Blackout Time

Dark Angel’s Battaash Leaves King George Rivals In His Dust

In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...

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Classic Empire Claiming Crown Handle Tops $10M

The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...

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Renegade Leads Arkansas Derby Field

Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Renegade (Into Mischief) was installed as the 3-2 morning-line favorite for the $1.5 million GI Arkansas Derby March 28 at Oaklawn Park. Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn Saturday afternoon, with Renegade leading nine horses entered in the track's fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race. 5-2 shot Silent Tactic (Tacitus) will be the only horse to compete in all four qualifying races at Oaklawn after finishing second in the Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, winning the $1-million GIII Southwest Stakes Feb....

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A Newly-Launched Morning Line Is Horse Racing’s Version Of The Stock Market

It used to be that someone with limited financial resources had no chance of owning a quality race horse or even a fraction of one. That changed with the advent of MyRacehorse, which offers microshares in horses that can be bought for $100 or less. Now, there is a new player in the market, Morning Line. It, too, allows fans to buy into horses for only a few dollars. The difference is that a Morning Line customer is buying not just a horse, but a commodity that can be bought...

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Silent Tactic Turns In Final Major Move For Arkansas Derby

John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus) drilled five furlongs in 1:01.60 (7/11) Thursday morning at Oaklawn Park in advance of the Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby, for which he figures one of the top few betting selections. A $60,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned $500,000 OBS April juvenile, Silent Tactic was returning to the worktab for the first time since dropping a nose decision to Class President (Uncle Mo) in the GII Rebel Stakes on Mar. 1. Prior to that the bay flew home to post an impressive victory in the GIII...

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Bullet Work for Blackout Time Ahead of Arkansas Derby

Blackout Time (Not This Time), most recently fourth in the GII Rebel Stakes, tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby with a bullet four-furlong drill in :47.00 (1/90) at Oaklawn Park Saturday. Under retired jockey Robby Albarado, Blackout Time worked with stablemate Gould's Gold, a 5-year-old stakes winner who is entered in the Mar. 21 GIII Essex Handicap. Clockers caught Blackout Time in :24.20 for his opening quarter-mile and galloping out five furlongs in :59.60 and six furlongs in 1:13.40. "Everything is still on...

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Two Turn Tradition: Class President Takes Rebel Vote At Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--A strong tradition for any Kentucky Derby hopeful along the campaign trail to May is passing the two turn test. With distance in mind, owners and trainers are looking for their nominees to stretch their legs, embrace the debate that comes in the form of traffic and find ways to grind out a hard-earned victory. At Oaklawn Park in the GII Rebel Stakes on Sunday, WinStar, First Go Racing and CHC Inc. owned colt Class President (Uncle Mo--Top Quality, by Quality Road) proved best at the wire as...

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