at 10-1 both broke sharply along with him and the three horses dueled through the backstretch heads apart from Slamentine who was on a narrow lead. The quarter went in 22.25. As they reached the turn Just Repent dropped out of it and Paperless moved to the throatlatch of Slamentine and they battled nose to nose all through the turn as the half went in 45.23. When they came out of the turn it appeared that Slamentine was going to be able to dig in and give Paperless a run for the money but by the time they reached the eighth pole Paperless had turned back Slamentine. The 5/8s went in 57.75. Paperless went on to draw away to a 9 3/4 length victory and the early fractions began to take their toll on Slamentine. Running Runner Run rallied up to take second from Slamentine who had to settle for third. The final time was 1:10.67.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and Steve said, “This race was extremely fast. It went in 1:10.3. To give you an example Race 1, which was older fillies, went in 1:12. This was probably one of the faster races of the day. The winner is a good horse and he was well-meant. It would have been nice if we had hung on for second but we probably needed one coming off the layoff. Overall not a bad showing.”

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “The horse that won the race is real tough. Prior to the race the odds were holding with Paperless at 6-5 and us at 9-5. Suddenly with about 3 minutes to post Paperless went to 1-5 and we shot up to 6-1. That happened in a single flash. That means that someone dropped a bundle on Paperless. I knew at that moment we were running for second place because something like that doesn’t just happen by accident. Someone knew that Paperless was ultra-live. With Slamentine drawing the rail Bill had no choice but to send. We went to the lead but Paperless squeezed us all the way around. Coming out of the turn I thought we might be able to dig in but Paperless was so much the best. Around the 1/8 pole Slamentine started to get leg-weary. We lost to a very nice horse as we were coming off a layoff. We’ll run back against New York-breds next time. For now we’ll take our check and move on.”

Slamentine earned $2,200 for Wednesday's race.

We'll see how Slamentine comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly.

Slamentine is entered to run in Wednesday's 2nd race at Delaware Park which is a Maiden $25,000 Claiming race for 3-year-olds and up, going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 1 and jockey William “Billy the Kid” Antongeorgi III is named to ride.

Slamentine is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $20,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:42 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Delaware Park for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 48 flat over the Saratoga dirt training track in a breeze labeled as “handily”. That work was 2nd best out of 35 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I had intended to breeze him on Monday but the weather was calling for some rain so I decided to push his breeze up to today so as not to get behind. He worked very well. I’m thinking that Gold Raptor is going to be better suited as a dirt horse than a grass horse. His last two dirt breezes have been more impressive than his turf breezes. I’m going to start to look for a race for him now. I’m expecting that it should be sometime in the next couple of weeks.”

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the breeze and Linda will begin to look in the condition book for an appropriate race in which for Gold Raptor to debut.

Slamentine breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 51.6 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 40th best out of 50 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. That was just a maintenance work. I’m keeping him fresh until the best return race for him shows up.”

Steve will begin to look for a good race for Slamentine to make his return and point him accordingly.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 36.4 over the Hollywood Park track in an unpublished work. Had the work been published it would have been 2nd best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, "She worked very well. She’s doing fine. She’s a very nice filly and I’m very pleased so far. She’s very nice physically and a very good worker. There are no negatives.”

John will work the filly back on a 6 to 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Slamentine breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs from the gate in 1:02.2 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 4th best out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. He’s come along fine. I’m at a point where there’s not much more we can do in the mornings. He’s a difficult horse to pinpoint. I want to enter him into a race and see how he does relative to the other horses. That will be the true test of what kind of a horse he is. We’ll then be able to go from there.”

Steve will begin to look for a good race for Slamentine to make his return and point him accordingly.

Gold Raptor breezed on Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:01 flat over the Saratoga turf training track with the dogs up in a breeze labeled as “handily”. That work was 2nd best out of 16 at the distance. The bullet went in 1:00.8.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I’m pleased with the breeze. He worked in company with a horse named Check the Cites. Check the sites worked better than Gold Raptor to the wire but Gold Raptor galloped out much stronger. Check the Cites is a sprinter and this continues to tell me that Gold Raptor is a horse that’s going to appreciate a route of ground. I’ll digest what I saw today and think about what’s next.”

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the breeze. Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor and then make a determination in terms of next steps.

My Indy Kitty is entered to run in Saturday's 4th race at Golden Gate which is a Maiden $20,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. She drew post position 9 and jockey David G Lopez is named to ride.

My Indy Kitty is currently 15-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 12:45 PM and My Indy Kitty's race is Race 4 which is scheduled to go off at 2:15 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Golden Gate for a fun day of racing.

The Flower Alley filly breezed on Wednesday working 2 furlongs in 24.1 over the Hollywood Park track in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer John Sadler after the breeze and John said, "This is her first breeze. I’m delighted with this work. She galloped out in 37.4. At this stage of the game the time means nothing. The important thing is how she went and she went very nicely and looked very good doing it. She worked totally within herself. The plan is to build a base and move her forward. She’s a very nice filly; she continues to do everything we ask her to do. There are no negatives.”

John will work the filly back on a 6 to 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be during the Oak Tree meet.

Salt Water Reign rallied to a 1 3/4 length victory against allowance foes on Monday at Finger Lakes. Monday’s win marks the sixth career win for Salt Water Reign. All of her wins have been in allowance races with the exception of her maiden breaker which was a Maiden Special Weight race. Salt Water Reign has now raised her career earnings to more than $217,000.

Salt Water Reign broke alertly from the gate and found herself vying for the lead with 22-1 Rockin Sarah to her outside and 20-1 Sister Speed to her inside on the rail. Citrine, the odds on 3-4 favorite and apparent lone speed in the race broke in the air and was slammed at the start taking her out of the race and changing the race flow from the start. They raced that way down the backstretch and Citrine was hustled up to the front to join the pacesetters as the quarter went in 22.26. Veteran jockey John Davila was able to immediately see the three-way speed duel developing with two 20-1 horses and the over-used favorite. John allowed Salt Water Reign to relax and she settled in along the rail as the other three horses battled it out up front and they opened up a three-length advantage. They entered the turn with Rockin Sarah on the lead and Citrine pressing her to the outside every step of the way. Sister Speed began to drop back and Salt Water Reign was still about four lengths behind. The half went in 45.83. As they came out of the turn and to the top of the stretch Rockin Sarah was still in front but Salt Water Reign rallied up the rail and was only about a length off the tiring leaders. They rolled down the stretch with Salt Water Reign taking the lead and drawing away. She won by an eventual 1 3/4 lengths and the final time went in 1:05.61 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.

We spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race. Mike said, “This win underscores the intangible value in having expert trainers as part of our team. Steve Klesaris and Chris Englehart are superior horsemen and I’d put their expertise up against any trainer in the game. Salt Water Reign is a 6-year-old race mare now and she has already run through all of her state-bred conditions along with the open company N1X and N2X. Finding the right spot for her was and is a continuing challenge. Steve unselfishly recommended shifting her to Finger Lakes and Chris knew exactly where to place her. I couldn’t be happier for the partners, the team, and especially for Salt Water Reign. She’s a classy mare and she’s been so good to us. She deserves this win. She has a lot of heart. She’ll always be a very special horse to me.”

Salt Water Reign earned $11,880 for Monday's victory.

We’ll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and trainer Chris Englehart will point her accordingly.

Slamentine breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs from the gate in 49.4 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 17th best out of 72 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He worked fine. He’s still going to need one more breeze before he we can get him back into a race. We’ll have to point to something early in the Belmont meet.”

Steve will breeze Slamentine back on roughly a 6-day work schedule gearing him back up for his return race which should be at the beginning of the Belmont meet.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Monday's 8th race at Finger Lakes which is a N2X Allowance Optional Claimer for New York State-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 5 1/2 furlongs. She drew post position 3 and leading jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila is currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 97 wins and a 35% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. She's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $19,800.

First race post time is 1:10 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:19 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 49 flat over the Saratoga turf training track with the dogs up. That work was 8th best out of 26 at the distance. The bullet went in 48.2.

We were present for the breeze. Gold Raptor worked in company with another horse named Obviously Tuesday. Gold Raptor was to the outside. Obviously Tuesday had worked over the turf twice before and Obviously Tuesday prefers the turf to the dirt. They circled the track with Gold Raptor about a length behind Obviously Tuesday. Gold Raptor came to him in the turn but continued down the lane off Obviously Tuesday’s flank. Gold Raptor didn’t outfinish Obviously Tuesday and crossed the wire about a length behind.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “It’s difficult to conclude anything off of this work. I would have preferred that Gold Raptor outfinish Obviously Tuesday but the fact that Obviously Tuesday has had prior turf experience negates much of anything else. It’s possible that Obviously Tuesday likes the grass more or is just more fit. In the end I’m not entirely sure what to conclude or if there is anything to conclude at this time. I’ll think it over and decide what to do next.”

We’ll see how Gold Raptor comes out of the breeze. Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor and then make a determination in terms of next steps.

The Roman Ruler colt, now named Roman Thunder, Breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 49.26 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 5th best out of 28 at the distance. It had begun to rain prior to the breeze and the track was beginning to get wet. Although the track was labeled “fast” there was a noticeable amount of moisture in it. The bullet went in 49.06 and those horses most definitely breezed before the rain.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, before the breeze and she said, “I put Roman Thunder in with a new workmate today. He had been outworking all his other workmates and they’re no competition for him. I told the rider to do the half in about 49 and gallop out in about 1:03.”

We also spoke with the exercise rider immediately after the breeze and he said, “My hands are sore from trying to hold him back. He’s so strong. He could have gone much faster. You’ve got a very talented horse here.”

After the breeze Abby then added, “The breeze went in 49.1 and he galloped out in 1:03.1 so I’m extremely happy that he did exactly what I wanted him to do. I’m so excited. He went so well. I’m running out of horses to work him with. I can’t wait to get him to the races.”

We were present for the breeze and were able to observe how it unfolded. Roman Thunder worked around the track to the outside of his workmate. He went around with his workmate and was more or less toying with her. When he reached the 1/16 pole he began to draw away. Even under wraps he extended his lead and crossed the wire in hand in a gallop. He then galloped out really well. So far he’s done everything asked. He continues to look physically impressive. He stands about 16.1 hands and just exudes class and professionalism.

Linda will continue to work Roman Thunder getting him ready for his debut which Linda is targeting for the Belmont Fall meet, possibly in September.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 52 flat over the Finger Lakes track. That work was 17th best out of 24 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Chris Englehart after the breeze and Chris said, "She hasn’t raced in a while and I knew that she’d come up short for her next race if I didn’t work her. She went OK but her ankles and a stifle are bothering her. I’m going to have to treat her for that. We’ll next try to get her into a race on August 30.”

We’ve been having a great deal of difficulty getting any of Salt Water Reign’s races to fill. Chris is now pointing Salt Water Reign to a New York-bred Allowance N2X going 5 ½ furlongs at Finger Lakes on August 30.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.4 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 37th best out of 54 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer OJ Juaregui after the breeze and OJ said, “She worked well. Her last two breezes were good and she’s doing fine. That will be her last breeze before we enter her in the turf race at Golden Gate for September 4.”

OJ is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 1 1/16 mile on the turf at Golden Gate on September 4.

Slamentine breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49.4 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 20th best out of 57 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He worked fine. He’s getting closer to his return race. ”

Steve will breeze Slamentine back on roughly a 6-day work schedule gearing him back up for his return race which, we hope, will be in the second half of the Saratoga meet but now more likely the beginning of the Belmont meet.

Slamentine breezed on Tuesday working over one of the grass courses at Fair Hill Training Center. It’s not an oval track. It’s more of a 2.5 furlong straight run where a horse can be blown out. There’s no clock so the work is not timed.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. He goes better over the turf. Overall he’s doing fine and he’s coming along. He’s probably still going to need 3 more breezes before he’s ready to race. I plan to breeze him 5 days apart weather permitting.”

Steve will breeze Slamentine back on a 5-day work schedule gearing him back up for his return race which, we hope, will be in the second half of the Saratoga meet but now more likely the beginning of the Belmont meet.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 52.67 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 38th best out of 40 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “Gold Raptor’s rider really messed up the first part of the breeze. He was extremely slow getting to the 1/16 and the first 1/8th went in 14+ seconds. That was much slower than I wanted. The half went in 52.3. My intention was to get the half in something closer to 48 or 49. Despite all that Gold Raptor galloped out strong in 1:05 flat. The entire breeze was in hand. Although the breeze didn’t go off as planned it’s perfectly fine and we’ll just consider it a maintenance work. This has no effect on his training or his progress.”

Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor getting him ready for his debut which is expected to be at Saratoga.

Roman Thunder, Breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 49.97 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was 17th best out of 40 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “I’m very pleased with this breeze. He worked a half in 49.4 and galloped out in 1:05. He did it exactly the way I wanted. He worked in hand, nice and easy. This was his first half mile breeze and he continues to do everything exactly as asked. I couldn’t possibly be more pleased.”

Linda will continue to work Roman Thunder on a gentle work schedule getting him ready for his debut which Linda is targeting for the Belmont Fall meet.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49.4 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 31st best out of 45 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer OJ Juaregui after the breeze and OJ said, “That was a good breeze. The rider didn’t have to ask her for anything and she did it on her own more or less. She gave a little more run in that breeze than she has shown in the past. I changed her medication and put her back on Regu-Mate and it seems to have helped. She seems to train better on Regu-Mate. I’ll probably breeze her back again this weekend. We’re still pointing her to the turf race on September 4.”

OJ is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 1 1/16 mile on the turf at Golden Gate on September 4.

Slamentine breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.4 over the Fair Hill Training Center dirt track. That work was the 6th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He worked OK. He worked in company with a 2-year-old filly named Sneakers. Slamentine worked in front and then I allowed Sneakers to come up next to him. He went OK. We scoped him after the breeze and there was still no sign of the chondritis that had been bothering him so that’s good news. I’ll plan to work him back in about 6 days and we’ll see where we are.”

Steve will breeze Slamentine back on a 6-day work schedule gearing him back up for his return race which, we hope, will be in the second half of the Saratoga meet.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.6 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 37th best out of 44 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer OJ Juaregui after the breeze and OJ said, “She worked a little slow but she worked alone. She’s doing OK. I’m going to work her back next weekend and gear her up for a race at Golden Gate on September 4. She’s never raced on the grass before and I think it’s a good time to try her there so that’s the current plan.”

OJ is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 1 1/16 mile on the turf at Golden Gate on September 4.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 35.2 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was the bullet out of 15 at the distance in a breeze labeled as “handily”.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “I’m totally ecstatic over that effort. I told the rider to just let him go about his business and to not ask him for much. I was expecting something in 36 and change or 37 and change. To get 35.2 without being asked is phenomenal. Furthermore he galloped out in 48.2 and 1:02.3. After this he’s extremely close to his debut.”

We were present for the breeze. Gold Raptor worked to the inside of his workmate. They went around the track head to head and Gold Raptor’s rider sat motionless in the saddle. Around the 1/16 pole he gave Gold Raptor a quick tap and he responded pushing in front of his workmate and sticking his head in front at the wire. What was visibly noticeable was that despite the fast time he had plenty of run at the wire and was in full extension. In the gallop-out Gold Raptor blew past his workmate and finished about 10 lengths ahead of him. The rider was all smiles and had nothing but positive things to say. Back at the barn Gold Raptor was hardly puffing. The final time doesn’t truly convey how impressive this breeze really was.

Linda Rice, who’s in Saratoga, was so impressed with Abby’s report that she wants to bring Gold Raptor to Saratoga to get him ready for his debut.

Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor. He’s next slated to get some gate schooling beginning in a few days. Linda will continue getting him ready for his debut which is expected to be at Saratoga.

The Roman Ruler colt, now named Roman Thunder, Breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 37.2 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in an unpublished work. Had the work been published it would have been about 4th best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “I’m very pleased with this breeze. I used an apprentice jockey for this breeze because this kid has an excellent internal clock in his head. I asked him to go a nice easy 37 and change and gallop out 50 and change and that’s pretty much exactly what he did. The 3 furlongs went in 37.2 and he galloped out in 50.2. Additionally, his workmate was looking all over the place and was in and out but Roman Thunder came around the turn with his ears pricked and he was very focused and to task. He was much more professional in the way that he went. It was a very nice work and exactly what I wanted at this stage. He really outshined his workmate. I couldn’t possibly have asked for more.”

We were present for the breeze and were able to observe elements of the work that are not readily noticeable in just the final time. Roman Thunder went about his business very professionally. He worked outside his workmate and as they were approaching the wire there was another horse out there galloping bobbing and weaving in and out from the 2-path to the 3-path. Roman Thunder could have checked or lugged out but instead he kept his composure and just blew through the hole that appeared when the other horse drifted back out to the 3-path. That showed that Roman Thunder has a cool head and isn’t afraid to squeeze through a hole. This is very meaningful for such a young and inexperienced horse. Additionally he continues to look impressive physically as he continues to fill out.

Linda will continue to work Roman Thunder on a gentle work schedule getting him ready for his debut which Linda is targeting for the Belmont Fall meet.

Slamentine breezed on Monday working 3 furlongs in 38.4 over the Fair Hill Training Center dirt track. That work was the only 3 furlong work of the day at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He worked well and came out of it in good order. We scoped him after the breeze and there was no sign of the chondritis that had been bothering him so the treatments are doing their job and are being effective. I’ll breeze him back in about 5 days and then we’ll be on our way."

Steve will breeze Slamentine back on a 5-day work schedule gearing him back up for his return race which, we hope, will be in the second half of the Saratoga meet.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Tuesday working 5 furlongs from the gate over the Finger Lakes track in 1:02.2. That work was 4th best out of 21 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Chris Englehart after the breeze and Chris said, "She worked nice and she came out of it well. She’s ready for her next race. We’re ready to start to look for a race for her.”

Chris will see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the breeze and begin to look for an appropriate race for her, possibly a New York-bred N3X Allowance going 6 furlongs at Finger Lakes on August 5.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 37.2 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “He worked in company and he went 37.2 and galloped out in 51.3. It was a fantastic work and he galloped out beautifully. He galloped out in hand and he still went past his workmate. His breeze was much the best.”

Linda will continue to work Gold Raptor on a 10 to 12-day work schedule getting him ready for his debut which may very well be at Saratoga.

The Roman Ruler colt Breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 39.4 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “I just wanted to go nice and easy with him. He worked in company but I told the rider to work him in hand. It was a nice easy 3 furlong breeze. I didn’t want to ask too much of him this early in the game. It was a nice work and he did it the right way. He was very professional.”

Linda will continue to work the Roman Ruler colt on a gentle work schedule getting him ready for his debut which Linda is targeting for the Belmont Fall meet.

My Indy Kitty is entered to run in Saturday's 10th race at Sacramento which is a Maiden $8,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 1 mile. She drew post position 1 and jockey Enrique Gonzalez is named to ride.

My Indy Kitty is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $8,500.

First race post time is 1:45 PM and My Indy Kitty's race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 6:14 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Sacramento for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine breezed on Monday working 3 furlongs in 37.6 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 3rd best out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He breezed well, however we scoped him after the work and he’s got chondritis. We’re going to have to put him on a course of antibiotic and restrict him to walking for about 10 days. The condition is very treatable and he should be able to go right back into training. It will push his next start back a bit though, possibly towards the end of the Saratoga meet."

Steve will manage and treat Slamentine’s chondritis and get that under control then train him up to his next race which, we hope, will be in the second half of the Saratoga meet.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 4 furlongs in 51.2 over the Golden Gate Fields track. That work was 73rd best out of 87 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer OJ Juaregui after the breeze and OJ said, “That time seems wrong. I think the clockers made a mistake. I got her going in 49.3 and galloping out in 1:02 and change. I worked her alone and I told the rider to not do too much because we plan to race her next weekend. It was just a freshener. She’s doing fine and she should be ready for the race on Saturday.”

OJ is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 1 mile at Sacramento on July 17.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs in 37.3 over the Saratoga dirt training track. That work was 17th best out of 38 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “Gold Raptor continues to breeze superbly. As in the past, he worked in company with his usual workmate and he did it just the right way. So far he continues to do everything I’ve asked him to do. He’s coming along nicely. He still has a little growing up to do so his debut may be pushed back to the second half of the Saratoga meet but his work ethic is fantastic.”

Linda will continue to train Gold Raptor in Saratoga getting him ready for his debut which may very well be at Saratoga.

My Indy Kitty ran third on Friday at Pleasanton after a difficult trip beaten by a strong 9-5 favorite.

My Indy Kitty, breaking from the extreme outside post, broke alertly and jockey Enrique Gonzalez made the decision to hustle her up to the front and then try to drop down to the rail rather than take back. Unfortunately almost every other horse to her inside had the same idea and entering the first turn she was caught 5-wide. The turns at Pleasanton are tight and by the time she came out of the turn she was shuffled to the near back of the pack and gave up as many as 10 lengths which was devastating. Going down the backstretch Gonzalez again made the decision to get up to the front runners and midway down the backstretch My Indy Kitty again had to contend with a wall of five horses spread across the track. Again Gonzalez had to make a decision and rather than tuck in behind them and risk getting trapped he swung around them. He finally had clear sailing to the front and he had My Indy Kitty engage Jettie Ann, the pace setter. Another horse, Best of the Bunch, had the same idea and My Indy Kitty wound up as much as 3-wide in that turn and coming out of the turn wide she again lost ground by as many as 4 or 5 lengths. The track was speed favoring and the pace setting Jettie Ann, who was also the favorite, got a rail trip and went wire to wire and My Indy Kitty settled for third after getting what was possibly the very worst of the trip. It’s interesting that she posted a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 52 and one wonders what would have been the outcome had she drawn an inside post.

We spoke with trainer OJ Jauregui after the race and he said, "She ran a better race than it appeared on paper because she was trapped so wide. Additionally the turns here at Pleasanton aren’t banked like other tracks making it that much more difficult when you’re outside. We’ll bring her back next time and hopefully she’ll draw a better post."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "With her outside post and the flow of the race she received the worst possible trip imaginable. I think Enrique did the best that he could but he couldn’t control what the horses around him did. Outside posts and difficult trips are all part of racing."

My Indy Kitty earned $1,300 for Friday's 3rd place finish.

We'll see how My Indy Kitty comes out of the race and OJ will point her accordingly.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.6 over the Saratoga dirt training track. That work was 33rd best out of 54 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “Although the clockers put Gold Raptor down for a 4 furlong work it was really a 3 furlong work with a gallop-out. The clockers timed the gallop-out which is not uncommon. Gold Raptor breezed superbly and came out of the work in good order. Like last week, he worked in company with the same horse and did well. Both horses are work mates and they do well together. He’s doing fantastic.”

Linda will continue to train Gold Raptor in Saratoga getting him ready for his debut which may very well be at Saratoga.

My Indy Kitty is entered to run in Friday's 9th race at Pleasanton which is a Maiden $8,000 Claiming race for fillies, 3-years-old, going 1 mile 70 yards. She drew post position 9 and jockey Enrique Gonzalez is named to ride.

My Indy Kitty is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $8,000.

First race post time is 12:45 PM and My Indy Kitty's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:55 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Pleasanton for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine is entered to run in Tuesday's 7th race at Delaware Park which is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds and up, going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 11 and jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik is currently ranked second in the Delaware Park jockey standings with 22 wins and a 16% winning percentage.

Slamentine is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Slamentine's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 3:57 PM.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Thursday's 3rd race at Belmont Park which is a $20,000 Claiming N1Y race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, which have not won a race since January 20, 2010, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 5 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen is currently ranked sixth in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 22 wins and a 14% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race in a very evenly matched field. She's the DRF consensus third choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $25,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 2:04 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 50.4 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 15th best out of 37 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was just a refresher. There’s a Maiden Special Weight here at Delaware next Tuesday. Rather than shipping him to New York I’m going to enter him here and allow him to get some valuable race experience right here in his own back yard. He’ll get used to the paddock and being in a race. We can do all that without having to ship."

Steve is pointing Slamentine to debut in the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Delaware Park on Tuesday, June 22.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs in 37.3 over the Saratoga dirt training track in an unpublished work.

We were present for the breeze and Gold Raptor went very well. He worked in company with another horse. Gold Raptor started in front and Linda had the other horse come to him. They breezed out of the turn and through the lane next to each other and Gold Raptor held his position to the inside.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “I instructed the rider to go easy since it is only Gold Raptor's second breeze and he’s a relatively young horse. He did it very nicely. I’m very pleased.”

Linda will continue to train Gold Raptor in Saratoga getting him ready for his debut.

Slamentine breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs from the gate in 1:01.2 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was the bullet out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was a decent breeze. Not bad. He was much more focused with the hood on. I think he’ll need one more work and then we can look to enter him."

Steve plans to work Slamentine back in about 6 days and then to point him toward his debut.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Wednesday's 2nd race at Delaware Park which is a $25,000 Claiming N2Y race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 5 (Program Number 6) and jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik is currently third in the Delaware Park jockey standings with 15 wins and a 16% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite. She’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race.

The purse for this race is $27,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:42 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Delaware Park for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:02 flat over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 6th best out of 23 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was his first 5 furlong breeze. He went OK. I’ll work him back in about 6 days and I’m going to work him in blinkers next time. Today the rider said he was looking around a bit. So I’ll work him next week from the gate, in company, with the blinkers on and that should have him ready for us to begin looking for a race for him."

Steve plans to work Slamentine back in about 6 days and then to point him toward his debut.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Monday's 9th race at Charles Town, which is a $5,000 Claiming race for 3-year olds and up which have never won two races going 4 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 4 and jockey Luis Perez is named to ride. Perez rode Lord Greystoke in his last race which was an easy victory in which he drew off to win by 4 lengths.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning fourth choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:12 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun day of racing.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Thursday working 3 furlongs in 35.2 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. That work was the bullet out of 15 at the distance in a breeze labeled as “handily”.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice’s assistant, Abby, after the breeze and she said, “I’m totally ecstatic over that effort. I told the rider to just let him go about his business and to not ask him for much. I was expecting something in 36 and change or 37 and change. To get 35.2 without being asked is phenomenal. Furthermore he galloped out in 48.2 and 1:02.3. After this he’s extremely close to his debut.”

We were present for the breeze. Gold Raptor worked to the inside of his workmate. They went around the track head to head and Gold Raptor’s rider sat motionless in the saddle. Around the 1/16 pole he gave Gold Raptor a quick tap and he responded pushing in front of his workmate and sticking his head in front at the wire. What was visibly noticeable was that despite the fast time he had plenty of run at the wire and was in full extension. In the gallop-out Gold Raptor blew past his workmate and finished about 10 lengths ahead of him. The rider was all smiles and had nothing but positive things to say. Back at the barn Gold Raptor was hardly puffing. The final time doesn’t truly convey how impressive this breeze really was.

Linda Rice, who’s in Saratoga, was so impressed with Abby’s report that she wants to bring Gold Raptor to Saratoga to get him ready for his debut.

Linda will continue to work with Gold Raptor. He’s next slated to get some gate schooling beginning in a few days. Linda will continue getting him ready for his debut which is expected to be at Saratoga.

My Indy Kitty breezed Monday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.6 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 38th best out of 46 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, “I worked her in blinkers to try to keep her a bit more focused in the early stages. She went fine. This was to get her ready for the race on Sunday.”

Ron is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on May 30.

Gold Raptor Breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs in 38.05 over the Saratoga dirt training track. That work was 27th best out of 38 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and she said, “That was his first breeze since the sale. It was a nice work. I’m very happy with the way that he went. It was very nice. I’d have to say that it was perfect.”

Linda will continue to train Gold Raptor getting him ready for his debut.

Slamentine breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.60 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 31st best out of 45 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "We worked him a nice easy 4 furlongs. He worked alone and it was more like a maintenance work. We’ll work him back next week. He should be getting close."

Steve plans to work Slamentine next week on roughly a 7 day work schedule moving him forward towards his debut.

Slamentine breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs from the gate in 48 flat over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was the bullet out of 30 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "Last time he was sluggish getting out of the gate but this time he was quick to get out. He’s a quick horse and it was a quick work. He went a nice 4 furlongs but he got tired galloping out to 5. It’s going to take a few more works to get him ready."

Steve plans to work Slamentine next week on roughly a 7 day work schedule moving him forward towards his debut.

William Thomas scored an easy victory on Monday taking the field gate to wire, as he customarily does, and drawing off to win by 8 lengths in a hand ride to notch his second win in a row and fourth overall as he pushed his career earnings up over $100,000.

William Thomas, breaking from the 2nd post, snapped instantly out of the gate as he normally does and immediately found himself on the lead down the backstretch about a length in front of the rest of the field as the quarter went in 22.52. They raced that way into the turn with William Thomas on an easy lead. Jockey John Davila, Jr. was a statue in the irons as they came through the turn. The half went in an easy 46 flat. They came out of the turn with William Thomas opening up by about 2 lengths. He drew off in a hand ride down the lane and won by an eventual 8 lengths.

William Thomas was claimed out of this race for $10,000.

We spoke with jockey John Davila, Jr. after the race and he said, "It was an easy win but the horse was very short-strided especially down the stretch. It was a nice win, however."

We also spoke with trainer Chris Englehart after the race and he said, "I don’t feel bad about getting claimed in this spot. We got the win purse but you could see that the horse wasn’t feeling comfortable out there. He was very rough changing leads at the 1/16 pole and his stride was very short indicating that he’s not comfortable extending. This race was a bit misleading because there was absolutely no speed. William Thomas basically galloped down the backstretch and that’s why he had so much gas left in the tank at the end. If the new owners bring him back in an allowance race I can promise you William Thomas won’t get an easy lead like he did today. He’s going to have to run hard and who’s to say what the outcome will be."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "Claiming races are like poker in that you can never divulge a horse’s condition. That’s why we’ve been close to the vest in our general announcements but the partners are well aware that William Thomas has chips in his knees and it was Steve Klesaris’ strategy to run him in easy races where we were almost assured the win rather than putting him in against tougher and risking exacerbating the knee issues. We stayed in front of the problem and we were able to bank two win purses plus the claim price and avoid a long layoff and/or costly surgery. It’s very disappointing to lose such a successful horse but his physical issues make his upside very limited and we were able to avoid tough situation down the road."

William Thomas earned $8,040 for Monday's victory.

Lord Greystoke scored a convincing victory on Sunday brushing off a horse that attempted to duel with him then drawing off in a hand ride to win by four lengths to break his maiden in convincing fashion at Charles Town.

Lord Greystoke, breaking from the 7th post, broke alertly from the gate and jockey Luis Perez tried for the lead however 3-1 Skip the Patton wanted the lead as well and he out-sprinted Lord Greystoke to the front. They raced down the backstretch with Skip the Patton on the lead on the rail and Lord Greystoke to his outside about a length behind. Luis allowed Skip the Patton to do the all the heavy lifting as the quarter went in 22.11. As they approached the turn Luis decided to turn up the heat and he moved Lord Greystoke up to pressure Skip the Patton and they entered the turn two abreast. As they raced through the turn Lord Greystoke was just cruising along as JD Acosta on Skip the Patton was riding that horse pretty hard. As Lord Greystoke put his head in front it was fairly clear that the race was over as Luis gave Lord Greystoke a tap on the right and then a tap on the left to keep him interested. The half went in a soft 47.01 and Lord Greystoke simply drew off and coasted under the wire in a hand ride.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and he said, "There isn’t much to say. It was straightforward. He ran a great race."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "He went off at 2-5 and ran to his odds. We’re all very excited to have Lord Greystoke break his maiden and get on the board. He won impressively so the hope is that we can get him to get on a roll and get a few pictures on the wall for the partners."

Lord Greystoke earned $6,600 for Sunday's victory.

We'll see how Lord Greystoke comes out of the race and trainer Jeff Runco will point him accordingly.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Sunday's 2nd race at Charles Town, which is a $5,000 Maiden Claiming race for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds going 4 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 7 and jockey Luis Perez is named to ride.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 9-5 Daily Racing Form morning favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race, one DRF handicapper selects him as the second choice in the race, and one DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:24 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas is entered to run in Monday's 2nd race at Finger Lakes, which is a Claiming $10,000 N4L for 3-year-olds and up which have never won four races going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 2 (Program Number 3) and jockey John Davila, Jr. is named to ride. Davila currently leads the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 14 wins and a 42% winning percentage.

William Thomas is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He's the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $13,400.

First race post time is 1:10 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:37 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Finger Lakes for a fun day of racing.

My Indy Kitty is entered to run in Wednesday's 6th race at Hollywood Park which is a Maiden $25,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 7 furlongs. She drew post position 9 and jockey Tyler Baze is named to ride. Baze currently leads the Hollywood Park jockey standings with 14 wins and a 30% winning percentage.

My Indy Kitty is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. She's the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select her to win the race and two DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $15,600.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and My Indy Kitty's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 3:35 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Hollywood Park for a fun day of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 26th best out of 39 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, “She went fine. It’s only 5 days until the race so I didn’t want to kill her.”

Ron is pointing My Indy Kitty to a Maiden race going 7 furlongs at Hollywood Park on May 5.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Wednesday's 8th race at Belmont Park which is a N2X Allowance Optional Claimer for New York State-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 5 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen currently has a 22% winning percentage on the year.

Salt Water Reign is currently 5-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line in a race where the favorite is 3-1. One DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $40,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:45 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs from the gate in 36.4 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 5th best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That work was OK. He went well. He hesitated a little coming out of the gate but we’ll get that taken care of next time. Otherwise he’s coming along."

Steve plans to work Slamentine next week on a 5 to 7 day work schedule moving him forward towards his debut.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 36.2. That work was the bullet out of 38 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s ready for us to run her back and that work was a tightener. We have some options. There is a NY-bred N2X Allowance at Belmont Park on May 2 and there’s a $40,000 Claiming race at Delaware Park on May 10. We’ll take a look at both of those options and continue to look for some others.”

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign trying to get her ready for a race while he looks for an appropriate race in which to enter her.

My Indy Kitty breezed Friday working 5 furlongs from the gate in 1:02.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 22nd best out of 29 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, “She’s at a point now where she’s fit enough to enter her going 7 furlongs. As soon as the next book is out at Hollywood Park I’ll look for something for her at 7 furlongs that makes sense.”

Ron will point My Indy Kitty up to her next race which should be in the early part of May.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Friday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 36.4. That work was 3rd best out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She went well. She should be ready for a race soon. As we’ve discussed it’s an ongoing challenge to find a race for her because she’s run through her conditions. We’ll get her ready and then look for a spot where she fits."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign trying to get her ready for a race while he looks for an appropriate race in which to enter her.

My Indy Kitty breezed Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:04.6 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 18th best out of 20 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, “She worked fine. I had her work alone for the first part of the breeze then had another horse come to her in the second part to the wire to teach her to battle in the late stages of a race. She’s not yet ready to go 1 1/16 so I’ll try to run her in her next race going 7 furlongs. She’ll still need one more breeze next week and then I’ll start to look for a race for her. There’s nothing written in the Hollywood Park condition book but they write a lot of extras there and I’ll begin to keep an eye out for an appropriate race.”

Ron will train My Indy Kitty up to her next race which will be in the early part of the upcoming Hollywood Park meet.

Lord Greystoke ran a very strong second on Sunday at Charles Town after a troubled start.

Lord Greystoke, breaking from the 3rd post position, came out of the gate perhaps a step slow and was immediately slammed by the horse breaking to his direct outside. This took him out of contention and he quickly found himself at the back of the pack as they moved down the backstretch. Jockey Luis Perez immediately went to work to hustle Lord Greystoke up into contention as he picked off horses down the backstretch moving him to fourth place as they entered the turn. The quarter went in 22 flat. They raced through the turn with 9-2 Stored Cobra on top and 6-5 Unsung Encore half a length behind and to his outside with Lord Greystoke about two lengths off the leader to the outside and making up ground rapidly. As they rounded the turn Stored Cobra began to run out of gas and Unsung Encore moved to the lead as Lord Greystoke rallied up to the outside to contend. They came out of the turn with Lord Greystoke going extremely wide and he gave up many lengths as a result of that. They came down the lane with Unsung Encore pulling away and Lord Greystoke having re-rally past horses that he had already passed after giving up ground to them out of the turn. He moved back past Stored Cobra and PassOnMomsImage to move up to second however Unsung Encore was well clear at this point by more than four lengths. The final time went in 52.59.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and Jeff said, "He broke a bit slow but made a nice move getting back into contention. He was just second best today. You have to remember that this is his first time going four and a half furlongs so he’s still learning that kind of racing. We should get through this condition. He’ll probably go off the favorite next race and he should win."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, “We didn’t get the best of trips in this race. He broke slow, got bumped, had to be hustled up and then he came out of the turn extremely wide. Despite all that he finished with a lot of run and was game all the way to the end. We took chips out of his knee last May and he just didn’t return anywhere near the same horse. That often happens unfortunately. The name of this game is running them where they fit so we made the decision to move him to Jeff at Charles Town and drop him to where he can win. We’ll do our best to get a photo for the partners and then let take Lord Greystoke take us as far as he’ll go. We expect to have some fun with him.”

Lord Greystoke earned $2,200 for Sunday's race.

We'll see how Lord Greystoke comes out of the race and Jeff will bring him back most likely in the Maiden Claiming $5000 race at Charles Town on April 25.

William Thomas took the field gate to wire and dug in gamely down the stretch holding off a late charge to win his third race for Hibiscus Stables on Saturday winning by a nose in an exciting photo.

William Thomas, breaking from the 5th post, broke sharply from the gate as he customarily does and jockey David Cohen wasted no time hustling him to the front moving in front of the rest of the pack by a length. They raced that way down the backstretch with 6-1 Extinguish about a length behind on the rail as the quarter went in a blistering 22 flat. They raced that way through the turn with William Thomas setting the pace and Extinguish about a length behind and to his outside. As they neared the end of the turn Extinguish began to make a move to the outside just as they approached the eighth pole. The half went in a wicked 45 flat. William Thomas hugged the rail all the way down the stretch as Extinguish attempted to wear him down to his outside. Extinguish gained ground with every step but William Thomas dug in gamely. As they passed the sixteenth pole it appeared that Extinguish had dead aim and was about to pass and may have possibly put a nostril in front but William Thomas refused to be denied and held him off in a photo and won the race by a narrow nose as the beneficiary of a head-bob. The final time went in 1:10.96 on a day when early speed was not doing well and the track was playing mostly to closers.

We spoke with jockey David Cohen after the race and he said, "I wanted to get him out there and clear so he could relax a little without too much going on around him. He was fully extended at the wire, though. He worked hard for this one."

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "He ran hard and the time was fast for the day. It was a good win for him and for us."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "This was such a gutsy performance by this horse. I’m so proud of him. He’s had a habit of letting other horses past him in the stretch. It’s great to see him finally show some heart and dig in. I think everyone thought that Extinguish was going to pass him in the lane. He dug in and repelled that threat like a true champ. I can’t be any more proud. Steve did a fantastic job getting him back to the races and really showed what a superior horseman he really is and David rode him exactly the right way. Dave likes to be on the front end and so does William Thomas so these two are a very good fit for each other. Just an extraordinary job all around."

William Thomas earned $10,800 for Saturday's victory.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and trainer Steve Klesaris will point him accordingly.

My Indy Kitty breezed Friday working 4 furlongs in 49.6 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 11th best out of 16 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went OK. She’s not ready to go 1 mile and 1/16 yet so I’ll have to breeze her more before we can enter her."

Ron will train My Indy Kitty up to her next race which will be in the early part of the upcoming Hollywood Park meet.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Sunday's 2nd race at Charles Town, which is a $5,000 Maiden Claiming race for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds going 4 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 3 and jockey Luis Perez is named to ride.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as the second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:24 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 6th race at Aqueduct, which is a Claiming $15,000 N3L for New York state-breds 4-year-olds and up which have never won three races or 4-year-olds going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 5 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen currently has a 22% winning percentage nationally in 2010.

William Thomas is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He's the DRF consensus selection in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 3:23 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Lord Greystoke breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs in 35.6 at Charles Town. That work was 3rd best out of 31 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the breeze and Jeff said, "He worked nicely in company with another horse. He did it all on his own. We’ll enter him into that race next Sunday.”

Jeff is pointing Lord Greystoke to a Maiden Claiming $5,000 going 4.5 furlongs at Charles own on April 11.

William Thomas breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49.8 over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. That work was 11th best out of 25 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. I think we’re ready to take a shot with him in a race next Saturday."

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a race at Aqueduct next Saturday.

Slamentine breezed on Friday working 3 furlongs in 39.1 over the Delaware Park dirt track. That work was 7th best out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "I’ve been working him a few times now and he’s getting tired going 3 furlongs. This often happens when a horse ships in from Florida that’s 4 furlongs fit down there. I don’t know why but it’s not uncommon. That’s why I always back them up one furlong when they ship in. Otherwise he’s got a great attitude and he’s very professional. I’ll keep working with him breezing him every 5 to 7 days moving him forward."

Steve plans to work Slamentine next week on a 5 to 7 day work schedule miving him forward towards his debut.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Saturday's 2nd race at Charles Town which is a $5,000 Claiming race is going 7 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up which have not won a race since November 3, 2009; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from post position 4 and jockey Erick Ramirez is named to ride. Ramirez is currently ranked third in the Charles Town jockey standings with 31 wins and a 21% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 7:39 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 15th best out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "This was a nice easy half. She’s doing OK after her brief illness. I’m going to bring her along and then look for a race in the first Hollywood Park condition book."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to her next race which will be in the early part of the upcoming Hollywood Park meet.

Salt Water Reign ran a strong second on Thursday at Aqueduct beaten by a very solid 3-5 favorite while returning from a layoff.

Salt Water Reign, breaking from the sixth post, broke very alertly and veteran jockey Alan Garcia prompted her into contention from the outset. Rosie’s Promises, part of the 3-5 entry with City Broad immediately showed that she wanted control of the pace and Garcia wisely backed off. As they traveled down the backstretch Rosie’s Promises was in front and City Broad, Salt Water Reign, and 7-1 My Anguilla were spread three across the track about a length behind. As they approached the half mile pole Rosie’s Promises continued to set the pace, My Anguilla had moved up to her outside about a length off the lead, City Broad was on the rail about two lengths off the lead, and Salt Water Reign was relaxing in the two-path about three lengths off the lead. The quarter went in 23 flat. They traveled that way almost lockstep through the turn. My Anguilla then rolled up to challenge Rosie’s Promises while Salt Water Reign followed up behind her. Exiting the turn about a length separated the four horses as the half went in 58.4. As they raced into the stretch Salt Water Reign had swung out into the three-path and had racing room in front of her. City Broad appeared to briefly be trapped behind horses. Around the eighth pole City Broad found some racing room and squeezed through a hole and moved to the lead. Salt Water Reign did her best to move up on the outside but City Broad was just better on this day. City Broad won fairly easily and Salt Water Reign moved past Rosie’s Promises and My Anguilla and got up for second. The final time went in 1:11.2.

We spoke with jockey Alan Garcia after the race and he said, "She tried real hard. We simply were beaten by a better horse today. She was second best."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "To be totally honest I handicapped the race and I didn’t see why City Broad was bet down to 3-5. I thought the race was more evenly matched than that. I guess I was wrong. Coming out of the turn I thought we had dead aim but a nice hole opened up for City Broad and that horse had plenty of run in the lane. She’s a really nice horse and it looks like Tom is going to have a lot of fun with her. We’ll take our check and move on."

Salt Water Reign earned $8,400 for Thursday's 2nd place finish.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Slamentine breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 39 flat at Delaware Park in an unpublished work.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was a nice, easy 3 furlong work. This horse goes about his business very professionally. He goes out to the racetrack, goes about his business, then comes back to the barn and eats. He doesn’t get all wound up and he’s not high-strung. He’s really a pleasure to have in the barn."

Steve plans to work Slamentine in company from the gate sometime next week as he prepares him for his debut which should be sometime in April.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race at Aqueduct which is a N2X Allowance Optional Claimer for New York State-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 7 (program number 5) and veteran jockey Alan Garcia is named to ride. Garcia currently has a 15% winning percentage at the Aqueduct meet.

Salt Water Reign is currently 9-2 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. One DRF handicapper selects her as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $42,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 2:56 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Thursday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 50 flat. That work was 4th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She breezed OK. They’re going to write a New York-bred N2X next week which would probably be a good spot for her. I hope to have her ready for that race when it comes up."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign trying to get her ready for a race while he looks for an appropriate race in which to bring her back.

My Indy Kitty breezed Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 8th best out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I worked her in company and she went well. As I’ve said before, this horse needs to have a workmate to keep interested otherwise she loses focus. She went fine and we’ll just keep her pointed to that race on March 21."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to her next race which is a Maiden race going a flat mile on March 21.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 50 flat. That work was 4th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She breezed OK. I’m trying to get her through her issues. I hope to have her ready for a race later in the month."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign trying to get her ready for a race while he looks for an appropriate race in which to bring her back.

William Thomas breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.2 over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. That work was 4th best out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. I’m just bringing him along. We all know the issues with this horse. I’ll just continue working with him until I can get him to a point where he can compete in a race."

Steve will continue to work with William Thomas until he feels he has him at a point where he can be competitive in a race and then enter him accordingly into an appropriate race.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Sunday's 2nd race at Charles Town which is a $5,000 Claiming race is going 6 1/2 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up which have not won a race since October 7, 2009; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from post position 2 and jockey Erick Ramirez is named to ride. Ramirez is currently ranked third in the Charles Town jockey standings with 18 wins and a 19% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and two DRF handicappers select him as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:24 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun afternoon of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 14th best out of 16 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked alone and as usual she went fine for about 4 furlongs and then lost interest. She really needs to work in company. That’s OK today because we’re still a few weeks away from a race so I didn’t want to ask her to do too much. There’s a race in the new condition book for March 21 that I’m pointing her toward."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to her next race which is a Maiden race going a flat mile on March 21.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 37 flat. That work was the bullet out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s doing OK. I hope to have her ready for a race later in the month."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign trying to get her sharp while he looks for an appropriate race in which to bring her back.

William Thomas breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 50.6 over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. That work was 6th best out of 12 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He went OK. We all know the issues with this horse. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing trying to get him right and then run him at that time."

Steve will continue to work with William Thomas until he feels he has him at a point where he can be competitive in a race and then enter him accordingly into an appropriate race.

Salt Water Reign was scratched from Thursday’s race on the decision of Steve Klesaris. Steve is now pointing Salt Water Reign to a race at Aqueduct sometime in March.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Sunday's 9th race at Aqueduct, which is a $15,000 Maiden Claiming race for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 5 and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Aqueduct jockey standings with 84 wins and a 31% winning percentage.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Three DRF handicappers select him to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as his best bet of the day. One DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $15,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:18 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 6th best out of 7 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I had her go an easy 5 furlongs. I’m pointing her to her next race in late March so I didn’t want her to do too much in this work."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to her next race which should be sometime in late March.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very credible third on Wednesday after returning from a brief layoff. He gave a good account of himself and finished in the money and earned a check.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the rail, got out of the gate perhaps a step slow. Dynamic Dino at 14-1 caught a flyer from the extreme outside and out-sprinted the entire field into the first turn and vied for the lead along with 8-5 Madman. They raced that way through the first turn with Madman on the lead, Dynamic Dino off his flank, Royal Rahy behind them and Portuguesemano'war about a length behind him. The quarter went in 23.3. They raced into the backstretch with Madman and Dynamic Dino dueling on the lead and Royal Rahy falling out of it as Portuguesemano'war worked his way up the rail into third about a length behind the leaders. By the time they reached the far turn Dynamic Dino fell back and Portuguesemano'war moved up and Portuguesemano'war found himself boxed in a bit as Madman had a clear go of it about a length ahead on the lead. The half went in 48.1. As they raced through the turn Madman opened up a bit and Portuguesemano'war moved up with him separating from the rest of the pack by about a length. They moved into the top of the stretch with Madman on top and Portuguesemano'war making a bid to his outside. As they reached the sixteenth pole 12-1 Gone Racin came rolling up down the center of the track. The three quarters went in 1:15.2. Gone Racin was full of run in deep stretch and went past Portuguesemano'war and Madman and went on to win as Madman stayed on for second and Portuguesemano'war for third.

We spoke with trainer Tim Hooper after the race and Tim said, "He was coming back off a short layoff and he also missed some days of training due to poor weather. He was tight for this race but could have been a little tighter. He just got a little tired in the stretch. I think he’ll get a lot out of this race and should improve next time. It’s clear that he fits at this level."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, “It’s pretty obvious that he fits this condition at Charles Town as was evidenced by the fact that he went off the favorite. He’s a horse that likes to be on the lead and the pace in this race didn’t exactly go his way. He doesn’t really have a late punch which is what’s necessary to win sprinting. I think his ideal distance is 7 furlongs, 7 1/2 furlongs, maybe a mile. Even though we had the rail, when Dynamic Dino hustled out there at 14-1 along with Madman and Gerry made the decision to take back it made sense at the time to not engage in a speed duel with a longshot. We had to chase Madman around the track and we couldn’t get to him in the end. We’ll bring Portuguesemano'war back next time and see how it goes.”

Portuguesemano'war earned $1,100 for Wednesday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Tim will point him accordingly.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Monday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 38.2. That work was 13th best out of 31 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She went OK. I’m trying to sharpen her up a bit for Thursday’s race."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign while he tries to get her where he wants her for Thursday’s race.

Lord Greystoke breezed Monday working 4 furlongs in 48.88 over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 8th best out of 67 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He worked OK; maybe a little better than some of his prior breezes. I wanted to sharpen him up a bit in anticipation of a possible race this weekend. Additionally, since we never know if the race is going to fill, I wanted to make sure that he didn’t go too long without a breeze.

Linda is pointing Lord Greystoke to a Maiden Claiming $15,000 going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on February 28.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Thursday's 7th race at Aqueduct which is a $35,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 1 and jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik is currently ranked fifth in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 26 wins and a 12% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $36,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 3:20 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs over the Penn National dirt track in 53 flat. That work was 52nd best out of 55 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Tim Hooper after the work and Tim said, "That was just a leg-stretcher. I don’t like to work my horses fast anyway. He’s ready for Wednesday’s race."

Tim has entered Portuguesemano'war to the $5,000 Claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs at Charles Town on February 24.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Wednesday's 3rd race at Charles Town which a $5,000 Claiming race is going 6 1/2 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up which have not won a race since September 21, 2009; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from post position 1 and jockey Gerald Almodovar is named to ride. Almodovar is currently ranked third in the Charles Town jockey standings with 15 wins and a 16% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race, one DRF handicapper selects him as second choice in the race, and one DRF handicapper selects him as third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 8:03 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Lord Greystoke was scratched from Wednesday’s race on the decision of Linda Rice. Linda is now pointing Lord Greystoke to a $15,000 Maiden Claiming race at Aqueduct on February 28.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 4 furlongs in 48.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 5th best out of 25 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "This breeze was an improvement from her previous works. I’m trying to get her to be more involved in the race from the early stages."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to her next race which should be sometime in March.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Wednesday's 6th race at Aqueduct, which is a $12,500 Maiden Claiming race for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 2 and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Aqueduct jockey standings with 67 wins and a 30% winning percentage.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form early morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $14,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 2:52 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign was scratched from Friday’s race on the decision of Steve Klesaris. Steve is now pointing Salt Water Reign to a race at Aqueduct on later in the month.

My Indy Kitty is entered to run in Sunday's 5th race at Santa Anita, which is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 11 and jockey Michael Baze is named to ride. At the current Santa Anita meet Baze has 6 wins and a 10% winning percentage.

My Indy Kitty is currently 15-1 in the Daily Racing Form early morning line in a field with some very competitive looking first-time starters.

The purse for this race is $44,000.

First race post time is 11:00 AM (early post due to Super Bowl Sunday) and My Indy Kitty’s race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 1:05 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at beautiful Santa Anita for a fun day of racing.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Saturday's 9th race at Aqueduct, which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 1 and jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik is currently ranked 4th in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 20 wins and an 11% winning percentage.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race. Three select him as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 4:18 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 4 furlongs from the gate in 49 flat over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 7th best out of 16 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked well. I worked her in company and she went fine. This was her last breeze before her race and she’s ready for us to enter."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Santa Anita on February 7.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is The Personal Girl Stakes $60,000 for New York-bred fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 1 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen is currently ranked second in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 38 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $60,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 3-year-old colt, breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs from the gate in 51.4 at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He came out nice and went well. It was a nice work. I’m going to speak with Steve Klesaris this week about sending Slamentine north to Steve’s barn."

Steven will begin to make arrangements to ship Slamentine to Steve Klesaris at Fair Hill for the next stages of his training.

Lord Greystoke’s Saturday race at Aqueduct was canceled after the third race along with the entire remainder of the card due to extreme cold. The race was brought back as an extra for Friday, February 5th. Trainer Linda Rice will enter him back in that spot.

Portuguesemano’war was scratched from Friday’s race due to a sore hoof. Trainer Tim Hooper doesn’t think it’s serious and Tim is now pointing Portuguesemano’war to a $5,000 Claiming N2Y at Charles Town on February 13.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 1st race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 1 1/16 miles for 4-year-olds and up which have not won two races since July 29, 2009. He'll be breaking from Post Position 4 and jockey Scott Spieth is named to ride. Spieth currently has 5 wins and an 11% winning percentage at the current Penn National meet.

Portuguesemano'war is currently 8-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning in a very contentious race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:30 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs from the gate in 1:01.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 3rd best out of 6 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked well. She received her gate card today. She’s ready for us to enter her into a race. There’s a Maiden Special Weight on February 7 so we’ll point to that spot."

Ron will point My Indy Kitty to the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Santa Anita on February 7.

William Thomas is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Aqueduct, which is a N2X Allowance for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 3 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen is currently ranked second in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 37 wins and a 19% winning percentage.

William Thomas is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $42,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Saturday's 6th race at Aqueduct, which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 3 and leading jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Aqueduct jockey standings with 45 wins and a 26% winning percentage.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two of the four DRF handicappers select him to win the race. Two select him as the second choice in the race. One selects him as his best bet of the day.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 2:52 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Lord Greystoke breezed 5 furlongs in 1:02.89 on Saturday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 13th best out of 26 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He worked OK. Better than some of his prior breezes but not quite as good as last week’s. I’ll give him a once over in the barn on Sunday morning and then decide if we want to enter him for Saturday."

Linda will make a game-time decision as to whether or not she’ll enter Lord Greystoke in the Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 30.

My Indy Kitty breezed Tuesday working 6 furlongs in 1:16.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 6th best out of 7 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I had to work my horses a day earlier than I had intended due to the extreme rains we’ve been getting out here. Had I not worked them today we probably would have missed the rest of the week due to track conditions. There are already standing pools of water on the track and it’s expected to rain more the rest of the week. My Indy Kitty worked well but she simply gets lazy when she works alone. I originally planned to work her in company this week but because I had to rearrange the breeze schedule I was unable to line up a breeze partner on short notice. I’ll work her in company next week. Because the track was wet and the work was off schedule I just wanted them to get them some work and cruise around the track and that’s what they did. The times were slow but that’s not an issue whatsoever. I just wanted to make sure they remained on schedule."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next week going 6 furlongs in company gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime in February.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Tuesday working 6 furlongs in 1:16.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 7th best out of 7 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I had to work my horses a day earlier than I had intended due to the extreme rains we’ve been getting out here. Had I not worked them today we probably would have missed the rest of the week due to track conditions. There are already standing pools of water on the track and it’s expected to rain more the rest of the week. Kat Scratch Fever worked well. Because the track was wet and the work was off schedule I just wanted them to get them some work and cruise around the track and that’s what they did. The times were slow but that’s not an issue whatsoever. I just wanted to make sure they remained on schedule."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next week, possibly from the gate, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be the next running of the Maiden Special Weight on the dirt at Santa Anita which should be sometime in late January.

Lord Greystoke breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.89 on Saturday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 8th best out of 19 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He went very well. He actually worked 4 furlongs in 48.3 and galloped out in 1:01.4. He’s ready to run now. The next Maiden Special Weight is in the book for January 30 so we’ll point to that. That’s two weeks away so I’ll probably put one more work into him which will only help him. If they put up an extra between then and now I’ll skip the breeze and enter him."

Linda will breeze Lord Greystoke back next week and then look to enter him into a Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 30.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 3-year-old colt, breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs from the gate in 41 flat at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He went an easy 41 because it was his first time working out of the gate. He came out good and went nice. I’ll work him back in 7 to 10 days again out of the gate."

Steven will work Slamentine back on roughly a 7-to-10 day breeze schedule giving him valuable gate schooling before he ships north to Steve Klesaris at Fair Hill Training Center.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 6 furlongs in 1:17.6 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 8th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She actually went well. She worked alone this morning and she really gets lazy when she works alone. She goes well for about 4 furlongs and then she loses interest. She works very competitively when she’s in company, though. I see a lot of A.P. Indy in her in the way that she goes. I continue to think that she’ll be a good two-turn horse and she’ll do her best running late. Her early races are going to be sprints so we’ll have to see if she can come from off the pace and get up in time going short or if she’ll need to stretch out to win. I’ll have a better gauge of that once she races and shows her running style. I’ll work her back next week 6 furlongs in company and take it from there."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next week going 6 furlongs in company gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime in late January.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs from the gate in 1:01.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 9th best out of 15 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went very well. She came right out of the gate and did what the rider asked her to do. I told the rider to work her in 1:01 and that’s essentially the final time of the breeze. She received her gate card today. I’ll work her back next week going 6 furlongs and then the following week either 3 or 5 furlongs from the gate as a tightener before her race. She’s going to be a speed type and I want her to get out quickly and race up close to the lead so we’ll school her a bit to do that."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next week going 6 furlongs gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be the next running of the Maiden Special Weight on the dirt at Santa Anita which should be sometime in late January.

Salt Water Reign ran fifth on Friday at Aqueduct after contesting the pace while stretching out to 1 mile for the first time in her career.

Salt Water Reign, breaking from the third post, broke very alertly and jockey Fernando Jara hustled her out to the lead and was joined by the 6-5 favorite Cape Cod Girl to the inside. They went through the first turn with Cape Cod Girl on the rail and Salt Water Reign in the two-path and 9-2 McVictory about a length behind them. The quarter went in 24.1. They raced through the backstretch with Salt Water Reign moving up next to the pacesetting Cape Cod Girl while McVictory, Judge Margaret, and Burning Calories all closing the gap and racing no more than a length behind. The half went in 48.4. They entered the far turn tightly packed with Cape Cod Girl on the lead and Salt Water Reign moving up to challenge and the others across the track right behind. As they reached the top of the stretch Salt Water Reign had moved head to head with Cape Cod Girl and it appeared that she was ready to mount a run. When they passed the eighth pole she had actually moved her nose in front as the three-quarters went in 1:14.4. Deep into the stretch Salt Water Reign had eked out a half-length lead but she was reaching her distance limitation. She began to get leg-weary and at the same time Starship Angel, who had been left at the gate, was completing a last-to-first move by rolling up on the far outside. Salt Water Reign was running out of gas past the sixteenth pole and dropped back and had to settle for fifth place as four other horses moved past her near the wire.

We spoke with jockey Fernando Jara after the race and he said, "She was OK. The race was probably too long for her."

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "We didn’t need to be that close up to the lead. Fernando is a young aggressive jockey and he’s never ridden her before. You can see that a mile is beyond her reach. The question had to be answered and now it has. We’ve run through all the conditions with this horse and we’ve tried the grass and now we’ve tried two turns. Now we know that she’s a one-turn dirt horse."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "Ramon Dominguez was out of town and Rosie Napravnik had first call on another horse so we had to go with a rider that’s never been on her before. He didn’t know the horse and he didn’t exactly give her the best ride based on her running style. It doesn’t make that much difference because she wasn’t going to win this race no matter what kind of trip she got. This race was an experiment and we now have the answer to our question. We’ll go back to the drawing board and stick with sprinting."

Salt Water Reign earned $1,350 for Friday's 5th place finish.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Lord Greystoke breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.88 on Thursday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park in a work classified as "handily". That work was 15th best out of 39 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He may or may not need one more breeze before we can run. I'll have to see how he trains and make a decision on the day they draw entries."

Linda will either breeze Lord Greystoke back or look to enter him into a Maiden race going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 16.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 20th best out of 28 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked well. She worked in company and she handled it very well. I'll work her back next week going 6 furlongs."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next week, stretching her out to 6 furlongs, as he gets her ready for her debut which is expected to be sometime in late January.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 16th best out of 28 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went well. She's doing very well. Next week I'll work her back 6 furlongs"

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next week, stretching her out to 6 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime in late January.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is an Allowance N2X for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races other than maiden, claiming, starter, or restricted or which have never won three races, going 1 mile. She drew post position 3 and jockey Fernando Jara is named to ride.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign's Sunday race at Aqueduct was canceled as the entire card was canceled due to frigid temperatures and high wind. The race was brought back for Friday, January 8 and trainer Steve Klesaris will enter her back in that spot.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt, breezed on Thursday working 4 furlongs in 53.4 at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He went well. I think he'll need one more work and then he should be ready to ship north to Steve Klesaris."

Steven will work Slamentine back, probably on Thursday, on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule then begin to make arrangements to ship Slamentine to Steve Klesaris at Fair Hill for the next stages of his training.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 7th race at Aqueduct, which is a N2X Allowance for New York state-breds 4-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 5 (Program Number 6) and leading rider Ramon Dominguez is once again named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Aqueduct jockey standings with 13 wins and a 26% winning percentage.

William Thomas is the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. The DRF consensus selects him as the second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and two DRF handicappers select him as the second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $42,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 3:16 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Sunday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is an Allowance N2X for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races other than maiden, claiming, starter, or restricted or which have never won three races, going 1 mile. She drew post position 10 and apprentice jockey Angel Serpa is named to ride. Serpa is currently ranked eighth in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 6 wins and a 13% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently 6-1 in Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 27th best out of 30 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went OK. She's lazy when she's not in company. Next week I'll work her back 5 furlongs again but this time in company."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back in about a week, likely going 5 furlongs, this time in company, gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime in January.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Tuesday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 8th best out of 14 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, " She worked well. I plan to work her back 6 furlongs alone next week and then work her from the gate in company the week after that. At that point, if all goes well, we can start to look for a race for her in the second Santa Anita condition book."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back in about a week, stretching her out to 6 furlongs, as he gets her ready for her debut which is expected to be sometime in January.

Lord Greystoke breezed 5 furlongs in 1:04.42 on Tuesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 12th best out of 14 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "The training track was a bit heavy and cuppy today after the weekend's snowfall. He's coming along although not as quickly as I'd have liked following the layoff. He'll need more work in the mornings before he'll be ready. I'll work him back in about ten days and hope to have him ready for a race in mid-January."

Linda will breeze Lord Greystoke back in about ten days and point him to a Maiden Special Weight going 5 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 16.

My Indy Kitty breezed Monday working 4 furlongs in 49.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 18th best out of 35 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked fine other than that she was goofing around a little down the stretch. She needs to work in company to work faster. I’ll plan to work her 5 furlongs alone next week and then 5 furlongs in company the week after that."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back in about a week, likely going 5 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime in January.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt, breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs in 39.2 at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He did it nice. He went out very well and he finished very well. This was his third 3 furlong work so if all goes well I’ll work him back 4 furlongs next week."

Steven will work Slamentine back, probably on Saturday, on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule.

Portuguesemano'war ran a respectable fifth on Thursday surrendering the lead in the stretch and tiring after stretching out to 1 mile 70 yards.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 5th post, broke well and found himself up close and three-wide into the first turn. Midway through the turn Back to Back Jacks and Shifty’s Prospect opened up a lead and raced that way into the backstretch. Those two horses had a three length lead over Portuguesemano’war who himself had a three length lead over the rest of the field. They raced that way through the backstretch as the quarter went in 22.93. Portuguesemano'war slowly closed that gap as they raced through the backstretch and wound up off the flank of Shifty’s Prospect making a move in the three path as the half went in 47.25. As they raced through the far turn Portuguesemano'war moved to nudge his head in front and was on the lead as they passed the quarter pole. Eventual race winner Special Minute ranged up to the outside of Portuguesemano'war and challenged for the lead as they exited the turn. By the time they were midway down the stretch Special Minute had drawn away and Portuguesemano'war was tiring along the rail. Second place finisher Mount Weather rolled up to Portuguesemano'war’s outside and Portuguesemano'war ultimately held on for fifth place as he was passed by two other horses in deep stretch.

We spoke with jockey William Ottero after the race and William said, “I may have moved him a touch too soon. He ran well.”

We also spoke with trainer Tim Hooper after the race and Tim said, "I thought he ran a good race. The water was a little deeper in this race than I would have liked. The jockey may have moved him a bit too early also. The horse pretty much did what I expected him to do. Moving him back to the $4000 level will help him and maybe cutting him back in distance, too. We’ll have to see."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, “This was a tough spot. We tried twice to get this horse in the $4000 N2Y race but twice it didn’t fill. We were more or less forced into this spot which was a double jump. Then we lost Dana Whitney, who won for us last time, to the favorite because we had told him that we were pointing to the $4000 race. He committed to the favorite and he couldn’t break that commitment to ride back for us when we wound up in this race. That horse wound up being an early scratch and Tim could have made a late switch back to Dana but he doesn’t like to do that so we stayed with Bill Ottero. Bill is the leading rider at the meet and there’s little difference between him and Dana. Considering that this wasn’t our primary choice in race level and the musical jockeys we’ll happily take our fifth place money and move on.”

Portuguesemano'war earned $420 for Thursday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Tim will point him accordingly.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 49.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 23rd best out of 36 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I’m pleased with this breeze. It was somewhat of a leg-stretcher after a few weeks off. She didn’t lose much fitness. I’ll work her back a sharp 5 furlongs next week and then if all goes well 6 furlongs the week after that. We can start to look for a race for her in the second Santa Anita condition book."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back in about a week, stretching her out to a sharp 5 furlongs, as he gets her ready for her debut which is expected to be sometime in January.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Thursday's 8th race at Penn National which is a $5,000 Claiming race going 1 mile 70 yards for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since June 17, 2009; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 5 and leading jockey William P Ottero is named to ride. Ottero currently leads the Penn National jockey standings with 173 wins and a 19% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 8-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $14,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 9:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Monday working 3 furlongs in 36.60 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 7th best out of 26 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "The clockers put her down for 3 furlongs but she actually went 4 furlongs in 49 or so. I worked her from the 3/8 pole to a point 1/8 after the wire. I worked her alone but she unintentionally hooked up with another horse that was breezing down the lane. When that horse pulled up at the wire My Indy Kitty pulled up with her. Despite that she worked fine. Next week I’ll probably work her from the 1/2 pole to the wire."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back in about a week, probably going another 4 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime in January.

Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 50.42 on Friday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 6th best out of 22 at the distance on a day when the bullet went in 49.83.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He continues to do well. So far he’s had no issues. I think he’ll need about two more works before he’ll be ready for a race."

Linda will continue to breeze Lord Greystoke on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule and point him to a Maiden Special Weight going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 2.

Salt Water Reign ran a credible third on Thursday at Aqueduct beaten by a very strong 2-5 favorite after a less-than-ideal trip.

Salt Water Reign, breaking from the inside post, broke sharply from the gate and found herself along the rail with four other horses to her outside as there appeared to be an early battle for the lead. Jockey David Cohen made the strategic decision to take back with Salt Water Reign and allow the other horses to slug it out on the front end. The 2-5 favored Saarlight won that battle and held an early lead with Indian Rush to her immediate outside and Star Over Malibu and Motor City Mama about a length behind them. Salt Water Reign was a about a length behind them in fifth down the backstretch as the quarter went in 22.70. They raced that way down the backstretch and then, as they entered the turn, Salt Water Reign appeared to be caught flat-footed and lost about another length as they began to quicken. They raced through the turn with Saarlight opening up a lead and Indian Rush, Star Over Malibu and Motor City Mama spread across the track chasing her with Salt Water Reign caught in fifth behind that wall of horses. The half went in 45.75. When they came out of the turn the rail opened up a bit and Salt Water Reign ducked into that hole and made a run and pushed her way up past Start Over Malibu and Motor City Mama and actually gained second place about midway through the stretch. She began to bog down along the very dead rail as she approached the eighth pole and Quiet Mover made a strong rally down the center of the racetrack ultimately blasting past the rest of the field and even made a brief run at Saarlight. Salt Water Reign was able to hang on for third.

We spoke with jockey David Cohen after the race and he said, "She went fine. It was a good effort off the layoff. If I didn't make the move to the rail we wouldn't have gotten third."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "Kiran's horse (Saarlight) is G2-placed but was coming off a layoff. She was entered to run in a stake on Sunday and they scratched her. I had one of our people reach out to Kiran to find out if his horse was live and he said his horse 'was going to be tough to beat'. Based on that I knew we had our work cut out for us because I've known Kiran for a while and he's one of the few trainers that gives you the straight scoop if you ask him. He's never led us down the garden path. I like to race late in the day because it gives you an opportunity to see how the track is playing. There was a strong outside bias going all day and it got more pronounced as the day wore on. It was obvious that the rail inside the eighth pole was dead as a doornail. Dave and I discussed this before the race but sometimes things don't quite unfold the way you want them to. Dave's hand was forced coming out of the turn and he had to make a split-second decision. I don't blame him. Had we been up close and outside then we get the stretch trip that Rosie took (on Quiet Mover) and maybe we get second. I'm content with third off the layoff against a very talented horse like Saarlight. I think Salt Water Reign can win at this condition against the right field so I'm not concerned in the least."

Salt Water Reign earned $4,700 for Thursday's 3rd place finish plus an additional $470 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt, breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 38.4 at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He worked a nice easy 3 furlongs. He went out well and came home well. He did it nice. I’ll work him back in about a week again going 3 furlongs. If all goes well we’ll stretch him out to 4 furlongs the week after that."

Steven will work Slamentine back, possibly on Wednesday, on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 3 furlongs in 38.60 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 22nd best out of 24 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "The clockers put her down for 3 furlongs but she actually went 4 furlongs in 51 and change. It was a leg-stretcher after the week off. She went well and worked within herself. Overall it was fine."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next weekend, probably going another 4 furlongs, gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around late December.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Thursday's 8th race at Aqueduct which is an Allowance N2X for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races other than maiden, claiming, starter, or restricted or which have never won three races, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 1 and jockey David Cohen is named to ride. Cohen is currently tied for second in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 3 wins and a 21% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $47,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:44 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas handled a field of first-level allowance foes at Aqueduct on Friday taking the field gate-to-wire and drawing off by more than three lengths.

William Thomas, breaking from the 4th post, broke sharply from the gate as he customarily does, and found himself on the lead being pressed by Golden Boychick off his right flank. They raced that way down the backstretch and into the turn as the quarter went in 22.61. They continued that way through the turn as the half went in 45.93. They entered the top of the stretch as jockey Ramon Dominguez cut the corner very nicely and William Thomas held a one-length lead. They reached the eighth pole with William Thomas extending his lead to two lengths as Golden Boychick began to weaken. William Thomas repelled Golden Boychick and crossed the wire in hand and drew away in a final time of 1:09.95.

We spoke with Dominguez after the race and he said, "He went really well. He was all out at the end but he wasn't getting tired or anything. It was all good."

We also spoke with Hibiscus Stables CEO Mike Oliveto after the race and Mike said, "I feel very good to get this win under the belt for the partners. There was a certain unspoken frustration beginning to mount as the last five races for this horse were on a wet track. It's fairly clear now that there's a direct correlation between his performance and the moisture in the track. I always believed from the day we bought this horse that he had talent and today he flashed a bit more of it. Ray Flynn, Steve Klesaris, Paul Sharp…they all pounded the table on this horse and today we showed that they all know what they're talking about. It was a nice win for our advisors, our program, and mostly for our partners."

William Thomas earned $25,800 for Friday's victory.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and trainer Steve Klesaris will point him accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N2X at Aqueduct.

Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 49.22 on Wednesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 35th best out of 69 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He continues to do great. I'm just bringing him along and getting him ready. He'll probably need two or three more breezes so he should be ready right after the Holiday break."

Linda will continue to breeze Lord Greystoke on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule as he prepares for his return which is expected to be in late December.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 49 flat. That work was the bullet out of 9 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s doing exceptionally well. After that breeze she’s ready for us to look for a race for her."

Steve will point Salt Water Reign to the N2X Allowance going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on December 9.

William Thomas breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 38 flat over the dirt track at Delaware Park. That work was 6th best out of 8 at the distance.

We spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was a tightener before Friday’s race. His knee has been bothering him a bit. He should be OK for Friday but it will be something we’ll need to keep an eye on."

William Thomas is entered to run in an N1X Allowance going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on December 4.

William Thomas is entered to run in Friday's 1st race at Aqueduct, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 4 and leading rider Ramon Dominguez is once again named to ride.

William Thomas is the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. The DRF consensus has William Thomas as the third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as his second choice in the race and three DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs in 38.4 at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

We spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "It was a nice easy three eighths. I’m very pleased. He’s doing great and has no issues. I’ll work him back another three eighths next Saturday."

Steven will work Slamentine back next Saturday on a 7 day breeze schedule.

Portuguesemano'war, for the fourth time in his career, won his debut race with a new trainer, this time rolling to a 2 3/4 length victory in his first career race with trainer Tim Hooper.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 2nd post, left the gate sharply and found himself immediately on the front end with Sheikh to his immediate inside. They raced that way throughout the first turn and as they entered the backstretch Portuguesemano'war was about a head in front of Sheikh and the 6-5 favored Rocky Blue was about two lengths behind them in third. The first quarter went in 24.2. About midway through the backstretch Rocky Blue mounted his challenge as he moved up to the outside of Portuguesemano'war and the 25-1 Sheikh started to drop back a bit along the rail. The half went in 48.4. As they raced into the far turn Rocky Blue turned up the heat on Portuguesemano'war and the two horses raced heads apart and separated themselves from the rest of the field by as many as seven lengths. As they reached the top of the stretch Portuguesemano'war began to inch away and as they neared the eighth pole Portuguesemano'war had repelled Rocky Blue and opened up daylight on that rival. Portuguesemano'war continued his drive to the wire and won the race by an eventual 2 3/4 lengths.

We spoke with trainer Tim Hooper after the race and Tim said, "I knew the race was pretty much devoid of early speed so I told the jock to make sure he got out of the gate and to get involved early. I told him that he didn't have to be on the lead but to make sure he was part of the mix. I was pretty surprised to see Sheikh out there with us but I wasn't too worried about that one. I spoke with Dana after the race and he said the horse was going really well and you could see down the backstretch his ears were flopping around and he was just really enjoying himself out there. I had a feeling this horse would do well on the stretch-out. It was a nice win."

Portuguesemano'war earned $7,200 for Friday's victory.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Tim will point him accordingly.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Wednesday working 6 furlongs in 1:14.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 3rd best out of 12 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I'm pleased with this work. She did the first quarter in 25 and change and she finished well. I put a new rider on her and that rider was able to get her to relax. Next week I'll work her a sharp 5/8s from the gate in company and not attempt to throttle her. I'll let her run as if in a race and we'll look for 5/8s in 59 seconds or so. This next work will be very telling."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Wednesday as he gets her ready for her debut which is expected to be sometime around mid December.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 9th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 1 mile for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since May 27, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 2 and leading jockey Dana Whitney is named to ride. Whitney is currently ranked 5th in the Penn National jockey standings with 72 wins and a 23% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 8-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 50.11 on Monday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 33rd best out of 78 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He continues to do great. Don't get caught up in the time of the breeze. We're not working him for speed right now. We're putting air in his lungs. We're building up his wind. He's getting a nice solid bottom as we gear him up for his return race."

Linda will continue to breeze Lord Greystoke on roughly a 7 day breeze schedule as he prepares for his return which is expected to be in mid-to-late December.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt breezed on Saturday working 2 furlongs in 25 flat at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala. He galloped out the next furlong in 14 seconds.

Mike spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He went very well. The first couple of works he did fine but he was still trying to figure it out. This breeze was much better and I’m very pleased. So far he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He came out of the work fine and I’ll plan to stretch him out to 3 furlongs next week."

Steven will work Slamentine back next Saturday on a 7 day breeze schedule.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:05.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 25th best out of 25 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "It was extremely foggy. I was unable to see her on the backstretch while I was standing on the apron. I can’t imagine how the clockers could have possibly have gotten a time on her. If in fact she did go in 1:05 it was because the rider couldn’t see anything. She went fine and came out of the work fine. I’m going to breeze her back three quarters on Wednesday.”

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Wednesday stretching her out to 6 furlongs as he gets her ready for her debut which is expected to be sometime around mid December.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt training track in 49.27. That work was 24th best out of 79 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She's doing superbly. I wish I had more to add but there's no better way to put it. She's doing great and we're going to start to look for a race for her."

Steve will train Salt Water Reign up to a return race which will probably be sometime towards the beginning of December.

William Thomas breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs in 36.82 over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 4th best out of 18 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He's doing great; possibly the best since he's been here. He's totally ready for his next race. We'll point him to that N1X on November 28 but I'll also keep an eye on the overnights to see if they put up an extra for him."

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance going 6 ½ furlongs at Belmont Park on November 28.

Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 49.94 on Tuesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 59th best out of 114 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He went very well. The time appears to be a little slow but don't let that fool you. The training track was playing a little slow today and this was his first 4 furlong breeze and only his second overall breeze since returning from the layoff. He's doing great."

This was Lord Greystoke's second breeze since returning from a layoff. Linda thinks he should be ready for a return race around mid-December.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 4 furlongs in 48.80 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 23rd best out of 44 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She galloped out in 1:02. I'm very pleased with that work. I worked her in company and she went well. She maintained her professionalism while in company and she's coming along right on schedule. I'll work her back in company again next week and stretch her out to 5 furlongs."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Saturday gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Slamentine, the Grand Slam 2-year-old colt breezed on Saturday working 2 furlongs at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

Mike spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "He worked a nice easy quarter again this week and he went fine. I'm very pleased with his progress so far. I'll work him back another quarter next week and if all goes well we can look to stretch him out to 3/8s the following week."

Steven will work Slamentine back next Saturday on a 7 day breeze schedule.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Friday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 11th best out of 21 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I worked her in company and unlike last week where she went very well this week she was very rank. I was disappointed with the work but it's not the end of the world. I'll just have to give her more gate schooling and manage her training accordingly. I'll work her back next week on schedule and stretch her out to 6 furlongs.

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Thursday or Friday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime around December 1.

Portuguesemano'war ran a respectable sixth in his race on Tuesday at Penn National being involved in the pace for the first half mile before tiring in the stretch.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 7th post, broke alertly and found himself quickly in contention for the lead to the direct outside of the 4-5 favorite Divisa. Portuguesemano'war also had company to his direct outside by 99-1 Dancin Daniel. They raced that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in 23 flat. They entered the turn with Divisa opening up a one length lead as Rocky Blue moving up on the inside to move onto the second position. Portuguesemano'war remained on the outside in third as the half went in 46.3. In the stretch Divisa and Rocky Blue battled heads apart to the wire as Portuguesemano'war couldn't keep up. Portuguesemano'war tired a bit in the lane and settled for sixth place.

Portuguesemano'war earned $200 from a supplemental purse account for Thursday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N1Y.

Lord Greystoke, breezed 3 furlongs in 36.74 on Monday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 4th best out of 10 at the distance and only 1/10th of a second off the bullet.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "He went very well. He returned from the farm in excellent condition. He'll need about 3 or 4 more breezes and then he should be ready to run."

This was Lord Greystoke's first breeze since returning from a layoff. Linda thinks he should be ready for a return race around early December.

William Thomas breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 51.3 over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 60th best out of 65 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "I wanted to get him some work to keep his head clear. We don't have a race coming up for a while so I just put him out there to go a nice each half to give him a leg-stretcher. When we get closer to the race I'll work him a sharp 3/8s or so."

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance going 6 ½ furlongs at Belmont Park on November 28.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt training track in 48.26. That work was 8th best out of 65 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She's doing excellent. She did that all on her own without the rider even asking her to do anything. Had we asked her she might have gone in 45. I couldn't have asked anything more of her. She went nice and easy and when she came back she wouldn't have blown out a match. I'll breeze her back another half and then a sharp 5/8s and then start to look for a race for her."

Steve will train Salt Water Reign up to a return race which will probably be sometime towards the end of November.

The Grand Slam 2-year-old colt breezed on Saturday working 2 furlongs at Steven Venosa's farm in Ocala.

Mike spoke with trainer Steven Venosa after the breeze and Steven said, "This was his first real breeze. I worked him a nice easy quarter and he went very well. He came out of it great. His ankles are fine and his shins are fine. I'll breeze him back next Saturday. The loose plan is to work him a few more quarters then a few three eighths and then a few halves. When he gets to that point I'll work him from the gate a bit. At that point it will probably be time to send him up to Steve Klesaris for more training at the racetrack."

Steven will work the colt back next Saturday on a 7 day breeze schedule.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 4 furlongs in 50.60 over the Hollywood Park track.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I told the rider to go nice and easy with her because it was her first work in company. Sometimes when a horse works in company for the first time they get all excited and lose their heads. You like to get them to take it easy and relax. I was pleasantly surprised because she remained very calm and just went about her business. She was composed and very professional. I was very pleased. I'll work her back probably in 6 days and try to get her to go closer to 48."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Saturday gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Tuesday's 9th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since May 10, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 7 and jockey Gilberto Ramos Delgado is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 8-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:02 flat over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 11th best out of 23 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went well. She went 25.3 for the first quarter which means that she finished in 36.2 which is a nice work considering it was her first 5/8s work."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Wednesday or Thursday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime around December 1.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Saturday working 3 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt training track in 37.28. That work was 16th best out of 42 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She galloped out in 50. She's doing excellent. We're thinking she'll be ready towards the end of the month."

Steve will train Salt Water Reign up to a return race probably sometime towards the end of November.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49.80 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was the 18th best out of 30 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went OK during the first part of the breeze then she lost focus. I need to put her in company next time. I'll work her back in company going 4 furlongs next week."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back Saturday on a 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Thursday working 4 furlongs in 48.2 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 4th best out of 22 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went well and galloped out in 1:01.3. She was a touch tired after the work. She worked in company and they tend to get a little more tired when in company because of the excitement. It wasn't until after the work that she was blowing a little. She's ready to go 5 furlongs next time."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Wednesday or Thursday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime around December 1.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 50.40 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was the 34th best out of 45 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went nice and easy and came out of the work well. I'll work her back again at 4 furlongs, probably next Saturday."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back Saturday on a 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

William Thomas ran a disappointing fourth on Saturday at Belmont Park after dueling through stiff fractions and tiring in the stretch.

William Thomas, breaking from the 3rd post broke sharply from the gate however Extinguish, at 21-1, was a step quicker and William Thomas found himself outside and off the flank of that rival. Bawana Jake, the 2-5 favorite joined the fray from outside of William Thomas and the three horses battled down the backstretch opening up a four length lead on the rest of the field into the turn. Those three horses were strung across the track as the quarter went in a sizzling 21.73. They raced through the turn and William Thomas moved a neck in front of Extinguish and then Bawana Jake moved a neck in front of William Thomas as they raced through the turn. Bawana Jake moved to the lead and moved over on William Thomas and William Thomas didn't seem to like that and dropped back a step. They came out of the turn with Bawana Jake pulling ahead as the half went in 45.17. Extinguish was hanging tough on the rail and William Thomas began to fall back. As they reached the eighth pole it appeared that the 2-5 favored Bawana Jake was going to pull away but 9-1 South Bronx came flying from the clouds down the middle of the track and got up just in time to beat Bawana Jake who was a bit leg-weary at that point. William Thomas settled for fourth.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and he said, "We got caught in a speed duel in some suicidal fractions. None of the three horses that were on the lead won the race. It was tough for any of the horses to set those fractions and then be there at the end."

William Thomas earned $2,150 for Saturday's fourth place finish.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to the next running of the N1X at Belmont Park.

Tonight at Penn National there was rain and the track was labeled as sloppy.

Because Portuguesemano'war does not like to run on a wet track and also because he was returning on 8 days rest we decided to scratch him and instead point him towards the next running of the race on October 31.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Thursday working 4 furlongs in 48.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 5th best out of 15 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She's getting better as she slims down. I can see that she'll have plenty of early speed. I haven't worked her far enough to know about stamina yet. I'll work her back in 6 or 7 days either going 4 furlongs in company or an easy 5 furlongs."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Wednesday or Thursday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime around December 1.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 3rd race at Belmont Park, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 3 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 33 wins and a 16% winning percentage.

William Thomas is the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. Two DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 2:01 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Wednesday working 3 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt track in 36.21. That work was 3rd best out of 12 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She's doing excellent. We're just putting her through her paces gearing her up for her return race."

Steve will train Salt Water Reign up to a return race probably sometime towards the end of November.

William Thomas breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs in 37.43 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 8th best out of 11 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was his tightener for Saturday's race. He went great and he's doing excellent. All systems are 'go'"

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance going 6 furlongs at Belmont Park on October 24.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 3rd race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since April 23, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 11 and 25% jockey Dana Whitney is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as his third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

Portuguesemano'war has demonstrated that he detests a wet track and as such, because we're wheeling him back on short rest, we'll scratch if the track comes up wet.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 7:34 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs in 36.40 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was the bullet out of 20 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I'm very pleased with the way that this horse is coming along. She does everything I ask her to do. I'll work her back next time going 4 furlongs."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Friday or Saturday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Friday working 4 furlongs in 49.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 20th best out of 26 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "It was her first time going 4 furlongs. She went fine. It was what she was ready for. She'll go a little faster next time."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Thursday or Friday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which is expected to be sometime around December 1.

Portuguesemano'war ran a disappointing eighth out of eight horses in the race on Thursday over a sloppy track.

As in his last race over a sloppy track, there's very little to describe in this race. Portuguesemano'war broke again very slow from the second post and found himself racing seventh out of eight down the backstretch. He made a mild rally up the rail in mid-race and moved to a mid-pack fifth by the quarter pole. He failed to rally in the stretch, faded down the lane, and settled for an eighth place finish.

We spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "It's the same as we've been saying for a while. Portuguesemano'war just plain out hates a wet track. There's not much more to add."

Portuguesemano'war earned $200 from a supplemental purse account for Thursday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N1Y.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Thursday's 8th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since April 15, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 3 and 25% jockey Dana Whitney is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. All four of the DRF handicappers select Portuguesemano'war to win the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 9:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Sunday working 3 furlongs in 36.16 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 3rd best out of 6 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, “He worked an easy 3 furlongs in what was basically a leg-stretcher. When a horse gallops for a period of time they can get a bit wound up because they want to get out there and run. This breeze was to allow him to get out there and clear his head a bit. He went very well.”

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance going 6 furlongs at Belmont Park on October 24.

My Indy Kitty breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs in 38 flat over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 9th best out of 16 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She’s still learning to navigate through the turn. She’d also benefit from some company on the racetrack. I’ll work her back 3 furlongs again next time and put her with another horse."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Friday or Saturday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Friday working 3 furlongs in 36.4 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was the bullet out of 6 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She went nice and did it easily. She’s doing great and is ready to go a quarter next time."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Thursday or Friday on a 6 or 7 day work schedule gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 3 furlongs in 39.4 seconds over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 15th best out of 17 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "This was her first true 3 furlong breeze which meant it was her first time working in the turn. She was a bit green and confused and her usual rider wasn't on her for this work and she went a bit slower than she otherwise might have. I expect that she'll work a bit faster next time."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Saturday gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs in 37.8 over the Hollywood Park track. That work was 9th best out of 17 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She worked fine. We're working a little weight off her. She's coming along well and should breeze back a bit faster next time."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Friday gearing her up for her debut which could be sometime around December 1.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very strong 4th at Penn National on Wednesday night dueling through some very sharp fractions and weakening in the final stages of the race.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 4th post, broke well from the gate and after a few jumps moved up to challenge Purified and the two horses dueled down the backstretch. They raced that way down the backstretch opening up a two length lead on the rest of the pack as the quarter went in 22.1. As they raced into the turn Purified, on the outside, was about a neck in front of Portuguesemano'war who was on the rail. Fancy Dan moved up in the three-path to challenge as the half went in 45.3. As they entered the top of the stretch Purified maintained his half-length lead over Portuguesemano'war and Fancy Dan loomed on the outside. As they hit the eighth pole Portuguesemano'war began to tire slightly while Fancy Dan rallied on Purified. As they reached the sixteenth pole Portuguesemano'war began to weaken a bit as the stiff fractions took their toll on him. He dropped back by a couple of lengths as Fancy Dan and Purified battled to the wire. Layton made a late charge for third and Portuguesemano'war settled for fourth.

We spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "That was a very strong effort. I told the jockey to stay close I but didn't tell him to go to the lead. I'm not sure what the kid was thinking or why he gunned him. He's young and a bit inexperienced and possibly a bit hungry. I didn't like the trip at all. This particular N1Y was very salty and I think Portuguesemano'war ran a bigger race than that which shows in the chart."

Portuguesemano'war earned $720 for Wednesday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N2Y on August 28.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 3 furlongs in 37.8 seconds over the Hollywood Park track.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She really worked 1/4 in 24.1. The clockers recorded the gallop out in 37.8. She's coming along fine. I'm pleased with her progress. We'll just keep her on a regular breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Saturday or Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

William Thomas returned to Belmont on Sunday and ran a very solid second to a very nice horse named Al's Deputy.

William Thomas, breaking from the 3rd post jumped instantly to the lead and within a couple of strides found himself a full length in front of the rest of the field. He took them that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in 22.34. Fotografia at 20-1 tried to make a mild challenge in the turn but didn't get much more than to the rear hip of William Thomas as he continued to lead the way approaching the quarter mile pole. The 4-5 favorite Al's Deputy mounted his bid along the outside in the turn and 20-1 Papa Jerry made his move to the inside. William Thomas led the way to the half in 46.16. They came out of the turn and into the stretch and William Thomas was still on top and he dug in gamely down the lane as they approached the eighth pole. When they hit the sixteenth pole Al's Deputy proved to be too much as he wore down William Thomas and moved ahead. William Thomas settled for second and finished a good 4 ¼ lengths ahead of the third place horse.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and he said, "He ran a great race today. He was simply second best. We lost to a very good horse but I was very pleased."

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and Steve said, "It looks like his hoof issue is behind him. He ran a very good race and was game in the stretch. It was a good effort."

William Thomas earned $10,320 for Sunday's second place finish.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to a N1X at Belmont going 6 furlongs on October 24.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Wednesday's 9th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won one race since March 30, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 4 and jockey Manual Chavez is again named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form early morning line fifth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs in 38 flat over the Hollywood Park track.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She really worked 1/4 in 24.1. The clockers recorded the gallop out in 38. She's coming along fine. I'm pleased with her progress. We'll just keep her on a regular breeze schedule getting her ready for her debut."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Saturday or Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

William Thomas is entered to run in Sunday's 10th race at Belmont Park, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs on the turf. He drew post position 6 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 12 wins and a 17% winning percentage.

Excluding the MTO entrants William Thomas is the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 5:47 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 48.12 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 4th best out of 28 at the distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "He's been doing much better since we returned to Belmont Park. Something was bothering him at Saratoga. I had regular rider Ramon Dominguez work him today in company with another horse. I asked Ramon to have William Thomas rate behind the other horse and then, when he felt the time was right, push the button and move around him. Ramon was extremely pleased with the work and said that William Thomas behaved like a new horse."

Trainer Steve Klesaris is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance at Belmont either going 6 furlongs on the turf on September 27 or going 6 1/2 furlongs the dirt on October 3. We'll know more as we get later into the week.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Sunday working 3/8 in 39 flat over the Hollywood Park track.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She really worked 1/4 in 25.3. The clockers recorded the gallop out in 39. She's doing fine. I'll work her back sometime next weekend and probably have her go an actual 3/8."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Saturday or Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 1/4 in 25.3 seconds over the Hollywood Park track in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "She's doing really well. I'll work her back again sometime next weekend. She'll probably work 1/4 again."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Saturday or Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Sunday working 1/4 in 25.3 seconds over the Hollywood Park track in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I didn't want to do too much with her because it was her first work over the new surface. She went well and I'm pleased. I'll work her back next Sunday and we'll move onward and upward."

Ron plans to work Kat Scratch Fever back next Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

My Indy Kitty breezed Sunday working 1/8 in 12.3 seconds over the Hollywood Park track in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "I didn't want to do too much with her because it was her first work over the new surface. She went well and I'm pleased. I'll work her back next Sunday and we'll move onward and upward."

Ron plans to work My Indy Kitty back next Sunday gearing her up for her debut.

Portuguesemano'war ran a disappointing eighth out of nine horses in the race on Saturday over a sloppy track.

There's very little to describe in this race. Portuguesemano'war broke again very slow from the fourth post and found himself racing ninth out of nine down the backstretch. He raced that way all the way around and never got involved in the race.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "It's obvious he hates the sloppy track. It's as simple as that. We'll have to keep plugging until he catches a fast track."

Portuguesemano'war earned $200 from a supplemental purse account for Saturday 's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N1Y on September 30.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Saturday's 6th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since March 12, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from Post Position 4 and jockey Luis Munar is again named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects Portuguesemano'war as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 8:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Thursday's 8th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 5 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won a race since March 10, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He's four deep on the AE list (Program Number 15). If he scratches in he'll be breaking from an outside post and jockey Luis Munar is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $12,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 9:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Friday working 3/16 in 18+ seconds over the Santa Anita dirt training track in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "They just renovated the main track at Santa Anita and I didn't want to breeze any horses on that surface until they have a chance to work out all the kinks. I worked Kat Scratch Fever over the dirt training track. Because it's a 6 furlong track and the turns are tight I only wanted to work her down the lane. She did fine and it was a nice leg-stretcher for her first breeze. I'll be moving my string back to Hollywood Park and Kat Scratch Fever's next breeze will be there in about a week or so."

Ron will work Kat Scratch Fever every 6 to 7 days gearing her up for her debut.

William Thomas ran a disappointing fifth on Sunday over a muddy sealed track.

William Thomas, breaking from the 5th post went immediately to the front as he usually does and was quickly challenged by Toque. Toque, at 16-1 was intent with dueling with William Thomas so Ramon Dominguez made the decision to apply the brakes a bit and concede the lead to Toque as the first quarter went in 22.27. The 4-5 favorite Al's Deputy moved up along the outside and Dominguez wasn't going to allow him to get by so he opened up a bit with William Thomas and it was three horses across the track as they entered the turn. The half went in 45.40 as William Thomas poked his head in front rounding through the turn. Exiting the turn Al's deputy rolled in front of William Thomas and by the time they got to the eighth pole William Thomas had little for the drive. At the sixteenth pole he had packed it in and settled for a fifth place finish.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and he said, "I tried to rate him but I could only get him to rate so much. With a horse like this the shorter the better."

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and Steve said, "His hoof had been bothering him for about a week leading up to the race. You could see in the race it was bothering him more than we thought. Once he switched to his right lead he stopped running. If this race weren't against only five other horses with a $58,000 purse we probably would have scratched and brought him back at Belmont. He was about 80% going into the race and with the short field and the large purse it was worth taking a shot. We'll get his hoof straightened out before we bring him back."

William Thomas earned $1,740 for Sunday's fifth place finish.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war ran a disappointing eighth as the 5-2 favorite on Friday over a sloppy track.

There's very little to describe in this race. Portuguesemano'war broke uncharacteristically slow from the second post and found himself racing tenth out of ten down the backstretch. He raced that way all the way around swinging two wide on the turn but never mounted any significant rally and finished eighth. He ran evenly and only lost the race by 7 lengths, only missed 3rd by 3 lengths, and indeed posted a respectable Beyer of 59.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "He had bad luck at the break and he doesn't really care for the slop. He'll be fine."

Portuguesemano'war earned $200 from a supplemental purse account for Friday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly. He'll be eligible for a little class relief and Stephanie will most likely point him to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N1Y on September 10.

Sextant ran a disappointing eighth on Thursday after pressing the pace and tiring against a tough field of colts at Saratoga.

Sextant, breaking from the 9th post broke sharply from the gate and moved to the front alongside 2-1 Indian Ashton as the two raced side by side down the backstretch. That pair continued along down the backside with Indian Ashton to the inside and Sextant to the outside opening up by as much as a full length from the rest of the field. The quarter went in 22.53 as they moved into the turn with Sextant and Indian Ashton keeping the strong pace. As they moved into the top of the stretch Sextant began to tire as Indian Ashton moved ahead and the rest of the field began to make up ground on Sextant. By the time they got to the eighth pole Sextant was empty and she faded as the rest of the field moved past her. By that point jockey Alan Garcia wrapper up on her and she settled in for an eighth place finish.

We spoke with jockey Alan Garcia after the race and he said, "She was very eager and difficult to rate which is unusual for her. It was probably because she was a bit too fresh off the layoff. She was going very well before she just ran out of gas."

We also spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and Linda said, "This was a very tough spot going against some hard knocking colts. We weren't even supposed to run in this spot. We entered as part of an entry just in hopes of taking a look at the field with the option to scratch without penalty. We would have scratched but the entry mate came up lame and we therefore had to run or get days. We opted to run despite the fact that she was short and probably needed a breeze or two more. We can't put too much emphasis on this result for many reasons."

Sextant earned $120 for Thursday's race.

We'll see how Sextant comes out of the race and Linda will point her accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Saturday's 8th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since March 1, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 2nd post position and jockey Luis Munar is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as the second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 9:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas is entered to run in Sunday's 1st race at Saratoga, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 6 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Saratoga jockey standings with 31 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

William Thomas is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form second choice in the race. William Thomas is currently the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race, two DRF handicappers select him as the second choice in the race, and one DRF handicapper selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $58,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Saratoga for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs in 48.89 over a sloppy dirt track at Saratoga. That work was 3rd best out of 6 at that distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was a nice move. I'm pleased. As long as he comes out of the work OK we're ready to rock and roll on Saturday."

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance at Saratoga going 6 furlongs on August 29.

Sextant is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race at Saratoga which is a $20,000 Claiming race, for 3-year-olds and up which have not won 2 races since February 24, going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. She'll be breaking from the 10th post position (Program Number 2B) and jockey Alan Garcia is named to ride. Garcia is currently ranked 2nd in the Saratoga jockey standings with 25 wins and a 21% winning percentage.

Sextant is currently the 3-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. One of the DRF handicappers selects her as his second choice in the race and two DRF handicappers select her as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $24,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Sextant's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 3:13 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Saratoga for a fun day of racing.

Sextant breezed 4 furlongs in 48 flat on Friday over turf training course at Saratoga. That work was 14th best out of 32 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and Linda said, "She went very well; very well. She'll probably need one or two more breezes before she's ready but I want to begin now looking for a spot for her to race before the end of the Saratoga meet. I think she'll love the grass course here and I want to get a race in here very badly."

Linda will likely breeze Sextant back next Friday and look to enter her into a race next week before the end of the Saratoga meet.

William Thomas breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs in 48.66 over the dirt track at Saratoga. That work was 12th best out of 46 at that distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "It was a nice work. We wanted him to go an easy 4 furlongs in 50 or so but William Thomas just went a bit faster. Regular jockey Ramon Dominguez rode him and Ramon was surprised at the final time because he thought it went slower. It was a good breeze. We'll continue to work to get him ready for his next race."

Steve is pointing William Thomas to a N1X Allowance at Saratoga going 6 furlongs on August 29.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very game 2nd at Penn National on Friday, once again showing a great deal of heart in the stretch, getting nipped at the wire for the win in a very tight photo.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 3rd post, broke well from the gate but Blond Actor was quicker and went to the lead with Minute of Fame, Kriterion, and Portuguesemano'war strung three across the track about one length behind him. They moved that way down the backstretch as the quarter went in 22.18. As they entered the turn Blond Actor was still on the lead but Portuguesemano'war had moved up a bit to be second just off his flank while the other horses had dropped back a bit. They moved that way through the turn with the half going in 45.36. Blond Actor was setting the fractions and Portuguesemano'war was two-wide pressing him every step of the way. They moved to the top of the stretch and Blond Actor opened up a two length lead but Portuguesemano'war refused to let him slip away. As they moved down the lane Portuguesemano'war fought back and made up ground with every step. As they approached the wire Portuguesemano'war had moved up alongside Blond Actor and they traded strides all the way to finish line. They hit the wire in tandem and it took a photo to determine the final outcome of the race. Blond Actor hung on for the win and Portuguesemano'war was about an inch behind him for second. It was a hugely game effort for Portuguesemano'war and he once again showed tremendous heart all the way to the wire. The final time of the race was 1:11 flat which is the fastest that Portuguesemano'war has ever gone 6 furlongs.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "It was a great try. We'll just try again in two weeks."

Portuguesemano'war earned $2,600 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and trainer Stephanie Beattie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N2Y on August 28.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 4th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since February 14, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 3rd post position (Program Number 4) and jockey Manuel Chaves is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently 8-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 4 which is scheduled to go off at 7:58 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas ran a very solid second on Saturday after setting a blistering pace on a day where speed along the rail was the worst place to be and stalkers and closers were beneficiaries of a clear track bias.

William Thomas, breaking from the 10th post on the extreme outside snapped right out of the gate and Jockey Ramon Dominguez moved him to the front and then down to the rail as they neared the half-mile pole. Into and through the turn William Thomas was on the lead and was pressed by 11-1 Phantom Gunslinger through torrid fractions of 22.01 and 44.87. As they entered the stretch William Thomas hung on courageously and even managed to extend is lead a bit. However, the wicked fractions and the track bias worked against him as stalker and second favorite Dixieland Star moved to the middle of the track and ran him down in the final 50 yards of the race. William Thomas finished 2nd in the race.

William Thomas earned $11,040 for Saturday's second place finish.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N1X at Saratoga.

Portuguesemano'war ran an even 5th at Penn National on Friday missing the win by 5 ½ lengths.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 2nd post, broke alertly from the gate and found himself along the rail about one half length off the lead into the backstretch. The fractions were blistering as the quarter went in 21.92 with Paco on the lead and Transpose a close second with Portuguesemano'war about a length behind in third. By the time they reached the 1/8 pole Portuguesemano'war had dropped back to fifth and they finished that way with the 5 ½ furlongs going in a final time of 1:04.4.

Portuguesemano'war earned $390 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Stephanie will point him accordingly.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 3rd race at Saratoga, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 10 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez recently won the Belmont Park Jockey standings with a record 98 victories and currently has a winning percentage of 27% for 2009.

William Thomas is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $55,200.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 3, which is scheduled to go off at 2:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Saratoga for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 7th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 5 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since January 31, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 2nd post position (Program Number 3) and jockey Manuel Chaves is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning line 4th choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 9:14 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Thursday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.24 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 25th best out of 32 at that distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "Regular jockey Ramon Dominguez was out of town for this work but I was able to use a rider that had ridden William Thomas before. Originally I had planned to work him in company but because Ramon wasn’t on him I didn’t want to do anything too complex. I worked him alone nice and easy and he went fine. Up to this point Ramon had put him through all of his various lessons and was extremely pleased with his professionalism. I don’t think we left anything on the table. We’re going to ship to Saratoga on Monday and I want as many days as possible to allow him to get acclimated with the surroundings and comfortable with the track. We’re pointing him for a race on August 1 and we don’t want him looking around at the sights during the race. I’ll probably give him an easy two-minute leg-stretcher on Wednesday or Thursday and also try to school him in the paddock one day that week."

William Thomas will ship to Saratoga on Monday. Steve will point him to a N1X Allowance at Saratoga going 6 furlongs on August 1.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very strong 3rd at Penn National on Friday showing a great deal of heart in the stretch and missing the win by only 1 ½ lengths.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 4th post, broke well but found himself in the second tier. Blond Actor, Red Dirt Road, War Tempo, and You Don't Listen all went to the lead and were strung four across the track. Portuguesemano'war sat the rail trip about two lengths behind the leaders. As they reached the half mile pole You Don't Listen had dropped back to the immediate outside of Portuguesemano'war. As such, Portuguesemano'war found himself completely boxed in with three horses strung across the track in front of him and one horse directly next to him. They entered the turn and jockey Manuel Chaves' decision was made for him as he had no choice but to skim the rail and hope something opened up in the stretch. As they came out of the turn and into the top of the stretch front running War Tempo moved off the rail a bit and Chaves tried to move Portuguesemano'war up. Portuguesemano'war fought gamely down the stretch despite there not being very much room between War Tempo and the rail. Portuguesemano'war pulled up to within a half length of the lead but the late closing Red Dirt Road came flying up the outside and outfinished everyone. War Tempo held on for second and Portuguesemano'war held on gamely for third only beaten by 1 ½ lengths.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "It was a great try by both the horse and the jockey. He got in tight along the rail in deep stretch. I expect another big Beyer out of this race. We'll try again in two weeks."

Portuguesemano'war earned $1,430 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Stephanie will point him accordingly, most likely to the next running of the $4,000 Claiming N2Y on July 31.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 9th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since January 17, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 5th post position and jockey Manuel Chaves is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 6-1 Daily Racing Form morning 3rd choice in the race. He's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:02.22 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 2nd best out of 15 at that distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "Regular jockey Ramon Dominguez worked him and was very pleased. Ramon worked him in company directly behind another horse to allow him to experience getting dirt kicked in his face. Then Ramon moved him inside the other horse and we squeezed him between the other horse and the rail and William Thomas went right through the hole. He was very professional. He's very professional in everything he does. I plan to have Ramon work him back next Wednesday and this time I'll have Ramon work him outside his workmate. We're trying to teach him to be versatile so that he can rate and move inside or outside. We already know he can win on the lead. He's doing excellent learning all of his lessons and so far he's done everything we've asked him to do."

Lisa will work William Thomas back next Wednesday at 4 furlongs as we point him to a N1X Allowance at Saratoga going 6 furlongs on August 1.

Salt Water Reign failed to fire on Friday finishing 4th beaten about four lengths in an open Allowance N2X at Belmont Park.

Salt Water Reign broke instantly from the gate and found herself about one half length in front of the pack. However World Gone Wrong, Ocean Goddess, and Mrs Rabbits all vied for the lead in a dual. Jockey Ramon Dominguez, having no intention of getting involved, took Salt Water Reign back and allowed her to settle into a stalking position along the rail about one length behind the frontrunners. They raced that way through a quarter in 22.21 around the turn. Dominguez pushed the button toward the end of the turn and Salt Water Reign began to move up and made a bit of a challenge at the top of the stretch. By mid-stretch Ocean Goddess was pulling away but Salt Water Reign had moved into second. As they moved into deep stretch Salt Water Reign began to flatten out and two late closers, Sneaky Girl and Blitzensfoxyvixen moved up for second and third respectively and Salt Water Reign hung on for fourth.

We spoke with jockey Ramon Dominguez after the race and he said, "When it was time to run I didn't have much horse under me. Maybe she needs a break."

We also spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan before and after the race and Lisa said, "She didn't come out of that last race in the slop as good as I would have liked. In that race she was all out down the middle of the track in the mud. She wasn't really 100% going into today's race so we'll have to see how she is coming out."

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "She didn't run her race today but we need to remember that it was still an open N2X. We'll see how she is and point accordingly."

Salt Water Reign earned $2,350 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Friday's 3rd race at Belmont Park which is an Allowance N2X for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races other than maiden, claiming, starter, or restricted or which have never won three races, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 3 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez is currently ranked first in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 75 wins and a 24% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice. She's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race. Three DRF handicappers select her as second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $47,000.

First race post time is 3:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 4:00 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very respectable 4th at Penn National on Friday chasing a legitimate pace and only losing by 2 ½ lengths and missing third place money by a neck.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 8th post, broke well but the two pure speed horses, Tormento de Oro and Blond Actor burst to the lead. Portuguesemano'war settled into the two path about two lengths off the leaders. They raced that way for the entire backstretch run and into the turn before Portuguesemano'war made a three-wide move in an attempt to make a run. He swung out of the turn very wide and tried to move up but he didn't have enough kick to make an impact on the two front runners who ultimately went gate to wire. Portuguesemano'war began to tire in deep stretch and he drifted in. He tried his best to hold third but was ultimately caught by the late charging Mr Sexy Cat. Portuguesemano'war held on for fourth place money only beaten 2 ½ lengths overall.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "The jockey said that he got a little rough around the 1/8 pole and you could clearly see him drifting in. He only lost by 2 ½ lengths. We'll have the vet take a look at him and we'll see where we go from here."

Portuguesemano'war earned $780 for Friday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Stephanie will point him accordingly.

Iron Curtain is entered to run in Wednesday's 4th race at Belmont Park which is an Allowance N2X for 3-year-olds and up foaled in New York State which have never won two races other than maiden, claiming, or starter or which have never won three races, going 6 furlongs on the turf. He'll be breaking from the 9th post position and jockey John Velazquez is named to ride. Velazquez is currently ranked 7th in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 26 wins and a 20% win percentage. It was John Velazquez who last season piloted Iron Curtain to a draw-off victory at Saratoga on the last day of the meet.

Iron Curtain is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Iron Curtain's race is Race 4 which is scheduled to go off at 2:36 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

After a dull performance off a layoff Iron Curtain returned to his customary competitive form going seven furlongs and hanging on in a nail-biting photo to earn his third career win.

Iron Curtain, breaking from the 2nd post, broke sharply from the gate and jockey Ramon Dominguez moved him down to the rail. Harmonic Man, Karakoram on Black, and Prime Obsession also moved out to the front and Dominguez, knowing that those horses were 48-1, 54-1, and 26-1 respectively allowed them to slug it out on the front end as he settled in behind in a stalking position along the rail. They raced that way into the turn and Dominguez continued to allow Iron Curtain to sit the pocket trip past the quarter pole. Iron Curtain then moved up behind Harmonic Man. Karakoram on Black had been racing in the two-path so Iron Curtain was able to race up next to him. As they neared the quarter pole Dominguez, knowing that Harmonic Man was 48-1 and extremely unlikely to keep up the pace, was able to swing Iron Curtain out and past that tiring rival. As they neared the top of the stretch Iron Curtain was about a half length in front and beginning to open that lead. Iron Curtain dug in very gamely as they came down the stretch. As they reached the 1/8 pole he was about one length ahead but Marq of Love was flying up the outside and Thunder Minister was flying up the rail. All three horses reached the wire fully extended. Iron Curtain was doing a respectable job holding off Marq of Love but Thunder Minister got to him along the rail. As they hit the wire it was clearly too close to call. After examining the photo and the officials posted the order of finish Iron Curtain was listed on top. He had notched his third career win and he wasn't claimed.

We spoke with Dominguez after the race and he said, "I got him out and got him to relax. He sat nice but I had to move him sooner than I wanted to because the #4 was starting to get tired and I didn't want to get caught behind him. Iron Curtain was very game all the way to the wire. He ran a great race. When we run at Saratoga going 5 ½ furlongs we can let the early speed go and sit back more and then make a move and he'll be gone. That distance will be perfect for him."

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and Steve said, "I'm going to wheel him right back into an allowance on Wednesday. We can see how he comes out of the race and see how that race comes up and then decide if we want to run. Having him entered in the race will give us options."

Iron Curtain earned $16,800 for Thursday's victory plus an additional $1,680 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards.

We'll see how Iron Curtain comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N2X at Belmont; possibly on Wednesday, July 8.

Sextant breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.88 on Tuesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 3rd best out of 11 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and Linda said, "I was very pleased with the work. We'll keep her on a regular breeze schedule and we'll run her when she's ready. I'd estimate that we'll have ready to go by the beginning of the Saratoga meet."

Linda will breeze Sextant on a regular basis as she readies Sextant for her next race which is expected to be early in the Saratoga meet.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 9th race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since January 3, 2009; races where entered for $3,500 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 9th post position and jockey Manuel Chaves is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him as second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $13,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 9 which is scheduled to go off at 10:02 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Iron Curtain is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race at Belmont Park which is a Claiming $35,000 N3L for 3-year-olds and up which have never won three races, going 7 furlongs on the turf. He'll be breaking from the 3rd post position and jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez is currently ranked 1st in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 62 wins and a 23% win percentage.

Excluding the MTO entrants Iron Curtain is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race. Iron Curtain is the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race. One selects him as the second choice in the race. One selects him as third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $28,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Iron Curtain's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 3:08 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt track in 51.14. That work was 38th best out of 40 at the distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "That work was to get her out there and stretch her legs a little. She came out of her last race jammed up a bit and she's just now straightened out so I didn't want to do too much with her."

Steve will keep Salt Water Reign ready as he continues to look for a suitable race for her.

Iron Curtain breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt track in 54.17.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "I didn't want to do too much with him because he went so fast in his last work and I knew we were pointing to a race this week. Overall I was pleased with the work."

Trainer Steve Klesaris will continue to keep Iron Curtain fresh as he points him to his next race.

Iron Curtain's Sunday race at Delaware Park was washed off the turf and, as such, he was scratched. Trainer Steve Klesaris will continue to look for an appropriate race for Iron Curtain.

William Thomas ran a very solid second on Saturday losing to a horse that had previously been G3 placed. William Thomas turned in a very professional performance while posting a Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

William Thomas, breaking from the 4th post, broke instantly from the gate and immediately found himself dueling with Rereadthefootnotes, the horse to his immediate outside. Sensing the duel jockey Alan Garcia allowed Rereadthefootnotes to settle back a length or so as Ramon Dominguez allowed William Thomas to set the fractions on the front end. They raced that way as the quarter went in 22.55 and the half in 45.69. When they reached the quarter pole Rereadthefootnotes moved up next to William Thomas as they raced stride for stride for a while. Ultimately Rereadthefootnotes moved ahead and won the race as William Thomas took second.

We spoke with Dominguez after the race and Ramon said, "That race went very fast. We lost to a very talented horse. Overall I'm very pleased."

Mike also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and Steve said, "That race was fast. We were pressed the entire way from the outside and that's a tough position to be in. We're going to be fine with this horse. He ran a good race."

William Thomas earned $8,600 for Saturday's second place finish.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N1X at Belmont.

Portuguesemano'war's Saturday race at Penn National was canceled after the first race along with the entire remainder of the card due to unsafe track conditions. Trainer Stephanie Beattie will look to enter him back the next time his race becomes available.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 8th race at Belmont Park, which is a N1X Allowance for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 4 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is again named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 49 wins and a 22% winning percentage. It was Dominguez who rode William Thomas to an impressive maiden win in his prior start.

William Thomas is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the DRF consensus selection to win the race. Two DRF handicappers select him to win the race, one DRF handicapper selects him as second choice in the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas' race is Race 8, which is scheduled to go off at 4:44 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Saturday's 10th race at Penn National which is a $5,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since December 20, 2008; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 3rd post position and jockey O Flores is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. He’s tied for the DRF consensus selection to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects him as second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $15,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 10 which is scheduled to go off at 10:26 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Iron Curtain is entered to run in Sunday's 8th race at Delaware Park which is a N3L Allowance for 3-year-olds and up, going 5 furlongs on the turf. He'll be breaking from the 9th post position and jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik is currently ranked 3rd in the Delaware Park jockey standings with 29 wins and a 19% win percentage. Rosie did a tremendous job riding for Hibiscus during the Aqueduct meet and we're elated to have her back in our colors riding Iron Curtain.

Iron Curtain is currently the 2-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $40,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Iron Curtain's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:24 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Delaware Park for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas breezed on Tuesday working 4 furlongs in 51.02 over the dirt track at Belmont Park labeled as "good". William Thomas was only 1 of 3 horses to work at that distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "That work was just to get his lungs open and some air into him. It was wide around the dogs over a wet track. We knew with all this rain that we've been getting that he was probably going to race over a wet track so we wanted to breeze him over a wet track to get an idea if he liked it. He went just fine."

Trainer Steve Klesaris intends to enter William Thomas in Saturday's N1X Allowance at Belmont Park going 6 ½ furlongs.

Iron Curtain breezed on Sunday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt track in 47.12 in a work that was labeled "handily". That work was the bullet out of 88 at the distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "It was a very useful breeze. He hasn't raced in a while and we needed to get him some work. I would have liked for him to have gone in 48 or 49 but he just wanted to run."

Trainer Steve Klesaris will continue to keep Iron Curtain fresh as he points him to his next race.

Salt Water Reign ran a very strong second on Friday beaten by a nose in a tight photo in a head bob at the wire.

Salt Water Reign broke instantly from the gate and wound up with her head in front after only a few strides. When a speed duel began to emerge jockey Ramon Dominguez took Salt Water Reign back and allowed the other three horses to battle it out on the front end. The front runners were spread three across the track with I'llthinkofsumthin on the inside, Dance Lesson in the middle, and Chanced on the outside. Blitzensfoxyvixsin had the rail about one length behind and Salt Water Reign was to her immediate right. They raced that way into the turn and remained that way entirely throughout. As they exited the turn Dominguez swung Salt Water Reign wide around all three pace setters and into what was essentially the five-path as they rolled down the lane. I'llthinkofsumthin racing on the rail began to inch away and Salt Water Reign came up moving down the middle of the track. By the time they hit the 1/16 pole Salt Water Reign was at I'llthinkofsumthin's throatlatch and they rumbled stride for stride for the wire. They both crossed the wire at the same time and it was a very tight photo for the win. When the photo was posted I'llthinkofsumthin was ahead by a nose in what was a heartbreaker.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "I don't like losing this race. This is a case where we had the best horse but got beaten due to circumstances. We planned this spot and everything fell perfectly into place. The race got washed off the turf, the field scratched down to 5 horses, we had the even money favorite. This is a race we should have won. Unfortunately the best horse doesn't always win. We'll simply move on."

Salt Water Reign earned $7,600 for Friday's 2nd place finish plus an additional $760 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Sunday's 6th race at Charles Town which is a $6,500 Claiming race going 6 ½ furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won a race since December 14, 2008; races where entered for $5,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He'll be breaking from the 6th post position and jockey JD Acosta is named to ride. Acosta is currently ranked first in the Charles Town jockey standings with 129 wins and a 25% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite. Portuguesemano'war is the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race, one DRF handicapper selects him as the second choice in the race and two DRF handicappers select him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $16,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 3:00 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run as a Main Track Only entrant in Friday's 7th race at Belmont Park, which is a $35,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf. She drew post position 12 (Program Number 10) and jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez is currently ranked first in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 42 wins and a 23% winning percentage.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 5-2 the Daily Racing Form morning line favorite.

The purse for this race is $38,000.

First race post time is 3:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 6:04 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Iron Curtain breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt training track in 51.07. That work was 22nd best out of 27 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was just a leg-stretcher to keep him fresh. There's a N2X on the turf on June 18 and we're going to have him ready to go in that spot."

Steve will continue to keep Iron Curtain fresh as he points him to his next race which will be the NY-bred N2X at Belmont Park going 6 furlongs on the turf on June 18.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Belmont Park dirt training track in 51.08. That work was 24th best out of 27 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was just a freshener. As discussed because she's run through her conditions it's increasingly difficult to find a race for her. We're going to keep looking but for now she's in a holding pattern. We need to keep her ready for anything that may show up as an extra."

Steve will keep Salt Water Reign ready as he continues to look for a suitable race for Salt Water Reign.

William Thomas crushed a field of maidens on Saturday in his return from a seven-month layoff. Jockey Ramon Dominguez piloted him gate to wire in what was nothing short of a hand ride. He sat like a statue in the irons never moving the whip or shaking the reigns. William Thomas drew off in hand to win by seven lengths in what was essentially a public workout while posting a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

William Thomas, breaking from the 7th post, broke instantly from the gate and immediately found himself leading the field by a full length. There’s not really much to say after that as Dominguez held him in a vice-like grip getting him to relax while coasting along on the front end. William Thomas was never challenged as they reached the top of the stretch and Dominguez simply let him out and he drew off in hand to win by a very easy seven lengths. Dominguez allowed William Thomas to gallop out to 6 furlongs and he said that there was still plenty in the tank as the horse was never tested.

We spoke with Dominguez after the race. Mike asked him, “Was it as easy as it looked?” Ramon simply said, “Yes.”

We also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after learning that William Thomas posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 in the race. Steve said, “Wow! Looks like we may have a nice one in the making.”

William Thomas earned $24,600 for Saturday's victory.

We'll see how William Thomas comes out of the race and Steve will point him accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N1X at Belmont.

Sextant is entered to run in Wednesday's 2nd race at Belmont Park which is a N1X Allowance for New York-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf. She'll be breaking from the 3rd post position and jockey Alan Garcia is named to ride. Garcia is currently ranked 9th in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 10 wins and a 14% winning percentage. We're pleased to have Garcia back in the irons as it was he who piloted Sextant to her debut win and near stakes-placed finish in her 2-year-old season.

Sextant is currently the 3-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. She's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. Three of the DRF handicappers select her as their second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Sextant's race is Race 2 which is scheduled to go off at 1:32 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas is entered to run in Saturday's 7th race at Belmont Park, which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 5 1/2 furlongs. He drew post position 9 and jockey Ramon Dominguez is named to ride. Dominguez currently leads the Belmont Park jockey standings with 21 wins and an 18% winning percentage.

William Thomas is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form early morning line second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and William Thomas’ race is Race 7, which is scheduled to go off at 4:12 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Kat Scratch Fever breezed Sunday working 2 furlongs in 25 flat at Hollywood Park in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the breeze and Ron said, "They don’t publish 2 furlong works so it didn’t show up anywhere. It was only her first breeze since returning and she went a strong 25."

Ron will work Kat Scratch Fever every 6 to 7 days gearing her up for her debut.

William Thomas breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 47.12 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was the bullet out of 39 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He’s shown me enough. Ramon Dominguez, who works him in the mornings, likes him. He’s ready. It’s time to get started with him."

Steve has entered William Thomas in Saturday’s Maiden Special Weight at Belmont Park going 5 ½ furlongs.

Portuguesemano'war ran a very strong 3rd at Penn National on Thursday chasing a very hot pace and tiring in the final jumps to get caught for second while posting a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 64.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 3rd post, broke alertly as did many other horses. Eventual wire-to-wire winner Otis of Atlantis edged away from the pack and established position on the front end as Portuguesemano'war found himself about two lengths behind along with a few other horses. They raced that way down the backstretch before Portuguesemano'war began to edge up and take second position into the turn still a good length and a half behind the leader. Portuguesemano'war raced two-wide throughout the turn trying to mount a rally but Otis of Atlantis was just too good as he drew off and won convincingly. The fractions were some of the swiftest that Portuguesemano'war has ever faced and he got a bit leg-weary in deep stretch and was run down and nipped for second by Texas Tycoon.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "He ran a good race. He tries real hard every time he goes out there. He hadn’t run in a while and he just got a bit tired at the end. This race should do him some good. Overall it was a good race. He’s in great physical condition so we should be able to bring him back for the $4000 race on May 30."

Portuguesemano'war earned $1,980 for Thursday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race. Stephanie is planning to wheel him back to a $4000 Claiming race at Penn National on May 30.

Portuguesemano'war breezed Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Penn National dirt track in 50 flat in a work that was labeled as "handily". That work was 6th best out of 16 at the distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the work and Dave said, "He needs to show a published work within 30 days in order to race so we had to put him out there. He didn't go that hard."

Stephanie has entered Portuguesemano'war to the $5,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs at Penn National on May 21.

William Thomas breezed Sunday working 5 furlongs in 1:03.06 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 15th best out of 21 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He continues to do fine. He'll probably need one or two more breezes before he'll be ready to go."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May or early June.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Thursday's 7th race at Penn National which is a $5,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. He'll be breaking from the 3rd post position (Program Number 4) and jockey Luis Munar is again named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently 9-2 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. One DRF handicapper selects him as the second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 9:14 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas breezed Monday working 5 furlongs in a blistering 59.17 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was the bullet out of 37 at the distance and more than a second faster than the next horse.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Lisa Sloan after the breeze and Lisa said, "I was completely in shock. He did that completely on his own without any asking whatsoever. The rider didn't use the whip or even jiggle the reigns. When I asked the clockers and they said 59 I thought they made a mistake. Usually when a horse comes back from a work they're huffing and puffing. With him if you had held a match up to his nose it wouldn't have gone out. It was absolutely incredible. I think I'd like to work him next in company. Maybe have some horses off his side and have some dirt kicked in his face. But after that work I'd say he's getting close."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Friday's 5th race at Belmont Park, which is a N2X Allowance for New York-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 7 furlongs on the turf. She drew post position 3 and jockey Cornelio Velazquez is named to ride in the absence of her regular rider Ramon Dominguez. Dominguez happens to be out of town on that day riding at Pimlico on the Preakness Friday stakes filled card.

Salt Water Reign is currently 12-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. She's the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 3:08 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Iron Curtain is entered to run in Friday's 8th race at Belmont Park which is a N2X Allowance for New York-breds, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf. He'll be breaking from the 5th post position (Program Number 6) and jockey John Velazquez is named to ride. Velazquez is currently ranked 4th in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 5 wins and a 28% win percentage. It was Velazquez who rode Iron Curtain to a draw off allowance win at Saratoga last season.

Excluding the MTO entrants Iron Curtain is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Iron Curtain's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 4:45 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war's Friday race at Penn National was canceled along with the entire card due to unsafe track conditions. Stephanie Beattie will look to enter him back to a race on May 17 at Charles Town.

Sextant's Thursday race at Belmont Park was washed off the turf and, as such, she was scratched. Linda Rice will look to enter her back the next time the race comes up either as an extra or in the condition book.

Iron Curtain's Thursday race at Belmont Park was washed off the turf and, as such, he was scratched. Steve Klesaris will look to enter him back the next time the race comes up either as an extra or in the condition book.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 1st race at Penn National which is a $4,000 Claiming race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. He'll be breaking from the 6th post position and jockey Luis Munar is again named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $16,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Sextant is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race at Belmont Park which is a N1X Allowance for New York-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf. She'll be breaking from the 4th post position and jockey Alan Garcia is named to ride. Garcia is currently tied for 2nd in the Belmont Park jockey standings with 3 wins and a 23% winning percentage. We're pleased to have Garcia back in the irons as it was he who piloted Sextant to her debut win and near stakes-placed finish in her 2-year-old season.

Sextant is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form early morning line fourth choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $43,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Sextant's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 3:08 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

Iron Curtain is entered to run in Thursday's 7th race at Belmont Park which is a N2X Allowance for New York-breds, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf. He'll be breaking from the 2nd post position and jockey John Velazquez is named to ride. It was Velazquez who rode Iron Curtain to a draw off allowance win at Saratoga last season.

Excluding the MTO entrants Iron Curtain is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form early morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Iron Curtain's race is Race 7 which is scheduled to go off at 4:12 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas breezed Thursday working 5 furlongs front the gate in 1:03.12 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 10th best out of 12 at the distance. He was the only horse to work from the gate out of the entire group.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was his first 5 furlong breeze. The others were really 4 furlong works with a gallop-out that the clockers put down as 5 furlong works. He’s doing great. He’s still a bit headstrong in that he wants to just go. I have Ramon Dominguez working him in the morning to try to teach him to relax and rate. He did better this time than the breeze before. He’s starting to get it. He’ll still need a few more works before he’s ready."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May.

The Good and Tough colt, Lord Greystoke, is entered to run in Saturday's 5th race at Belmont Park, which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 7 and jockey Rajiv Maragh is named to ride. Maragh finished the Aqueduct Spring meet second in the overall standings with 16 wins and a 25% win percentage.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form early morning line favorite in the race. He’s the Daily Racing Form consensus selection to win the race. Two of the three Daily Racing Form handicappers select Lord Greystoke to win the race and the other handicapper selects him as his 3rd choice. Lord Greystoke posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 63 in his last race. There doesn’t appear to be any monsters in the race and Lord Greystoke appears to fit squarely in this spot.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 5, which is scheduled to go off at 3:08 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Belmont Park for a fun day of racing.

William Thomas breezed Saturday working 5 furlongs in 1:01.06 over the dirt track at Belmont Park. That work was 9th best out of 24 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He really worked 4 furlongs in 48 and change and galloped out 5 furlongs. I had Ramon Dominguez work him and Ramon said he went well. He's doing very good but this isn't his last breeze. He'll need a few more before he'll be ready to run."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May.

Sextant scored a very emotional victory easily putting away a field of colts in her return off a lengthy layoff at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday. Sextant had only raced once in the last 18 months and in that race she finished up the track only beating two other horses. It was a long and sometimes grueling journey getting her back to the races. To be able to put an exclamation point on it with a win is a feeling that words can't accurately describe.

Sextant, breaking from the 8th post, broke from the gate very sharply and went immediately to the lead. Masharka breaking from the rail and My Daddio, breaking from the 6th post moved up to challenge. With those two horses being to the inside Sextant found herself three wide. Jockey Elvis Trujillo decided to allow Sextant to relax and sit off the pace rather than to have her get involved in a speed duel. Sextant sat about one length off the leaders entering the turn. At that point Trujillo pushed the button and moved Sextant up to engage. Sextant took the entire turn three wide as she raced right up alongside Masharka and My Daddio. They reached the top of the lane and Sextant simply outkicked the rest of the field as she rolled to the lead and never looked back. She was simply too much the best as she hit the wire about a half length in front of the late closing Snuckinndsnuckout.

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race, who was all smiles, and she said, "To think what we've been through with this horse. We had two throat surgeries, bleeding through Lasix, quarter cracks. It was endless. I knew given the right amount of time to hang her head and be a horse that she'd heal from all of her issues and come back strong. I've said all along and I'll continue to say that this horse has talent. What a great win today!...and we didn't get claimed!"

Sextant earned $11,400 for Wednesday's victory.

We'll see how Sextant comes out of the race and Linda will point her accordingly; most likely to a NY-bred N1X at Belmont.

William Thomas breezed Saturday working 4 furlongs in 49 flat over the dirt track at Delaware Park. That work was 20th best out of 65 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "I worked William Thomas and Iron Curtain this morning and both breezed great and came out great. We’re right on track."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May.

Iron Curtain breezed on Saturday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 47.8. That work was 4th best out of 65 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "I worked William Thomas and Iron Curtain this morning and both breezed great and came out great. We’re right on track."

Steve will continue to keep Iron Curtain fresh as he points him to a return in the NY-bred N2X at Belmont Park going 6 furlongs on the turf on May 7.

Sextant breezed 4 furlongs in 49.2 on Friday over the turf course with the dogs up at Palm Meadows. That work was 3rd best out of 7 at the distance.

Trainer Linda Rice was satisfied with the work and decided to enter Sextant into a race in the upcoming week.

Sextant is entered to run in Wednesday's 1st race at Gulfstream Park which is a $35,000 Claiming N2L race going 5 furlongs on the turf for 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races. She'll be breaking from the 8th post position and jockey Elvis Trujillo is named to ride. Trujillo is currently ranked 3rd in the Gulfstream Park jockey standings with 48 wins and a 13% winning percentage.

Sextant is currently the 4-1 Daily Racing Form morning line second choice in the race. She is the Daily Racing Form consensus selection to win the race. Two of the four DRF handicappers select her as the choice to win the race and one DRF handicapper selects her as his second choice to win the race.

The purse for this race is $19,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Sextant's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Gulfstream Park for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Friday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 47.6. That work was 3rd best out of 37 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s doing great and we’re just keeping her fresh. I think we’ll run her next at Belmont Park in a turf sprint. She’s trained well over the synthetic at Fair Hill so we’ll see how she takes to the turf."

Steve is pointing Salt Water Reign to the N2X for New York-bred fillies and mares, three years old and up, going 6 furlongs on the turf at Belmont Park on May 13.

Portuguesemano’war is entered to run in Saturday's 2nd race at Penn National which is a $5,000 Claiming N2Y race going 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have not won two races since October 18; races where entered for $4,000 or less not considered in the eligibility. He’ll be breaking from the 7th post position and jockey Luis Munar is again named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 5-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race.

This race is trainer Stephanie Beattie’s primary choice in which to run. As such Portuguesemano'war will scratch from Friday’s race at Charles Town and will instead run in this spot.

The purse for this race is $14,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 2, which is scheduled to go off at 7:09 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

William Thomas breezed Monday working 3 furlongs in 37 flat over the dirt track at Delaware Park. That work was 7th best out of 9 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "He’s coming along from his layoff just fine. He’s healthy and sound and now it’s just a matter of putting the breezes into him."

Steve will work William Thomas on a 6 to 7 day work schedule with a goal of having him ready for a return to the races in late May.

Sextant is entered to run in Thursday's 3rd race at Gulfstream Park which is a $20,000 Claiming N2L race going 5 furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up which have never won two races. She'll be breaking from the 2nd post position and jockey Elvis Trujillo is named to ride. Trujillo is currently ranked 7th in the Gulfstream Park jockey standings with 40 wins and a 12% winning percentage.

Sextant is currently the 7-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorirte. She's the DRF consensus selection to win the race where two DRF handicappers select her to win; one of which has her as his best bet of the day. One other DRF handicapper has her as his second choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $18,000.

First race post time is 1:15 PM and Sextant's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 2:12 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Gulfstream Park for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano’war is entered to run in Friday's 6th race at Charles Town which is a $4,000 Claiming B race going 1 1/8 miles for 4-year-olds and up which have not won a race at a mile or over since October 17, 2008 or have never won four races. He’s on the Also Eligible list and will be breaking from the outside post (Program Number 12) if he scratches in. Jockey J.D. Acosta is named to ride. Acosta is currently ranked 1st in the Charles Town jockey standings with 74 wins and a 23% winning percentage.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 3-1 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice in the race.

Assistant trainer Dave Wells has noted that trainer Stephanie Beattie is primarily pointing Portuguesemano’war to the $5000 Claiming N2Y at Penn National on Saturday and this race at Charles Town is a fallback position. That race didn’t fill at Penn National last time and there’s no guarantee it will fill this time around. In this race at Charles Town, however, Portuguesemano’war is on the AE list and he’ll need some luck to scratch in.

The purse for this race is $10,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 9:15 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing.

Kat Scratch Fever has returned to Hollywood Park after a layoff and has resumed training with Ron Ellis. Ron said that she’s healthy and sound. She’s been jogging and galloping for the past few weeks while on the farm at Oakmont Ranch and Ron will continue on with her training. Ron’s loose timetable is to have her breezing by the end of April with a goal of having one start at Hollywood Park which would set her up for two starts at Del Mar. Many things can happen between now and June but that’s the timetable that Ron has set and he’ll work toward that goal.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 50.4. That work was 17th best out of 28 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was just a maintenance drill. She’s doing fine. I intend to speak with PJ (the NYRA racing secretary) and try to find the best spot to run her in her next start."

Steve will keep Salt Water Reign fresh as he reviews the NYRA condition book and communicates with the NYRA racing office looking for the optimal spot to run her in the upcoming weeks.

Iron Curtain breezed on Wednesday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 49.8. That work was 9th best out of 28 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the work. Steve said, "He’s doing great. He’s ready to run. If there were a turf sprint upcoming at Aqueduct we’d enter. Right now we’re in a holding pattern until Belmont opens in a few weeks. He’s good solid colt. We’ll look to run him in the first New York-bred N2X on the turf that presents itself."

Steve will keep Iron Curtain in a holding pattern. When the Belmont Park condition book comes out we’ll zero in on the first available N2X for New York-breds going short on the turf.

Sextant breezed 4 furlongs in 48.2 on Monday over the turf course with the dogs up at Palm Meadows in a breeze labeled as "handily". That work was the bullet out of 15 at the distance a full 1.2 seconds faster than the second horse.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and Linda said, "She's doing great. I think she'll probably need one more breeze and then we'll be able to think about a race for her. I hope to be able to get her a start before she leaves Florida."

Linda will breeze Sextant next in about ten days as she prepares her for a return to the turf.

Portuguesemano'war ran fifth in his race at Penn National on Wednesday chasing a torrid pace over a sloppy track.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 4th post, broke a step slow and then found himself in mid-pack four to five lengths behind the pace-setter, Leprechaun’s Gold, who was setting splits of 21.4, 44.3, 57,1 and 1:10.3. The combination of those wicked fractions and the sloppy track made it simply too difficult for Portuguesemano'war to mount any kind of bid and to get seriously involved in the race. He finished evenly running fifth while Leprechaun’s Gold took them gate to wire and won by 2 ¼ lengths. The effort is deceiving due to the relative ease with which the winner took to the wet track. Portuguesemano'war actually ran a much better race than appears in the chart.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "He was just in over his head going up against $7500 types. He needs to run for $5000. He’ll be tough to beat next time off this effort."

Portuguesemano'war earned $510 for Wednesday's race.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race. Stephanie is pointing him to a $5000 Claiming N2Y race on April 18.

Salt Water Reign breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 37.2. That work was 4th best out of 9 at the distance and one tick off the bullet.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s doing fine. That work was a freshener. She came off a tough race in that stakes attempt and the plan now is to freshen her up a bit and then try to find a good spot for her in late April or early May."

Steve will continue to work with Salt Water Reign preparing her for her next start.

Iron Curtain breezed on Tuesday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 37.4. That work was 5th best out of 9 at the distance and two ticks off the bullet.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the work. Steve said, "He’s doing just great. He’s working like clockwork and we’ll have him ready for the first turf opportunity of the Belmont Park meet."

Steve will breeze Iron Curtain on a 6 to 7-day work schedule gearing him up for a return to the turf. Because of the track configuration at Aqueduct they don’t write turf sprints there. Because Iron Curtain is a sprinter he’ll have to wait until racing returns to Belmont Park to make his 2009 debut and Steve plans to have him ready for the first available race.

Lord Greystoke ran a very strong second in his race on Saturday at Aqueduct. Lord Greystoke posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 63 in this race which is right in line with the 65 that he posted in his previous race.

Lord Greystoke broke sharply out of the gate and found himself in second off the flank of Snipe who broke a step faster to Lord Greystoke's inside. They raced that way down the backside with a wall of horses immediately behind them. As they neared the end of the backstretch and into the turn Elsie's Warrior rolled up to the outside of Lord Greystoke and challenged Snipe for the lead. Midway through the turn Lord Greystoke backed up a step and for an instant it appeared that he was out of gas. Perhaps he just shied away from a bit of dirt kicked in his face because exiting the turn he reengaged rolling up inside of the wide Elsie's Warrior and about one length behind the front running Snipe. Lord Greystoke dug in gamely through the lane to the 1/8th pole and tried to roll up and split Elsie's Warrior and Snipe. At the same time the late-running and eventual winner Big Grey showed a strong late move and rolled up on the outside of Elsie's Warrior and moved past all three challengers to draw off and win by five lengths. It became a three-horse race for second place money as Snipe, Lord Greystoke, and Elsie's Warrior were three across the track at the 1/16th pole. Lord Greystoke was not about to cave in and dug in all the way to the wire ultimately finishing about a length ahead of Elsie's Warrior and two lengths ahead of the tiring Snipe.

We spoke with jockey Rosie Napravnik after the race and she said, "He has a lot of heart. He ran a great race. He wanted to bore out in the backstretch and I had to hold him in. Other than that there were no issues. He's a nice horse."

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and she said, "He backed up a step after the quarter pole but he put himself right back into the fray. He's got heart and he was game all the way to the wire. We'll see how he comes out of the race but I think he put in a good performance and we simply got beat by a better horse. I was very concerned about Big Grey coming into the race and even toyed with the possibility of scratching. I knew that horse was good and there's no shame in running second to a runner like him."

We also spoke with original trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "I thought we were dead at the quarter pole. He fought back hard. It was a good race and a good effort by all."

Lord Greystoke earned $8,200 for Saturday's race.

We'll see how Lord Greystoke comes out of the race and Linda will point him accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Wednesday's 3rd race at Penn National, which is a $7,500 Claiming race for non-winners of 1 race since October 1 (races entered for $6250 or less do not count in the eligibility) for 3-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs. He'll be breaking from the 4th post position (program number 5) and jockey Luis Munar is again named to ride. Munar is currently ranked 8th in the Penn National jockey standings with 15 wins. It was Munar who rode Portuguesemano'war to victory in his last race Penn national debut.

Portuguesemano'war is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line in a wide open yet contentious field.

The purse for this race is $17,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 7:34 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Sextant Breezed 4 furlongs in 49.7 on Friday over the dirt track at Palm Meadows. That work was 10th best out of 30 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and Linda said, "She went in 49.2. I don't know what the clockers put her down at. She continues to do well and she's coming along. I'll breeze her roughly on a 10-day work schedule. I think she'll need about two more breezes before she's ready. I'm hoping to be able to get her one start in Florida before we bring her home to New York."

Linda will breeze Sextant next in about ten days as she prepares her for a return to the turf.

The Good and Tough colt, Lord Greystoke, is entered to run in Saturday's 5th race at Aqueduct, which is a Maiden Special Weight for New York state-breds 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 7 and jockey Rosie Napravnik is again named to ride. Napravnik won at a 20% rate in 2008 and is currently ranked 5th in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 37 wins. It was Napravnik who rode Lord Greystoke in his last race which was a near miss gate to wire attempt for the diploma.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race. He’s the Daily Racing Form consensus selection to win the race. Two of the four Daily Racing Form handicappers select Lord Greystoke to win the race and the other two handicappers select him as their 3rd choice. Lord Greystoke’s last race Beyer Speed Figure of 65 is the highest in the field. There doesn’t appear to be any monsters in the race and Lord Greystoke appears to fit squarely in this spot.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 1:00 PM and Lord Greystoke’s race is Race 5, which is scheduled to go off at 2:54 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Iron Curtain breezed 4 furlongs in 50.6 on Wednesday over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. A total of 3 horses worked that day at that distance and all were within one tick of each other.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the work. Steve said, "He’s training right along and doing really great. We’ll keep him going and we’ll have him ready for the first turf sprint of the Belmont meet."

Steve will breeze Iron Curtain on a 7-day work schedule gearing him up for a return to the turf. Because of the track configuration at Aqueduct they don’t write turf sprints there. Because Iron Curtain is a sprinter he’ll have to wait until racing returns to Belmont Park to make his 2009 debut and Steve plans to have him ready for the first available race.

Iron Curtain breezed 4 furlongs in 50.2 on Wednesday over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. A total of 3 horses worked that day at that distance and all were within one tick of each other.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the work. Steve said, "That was really a 3 furlong work and they clocked the gallop out. He's coming along great and we're working to have him ready for turf racing at Aqueduct in April."

Steve will breeze Iron Curtain on a 7-day work schedule gearing him up for a return to the turf in April.

Sextant Breezed 3 furlongs in 36.8 on Monday over the dirt track at Palm Meadows. That work was 2nd best out of 10 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the work and Linda said, "That was only her first breeze and I'm very pleased with the outcome. She went fast and nice and came out of it in good order. I'll work her back in 7 to 10 days and we'll go on from there."

Linda will breeze Sextant next in 7 to 10 days as she prepares her for a return to the turf.

The Good and Tough colt, named Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 50.32 on Friday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "We're getting him ready for his next race. We're going to look at the Maiden Special Weight on March 22 and any other opportunities that may present themselves."

Linda will begin by looking at the Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on March 22.

Iron Curtain breezed 3 furlongs in 39.2 on Wednesday over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill Training Center. That work was tied for 4th best out of 5 at the distance where the bullet went in 38 flat and two others worked in 39 flat.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the work. Steve said, "That was his first breeze since coming in off the farm. It was just a leg-stretcher. He's the kind of horse that won't take much to get him ready. With him it will be three or four breezes and he'll be ready for a race. The goal is to have him ready for the first turf racing at Aqueduct."

Steve will get Iron Curtain for a return to the turf in April.

Portuguesemano'war, for the third time in his career, won his debut race at a new track, this time rolling to a two length victory in his first career race at Penn National on Wednesday.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 8th post, broke sharply and dueled briefly with In Orbit and then Bamboo Shade and Hit a Nerve down the backstretch. They continued that way into the turn and Portuguesemano’war continued to vie for the lead taking the turn 3-wide. Midway through the turn Portuguesemano’war put his head and then his neck in front. By the time they hit the top of the stretch Portuguesemano’war had opened up a full length lead. He rolled down the lane never seriously challenged as he opened up a two length lead and went under the wire clear of the second place horse, Devil’s Pal.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the race and Dave said, "I can’t believe how close he raced to the lead. I never expected that. After the race the jockey said he had so much horse out there it was unbelievable. That’s because of all the swimming that he’s been doing. That conditioning in the pool really helps a great deal. I think he’s going to have a career high Beyer because the race went in good time."

Portuguesemano'war earned $6,600 for Wednesday's victory.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Stephanie will point him accordingly.

Salt Water Reign failed to fire on Sunday in The Broadway Handicap finishing 6th beaten about ten lengths and beaten about five lengths for second in a troubled trip.

Salt Water Reign came out of the gate and immediately ducked in and bumped Let's Fly Away fairly soundly. She bobbled a bit and then came away in a stalking position. She stalked the eventual wire-to-wire winner, Lights Off Annie, all the way around. She appeared to have dead aim at the top of the stretch and then simply flattened out finishing 6th.

We spoke with jockey Rosie Napravnik after the race and she said, "She tries very hard in every race. She just came up empty today. She came back on 17 days rest. Maybe she needs a little break."

We found out afterward that Salt Water Reign threw a shoe in the race and her left hind foot was bleeding. We don't know at what point this occurred but it's possible that it happened during the tangle at the break. If that's the case then she raced with a missing shoe and a cut foot the entire race.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, "We don't really know at what point the injury occurred. She's fine. It wasn't a serious injury. We'll probably give her a few weeks off and then get her ready for her next race. We've tried numerous times to try to get her some black type but it's been a struggle. That was a tough spot for her. We'll see how she trains and find a spot for her where she belongs."

Salt Water Reign earned $1,393 for Sunday's race.

We'll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Wednesday's 8th race at Penn National, which is a $5,000 Claiming race for non-winners of 4 lifetime races for 4-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs. He'll be breaking from the 8th post position and jockey Luis Munar is named to ride. Munar is currently ranked 7th in the Penn National jockey standings with 9 wins.

Portuguesemano'war is currently 6-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $11,000.

First race post time is 6:45 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 9:38 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Penn National for a fun evening of racing.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Sunday’s 8th race at Aqueduct, which is the 30th running of The Broadway Handicap for New York state-bred fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 5 and 20% jockey Rosie Napravnik is again named to ride. Rosie is currently ranked 6th in the Aqueduct jockey standings with 24 wins. It was Rosie who rode Salt Water Reign to back-to-back victories in her last two races.

Salt Water Reign is currently 7-2 in the Daily Racing Form morning line in a wide open field.

The purse for this race is $65,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war breezed Wednesday working 5 furlongs from the gate over the Penn National dirt track in 1:05.6 in a work that was labeled as "handily". That work was 7th best out of 10 at the distance.

Mike spoke with assistant trainer Dave Wells after the work and Dave said, "He only arrived in our barn a few days ago so Steph wanted to test his fitness. He worked well but got a little tired at the end. This will set him up good for his next race."

Stephanie is pointing Portuguesemano'war to the $5,000 Claiming N4L going 6 furlongs at Penn National on March 4.

Lord Greystoke returned to the races running a very strong third after setting the pace throughout. He was caught late and beaten by 1 length for first and by a neck for second. Lord Greystoke posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 65 in this race which is a 16 point improvement from his debut.

Lord Greystoke broke instantly from the gate and found himself on the front end dueling with Gary Contessa's Hudson Parker 1 to 2 lengths ahead of the rest of the field. Hudson Parker hung in with Lord Greystoke until just before the ½ mile pole. At that point Hudson Parker was done and began to back out, ultimately finishing last, as 4-5 favorite May Day Now stepped up to engage. Although it was certainly unintentional, Lord Greystoke was tag-teamed as one horse softened him up and then handed off to a second horse to continue the pressure. Jockey Rosie Napravnik exited the turn and cut the corner with precision as Lord Greystoke appeared to pull away and open a 1 length lead. The pressure caught up with him around the 1/16 pole as May Day Now drew even with him. Lord Greystoke showed tremendous heart as he battled down the lane head to head with May Day Now as eventual winner Olympic Pegasus rolled up on the outside and caught them both and won the race in a tight 3-horse finish at the wire. Lord Greystoke took the brunt of the pressure and finished a close 3rd beaten by about 1 length by Olympic Pegasus and about a neck by May Day Now. We spoke with eventual winning trainer Bruce Levine in the paddock before the race. Bruce is a trainer that doesn't typically have his horses ready in their debut and he's more known as an exceptional second start trainer. Bruce told us he liked his horse and it had been training well. Lord Greystoke was beaten by two very nice horses and showed a ton of heart and gameness right to the wire all after a layoff in which he only had one breeze to prepare.

We spoke with Rosie Napravnik after the race and she said, "He was so powerful in the post parade I knew he wanted to go. He's a nice honest horse. We'll win with him next time."

We spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the race and she said, "Perhaps on the lead in a duel wasn't the best place to be but when the gate opened and Lord Greystoke flew out Rosie was committed. He ran a great race. I'm very pleased."

Lord Greystoke earned $4,100 for Saturday's race.

We'll see how Lord Greystoke comes out of the race and Linda will point him accordingly.

The Good and Tough colt, Lord Greystoke is entered to run in Saturday's 2nd race at Aqueduct, which is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-old New York state-breds going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 2 and red-hot jockey Rosie Napravnik is named to ride. Napravnik won at a 20% rate in 2008 and has been on fire recently at Aqueduct. She scored 2 wins on Wednesday and has piloted our own Salt Water Reign to back-to-back wins.

Lord Greystoke is currently the 9-5 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite in the race.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’ race is Race 2, which is scheduled to go off at 12:58 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign scored a very inspiring victory with an impressive last-to-first move to put away an odds-on 1-2 favorite and post the second of back-to-back wins at Aqueduct on Wednesday.

Salt Water Reign’s race was loaded with early speed so we expected her to break sharply but to not be alone on or near the lead. Having the luxury of being in the 8th race on the card we were fortunate to be able to see how the track was playing and strategize about the race accordingly. All day long the early speed along the rail was holding up until the 1/16 pole where those horses would then appear to jump onto a treadmill and pack it in as the stalkers would swung up into the 3-path and gobble them in from the middle of the track. As such, we spoke with jockey Rosie Napravnik before the race and agreed that the favorite, Labadeel, would likely go to the lead and other horses would probably join her. Salt Water Reign, despite having the rail, would concede to them the lead and then try to take advantage of the track bias and get them in the lane. Like perfect choreography, the gate opened and Salt Water Reign broke alertly but Labadeel and Aka Roxie went to the front. Salt Water Reign sat the rail trip behind Labadeel down the backstretch and raced in 5th and 6th position 3 lengths off the lead. Napravnik sat the rail all throughout the turn saving as much ground as possible but then found herself in last place exiting the turn behind a wall of horses. As we had discussed in the paddock Napravnik swung Salt Water Reign out to the middle of the track. Salt Water Reign had never exhibited a huge closing kick so it appeared that she might be in trouble. Instead Salt Water Reign exploded down the lane picking off horses as Labadeel folded up on the rail as had all the other rail runners earlier in the day. Salt Water Reign blew past the entire field with perhaps two cracks of the whip to win going away in what was essentially a hand ride. That is now back-to-back victories for Salt Water Reign as she continues to display her dominance of Aqueduct.

We spoke with Rosie Napravnik after the race and she said, “I didn’t really expect to be in last at the top of the stretch. It’s just the way the race unfolded. Once I got her clear she just wanted to run. I love this horse.”

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, “The way she’s going now she should be able to compete in stakes races. We can pick and chose our spots going forward. There’s a New York-bred stake on March 1 to which we’ll nominate. It’s only 17 days between races so we’ll have to see how she is when the time comes. She’ll dictate if we run her in that spot or not.” We’ll have our opportunities.

Salt Water Reign earned $28,200 for Wednesday's victory plus an additional $2,820 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards bringing her career earnings up over $180,000.

We’ll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Wednesday's 8th race at Aqueduct, which is a N2X Allowance for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 1 and 20% jockey Rosie Napravnik is again named to ride. It was Rosie who rode Salt Water Reign to a victory in her last race.

Salt Water Reign is currently 4-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line. Two of the four DRF handicappers select her as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $47,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 8 which is scheduled to go off at 3:49 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Portuguesemano'war ran a respectable 4th in his Thursday race at Charles Town missing 3rd by a nose and 2nd by a long neck.

It was his first time going long in almost a year and it was his first time going around 3 turns. Additionally, since he just won his last race, it was his first time going up against N4L types.

Mike spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and Jeff said, "He didn't really have any excuses tonight. We'll just bring him back and try again. There are a few options in the condition book later this month. We've got a race going 7 furlongs, a race going 1 1/8 miles, and we've also got one of those non-winners-of-2-races-in-the-last-six-months deals which is a somewhat easier spot. We should definitely look at that one."

Portuguesemano'war earned $500 for Thursday's race.

Jeff will see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and point him accordingly.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Thursday's 6th race at Charles Town, which is a $4,000 claiming race for non-winners of 4 lifetime races for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles. He'll be breaking from the 5th post position and jockey Luis Perez is again named to ride. It was Perez who piloted Portuguesemano'war to a debut victory in his last race.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice. Two of the three DRF handicappers select him as their third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $10,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 6 which is scheduled to go off at 9:15 PM. We'll be at the Charles Town version of the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing. If you're planning on attending please let us know so we can make the appropriate reservations.

The Good and Tough colt, named Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 50.80 on Tuesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park in an unpublished work.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "The track was slow this morning. He worked OK. The thing that I liked the most about this breeze was the gallop out. He galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:04. I trained Tarzena, Lord Greystoke’s stakes-winning dam, and she was a 5 furlong sprinter on the grass. But the way Lord Greystoke trains he may want to go long at some point in his future. He’s training well and I’m going to start looking for a race for him."

Linda will begin by looking at the Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on February 8. If they use the race for straight 3-year-olds she’ll likely enter Lord Greystoke in that spot. If they use the race for 3-year-olds and up she’ll likely pass, breeze Lord Greystoke again, and look for the next race.

Salt Water Reign breezed Friday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 38 flat. She was one of two horses to work at that distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She’s doing great. We’ll point her to the next running of the N2X."

Steve is pointing Salt Water Reign to the N2X for fillies and mares, four years old and up, going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on February 11.

The Good and Tough colt, named Lord Greystoke, breezed 4 furlongs in 49.43 on Tuesday over the dirt training track at Belmont Park. That work was 27th best out of 78 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Linda Rice after the breeze and Linda said, "It was a nice easy work. I didn’t ask him to do anything. He went 3 furlongs and galloped out the half. The track has been very bad with all this cold weather. The bullet went in 48.03 so, when you consider that, ours was a nice move. He’ll probably need a couple more works and he then should be ready to go."

Linda will breeze Lord Greystoke again in about 7 days as she moves him toward a return race.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Friday's 3rd race at Charles Town, which is a $4,000 claiming race for non-winners of 4 lifetime races for 4-year-olds and up going 7 furlongs. He'll be breaking from the 2nd post position and jockey Luis Perez is again named to ride. It was Perez who piloted Portuguesemano'war to a debut victory in his last race.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 9-2 Daily Racing Form morning line third choice. Two DRF handicappers select him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $9,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 3 which is scheduled to go off at 8:03 PM. We'll be at the Charles Town version of the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing. If you're planning on attending please let us know so we can make the appropriate reservations.

Portuguesemano’war breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs over the Charles Town dirt track in 36 flat. That work was tied for the bullet out of 29 at the distance and a full 2 ticks faster than the next horse.

Mike spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the work and Jeff said, "He worked in company with another horse but he did it all on his own. I didn’t ask him for anything extra. He’s doing great. He’ll have no excuses next time he runs."

It would appear that Portuguesemano’war has really taken to the Charles Town strip. Jeff is going to enter Portuguesemano’war into the $4,000 Claiming N4L going 7 furlongs on January 16.

Salt Water Reign coasted to an easy 2 1/2 length victory over a field of 6 open company foes going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on Wednesday.

Salt Water Reign broke alertly as she usually does and for a brief moment put her head in front. Broken Lady, breaking from the rail with first-time blinkers on had designs on the lead and edged to the front by as many as 2 lengths by the time they reached the 1/2 mile pole. They raced 3 abreast down the back side with Break Point, breaking from the number 2 post along the rail, Salt Water Reign to the immediate right and Shoe Babe to the right of her. They continued that way until Break Point suddenly checked and steadied and backed out clearing the inside path for Salt Water Reign. Jockey Rosie Napravnik immediately seized the opportunity and dropped Salt Water Reign to the rail and saved ground all throughout the turn. Half way through the turn favorite Yankee Victoria began to mount her bid rolling up to the outside of Broken Lady. Salt Water Reign began to mount her bid around the quarter pole and as they exited the turn Broken Lady drifted off the rail pushing Yankee Victoria wide and allowing Salt Water Reign an opening on the rail and Rosie moved Salt Water Reign through the hole and to the lead. By the time she reached the 1/8 pole she was well clear and Rosie tapped her with the stick one or two times to keep her alert but it was a fairly easy and convincing win as Rosie more or less hand-rode her to the wire.

We spoke with Rosie Napravnik after the race and she said, “She really loved the mud. She’s a nice, honest horse. I can’t wait to ride her again.”

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race and he said, “She’s shown us before that she likes a wet track. This is a great way to start off the year.”

Salt Water Reign earned $27,600 for Wednesday's victory plus an additional $2,760 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards bringing her career earnings up over $150,000.

We’ll see how Salt Water Reign comes out of the race and Steve will point her accordingly.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Wednesday's 1st race at Aqueduct, which is a N1X Allowance for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 4 and 20% jockey Anna Napravnik is again named to ride.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 3-1 second choice in the Daily Racing Form morning line and she's the DRF consensus second choice to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects her to win the race and two DRF handicappers select her as second choice.

The purse for this race is $46,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 1. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Salt Water Reign breezed Tuesday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 38.2. That work was tied for the bullet out of 6 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "That was a tightner for the race on January 4. She's training well. Let's see if we can't knock out that N1X condition."

Steve is pointing Salt Water Reign to the N1X for fillies and mares, four years old and up, going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 4.

Salt Water Reign breezed Tuesday working 4 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 49.2. That work was the bullet out of 8 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "We're just getting her ready for her next race. She's doing fine."

Steve is pointing Salt Water Reign to the N1X for fillies and mares, four years old and up, going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on January 4.

Portuguesemano'war rolled to a very solid victory on Saturday in his Charles Town debut.

Portuguesemano'war, breaking from the 9th, post was immediately hustled out of the gate by apprentice rider Luis Perez. He challenged the field down the front side and was able to clear and duck down to the rail in front of the grandstand and ensure a nice ground-saving trip through the first turn. Walking On Air challenged Portuguesemano'war in the turn and opened a 1 length lead while Decent Exposure, the post time favorite, came up alongside to join the 3-horse fray. There was a gap of 2 lengths back to the next tier of horses and it quickly developed into a 3-horse race all the way around. While on the backside Walking On Air drifted off the rail and Perez seized the opportunity and moved Portuguesemano'war into the hole and right up alongside. Portuguesemano'war moved to within a head of the lead when Walking On Air pinched back in and caused Perez to check and Portuguesemano'war to fall out and behind by over a length. Normally a shift in momentum such as that would mean a loss of all possibility but Perez was not to be denied. He swung Portuguesemano'war around Decent Exposure and Walking On Air in the turn, moved up alongside in the 3-path, and was challenging Decent Exposure for the lead at the top of the stretch. Walking On Air had fallen out of it by that point and it was a nose to nose duel down the lane between Portuguesemano'war and Decent Exposure. They raced that way for perhaps half of the stretch before Portuguesemano'war put away Decent Exposure and drew off to win by a length. It was a very gritty victory for Portuguesemano'war and an impressive aggressive ride by Perez.

Saturday's victory marks the 3rd this year for Portuguesemano'war and we couldn't be more pleased with him. Early indications are that he's taken to the Charles Town surface as he posted a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 55 while overcoming a wide post, a troubled trip, and a full field.

Mike spoke with trainer Jeff Runco after the race and he said, "That's a nice way to start things off. I don't think there's a N4L coming up before the end of the year so his next start will probably be in January."

Portuguesemano'war earned $5,400 for Saturday's victory.

We'll see how Portuguesemano'war comes out of the race and Jeff will point him accordingly; most likely to a $4000 Claiming N4L.

Portuguesemano'war is entered to run in Saturday's 5th race at Charles Town, which is a $4,000 claiming race for non-winners of 3 lifetime races for 3-year-olds and up going 7 furlongs. He'll be breaking from the 9th post position and 20% jockey Emanuel Ramirez is named to ride.

Portuguesemano'war is currently the 5-2 Daily Racing Form morning line favorite. He's the DRF consensus selection to win the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race and one selects him as the third choice in the race.

The purse for this race is $9,000.

First race post time is 7:15 PM and Portuguesemano'war's race is Race 5 which is scheduled to go off at 8:51 PM. We'll be at the Charles Town version of the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Charles Town for a fun evening of racing. If you're planning on attending please let us know so we can make the appropriate reservations.

The Forest Wildcat filly, named Kat Scratch Fever, breezed 4 furlongs in 49 flat on Saturday at Hollywood Park. That work was 22nd best out of 54 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the work and Ron said, "It was her first work at 4 furlongs so I wanted her to go nice and easy. I was looking to have her go in 50 or so. She went in 49 flat which was nice. I had some other 2-year-old fillies work in 50 and change so our filly's 49 was nice in relation. She finished up strong. She went the first quarter in 13 and finished in 36.1. She's coming right along."

Kat Scratch Fever continues to work like clockwork and has been progressing along on schedule. We'll look for Ron to breeze her back next Saturday again going 4 furlongs.

Salt Water Reign ran a very solid 2nd in the open N1X Allowance at Aqueduct on Sunday beaten only by the 4-5 Darley owned favorite.

Breaking from the 8th post Salt Water Reign broke sharply from the gate and settled in to a stalking position behind the heavily favored Seventh Street and between Home Crowd and One Tough Belle. Salt Water Reign rated professionally down the backstretch and throughout the turn. By the time they hit the stretch Seventh Street began to pull away while Home Crowd dropped out of it and One Tough Belle dug in. Salt Water Reign dug in as well and wore down One Tough Belle to the inside while holding off a late charging Jet Setting to her outside. She earned 2nd place by a nose never really having much of a chance at Seventh Street. Seventh Street is a $1,000,000 Darley purchase that clearly has much grander things in her future and plainly overmatched this field at short odds. Salt Water Reign was the best of the rest and we’re optimistic that she’ll get through this condition during the winter.

Mike spoke with jockey Rosie Napravnik after the race and Rosie said, "She handled the sloppy footing very well and did everything I asked her to do. She’s a nice horse. I’d like to be able to ride her back again next time."

Salt Water Reign earned $9,000 for Sunday's 2nd place finish plus an additional $900 in New York-bred Award Program Open Owner Awards.

Steve will see how she comes out of the race and point her accordingly; most likely to another open N1X at Aqueduct.

The Forest Wildcat filly, named Kat Scratch Fever, breezed 3 furlongs in 37.2 on Saturday at Hollywood Park. That work was 17th best out of 30 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the work and Ron said, "She really worked in 36 flat or 36.1. I have no idea what the clockers were looking at. She worked alone today. She's the kind of horse that doesn't need to work in company. She went really well. She's doing fine. She handled going around the turn much better today and everything is good. Had her time been recorded correctly it would have been 3rd best out of the 30 that breezed today. She's coming along right on schedule and I'll breeze her back in about a week and I think I'll be able to stretch her out to a half next time."

Kat Scratch Fever continues to work like clockwork and has been progressing along on schedule. We'll look for Ron to breeze her back next Saturday this time going 4 furlongs.

Salt Water Reign is entered to run in Sunday's 7th race at Aqueduct, which is a N1X Allowance for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 6 furlongs. She drew post position 8 and 20% jockey Anna Napravnik is named to ride.

Salt Water Reign is currently the 4-1 second choice in the Daily Racing Form morning line.

The purse for this race is $45,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Salt Water Reign's race is Race 7, which is scheduled to go off at 3:16 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

Lord Greystoke made a very professional debut on Saturday. Although he finished off the board he went well and gave a good account of himself.

Lord Greystoke broke sharply from the gate and raced close up down the backstretch. He chased the first tier of horses but twice in the backstretch, as he pulled close to the horse in front of him, Lord Greystoke backed out, once severely. The second time that occurred was approaching the quarter pole as Lord Greystoke threw his head up and backed up, almost appearing as if the jockey had to check hard. Lord Greystoke lost all momentum in that move but still hung tough in fourth position through the turn. When they hit the stretch the horses with experience kicked in and the horses that were debut runners were a bit empty. When it was clear that Lord Greystoke wasn't going to mount a bid jockey Eddie Castro wrapped up and saved the horse. Lord Greystoke coasted him in 7th despite the somewhat troubled trip.

Mike spoke with Eddie Castro after the race and Eddie said, "The horse went well. He liked the track and he's a nice mover. He was a bit green today and he definitely backed out when he got sand kicked in his face. He'll do better next time."

Mike also spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the race. Steve said, "It was a very useful race. He'll get a lot out of it. You can see him throwing his head around when he got the dirt kicked in his face. That's not unusual for young horses and he'll get used to that with experience. We'll be all right with this horse."

Lord Greystoke posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 48 in this race which is perfectly acceptable for a debuting 2-year-old New York-bred. The horse that won the race had a similar Beyer Speed Figure in his lone other start where he finished up the track.

We'll see how Lord Greystoke comes out of the race and point him accordingly.

Salt Water Reign breezed Saturday working 3 furlongs over the Delaware Park dirt track in 37 flat. That work was tied for the bullet out of 11 at the distance.

Mike spoke with trainer Steve Klesaris after the breeze and Steve said, "She's been training very well and she's ready. We've been pointing for the open N1X at Aqueduct on Sunday but I also nominated her to a $50,000 overnight stake at Finger Lakes on Friday. I'm going to enter her for the stake on Monday and then take a look to see how the race comes up. I'll only run her in that spot if she can win. Additionally, I'm going to keep my eye on the weather there as it's been very cold and wet and they've had a few cancellations already. If it appears that the track is going to be messy or frozen we'll pass. Basically, if it's remotely difficult or dangerous we'll go in the N1X at Aqueduct on Sunday."

Steve was very crafty in sniffing out the Finger Lakes stake on Friday. Because it's a long expensive ship we'll only run Salt Water Reign in that spot if she's a strong favorite and the track conditions are projected to be safe. Otherwise we'll look to run on Sunday at Aqueduct in the open N1X.

On Monday Steve will enter Salt Water Reign into the Anniron Stakes $50,000 for New York State-bred fillies and mares, going 6 furlongs at Finger Lakes on November 28. Additionally, Steve will point Salt Water Reign to the N1X for fillies, three years old and up, going 6 furlongs at Aqueduct on November 30.

The Good and Tough colt, Lord Greystoke is entered to make his debut in Saturday's 2nd race at Aqueduct, which is a Maiden Special Weight for 2-year-old New York state-breds going 6 furlongs. He drew post position 3 and jockey Eddie Castro is named to ride. Castro currently has a 16% winning percentage for 2008 and has won 220 races nationally.

Lord Greystoke is the second member of our Vintage 2008 to make his racing debut and this is a very exciting time for us. Lord Greystoke is currently 5-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line and is the DRF consensus second choice in the race. One DRF handicapper selects him to win the race, one selects him for second, and one selects him to take third.

The purse for this race is $41,000.

First race post time is 12:30 PM and Lord Greystoke’ race is Race 2, which is scheduled to go off at 12:56 PM. As always we'll be at the Hibiscus table in the clubhouse restaurant. Everyone is invited to join us at Aqueduct for a fun day of racing.

The Forest Wildcat filly, named Kat Scratch Fever, breezed 3 furlongs in 39.4 on Thursday at Hollywood Park.

Mike spoke with trainer Ron Ellis after the work and Ron said, "She didn’t work in company today. I worked her alone. Also, up until now she had been working down the straightaway. This is her first work around the turn. She was green and a bit confused but overall she’s fine. Her partner, a filly named Roxy, also worked alone and she went in just about the same time. Next time I’ll try to work them together. She’s still learning but overall she’s fine."

Ron will breeze Kat Scratch Fever back in about 7 days putting her through her lessons working toward her debut.

Portuguesemano'war ran a dull 6th in his Monday race at Finger Lakes finishing off the board in only the first time in his last 6 races.

Breaking from an outside post for a remarkable 5th time in a row, Portuguesemano'war broke perhaps a step slow but remained in touch with the second tier of runners as Overheated set a sharp pace opening up 3 lengths on the second place horse down the backstretch. The field rumbled down the backstretch with Overheated in front and Portuguesemano'war in 4th and wide due to his outside post position. Portuguesemano'war hung tough although very wide in the turn. When the field hit the stretch it was clear that Portuguesemano'war didn't have his customary late kick and the jockey wrapped up on him as Portuguesemano'war coasted to the wire in 6th beaten by only 5 lengths. The conditions were miserable as the track was listed as "good" and sealed and the snow was coming down as they loaded the horses into the gate.

Mike spoke with trainer Chris Englehart after the race and Chris said, "I don't think he really liked the track today. He broke maybe half a step slow and never was able to mount a bid. He came out of the race in good order and he should b