After a slow beginning to her career, in which she went 0-1-1 in her first 10 starts, Island Winter has turned it all around and continued her excellent recent streak with a narrow victory in a 5 1/2-furlong race at Thistledown yesterday. With the victory, the 3-year-old Bahamian Squall filly bred by Don …
With the dearth of horses prevalent at so many of the nation’s racetracks, owners and trainers with sound runners have been taking full advantage of the situation. At Monmouth Park yesterday, Bahama Pearl made her 13th start of the year for owner MCA Racing Stable and trainer Claudio Gonzalez, and they were rewarded …
Three scratches reduced the field to five in Friday’s sixth race at Gulfstream Park, and it left the tote board looking like it was devised by someone who doesn’t understand pari-mutuel wagering; two horses at 2-1, two at 5/2, and one at 25-1. The second choice at 2-1 was Assertiko, a …
Bahamian Squall edged a little closer to his first million-dollar season when Island Magic made a stunning “first to last” run to win the second race at Gulfstream Park yesterday. Red-hot Miguel Vasquez, who is the best in South Florida at getting his mounts to the finish line first from seemingly …
It took a change of venue after four starts in Florida for Bahamian Dude to reach his best form. Since arriving in Canada, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Don Dizney has recorded two victories and a second, including yesterday’s score at Fort Erie in which he achieved his best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure …
In an era where so many jockeys think that swinging their mounts four and five wide on the final turn is a formula for success, Addiel Ayala showed them yesterday that the shortest way to the finish line is on the rail. Ayala was aboard Bahamian Park in a 6 1/2-furlong …
In the 1963 song ‘Hey Hey Paula,’ Paula’s first words to Paul in the No. 1 hit that sold two million records are, “I’ve been waiting for you.” That might have been trainer John Vinson’s words to Hay Hay Paula while he was saddling the 4-year-old Bahamian Squall filly who was making her …
The problem of short fields continues to plague the sport at many venues, but it hasn’t necessarily impacted the quality of racing. The second race at Thistledown yesterday was a prime example as a pair of scratches resulted in a field of four going six furlongs over the main track. Island …
There was no doubt that Spirit Wind was up against it when the Jacks or Better Farm filly was entered in yesterday’s $300,000, G. II Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The daughter of Bahamian Squall had to face Ce Ce, a six-time graded stakes-winner, earner of more than $2 million, and winner …
Bahamian Squall picked up his 17th winner of 2022 when Bahamian Captain broke his maiden yesterday at Tampa Bay Downs in his fourth career start. The 3-year-old colt bred by Donald Dizney had Marcos Meneses aboard for the $21,900 maiden special at five furlongs on the grass, and he sent Bahamian …