GENERAL CHALLENGE COULD BE SPECIAL.Byline: Kevin Modesti Daily News Staff Writer When San Diego's John and Betty Mabee sold Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Beginning in the racing season of 2007, this race has been upgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee from a Grade II event to a Grade I. winner Worldly Manner to Dubai's Godolphin Stables for $5 million last fall, they said they were still confident of their Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. chances. Now we know why. The Mabees' General Challenge, who didn't even start racing until Worldly Manner was overseas, is 3 for 3 after he and jockey Gary Stevens
And the California-bred gelding gelding castrated male horse. by General Meeting, out of Excellent Lady, looks like a threat for longer distances. From good striking range, Stevens challenged front-running Buck Trout and Eddie Delahoussaye on the turn for home and pulled away to win by three lengths in 1:42.93 on a track labeled ``good.'' Buck Trout saved second from Brilliantly, who, like the winner, is trained by Bob Baffert. Mr. Broad Blade and Charismatic completed the order. Two horses were scratched after overnight rain. This was General Challenge's first two-turn race and his first against non-Cal-breds after wins in a 6-furlong maiden race Nov. 28 and the 7-furlong California Breeders' Champion Stakes California Breeders' Champion Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1935 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Run during the last week of December, the seven Furlong race is open to two-year-old horses bred in the State of California. Jan. 1. ``It's going to take a very, very special horse to run with him the last quarter-mile,'' Stevens said. General Challenge paid $3.60. Recent winners of the $106,500 Santa Catalina include Derby winner Ferdinand (1986) and Larry the Legend ('95). Next on his schedule: the one-mile San Rafael on Feb. 28. The 1-1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. on April 3 is the local prep for the 1-1/4-mile Kentucky Derby on May 1. Would the Mabees sell? ``It would take a tremendous amount of money to buy him,'' John Mabee said. ``He's not going anywhere.'' This was a busy weekend for fans who scout Derby hopefuls. Earlier Sunday, at Gulfstream Park near Miami, Louisiana product Bet Me Best and jockey Jerry Bailey prevailed after a :21 3/5-:43 3/5 duel with Texas Glitter and John Velazquez in the 7-furlong Hutcheson Stakes. Favored Cat Thief finished third. Bet Me Best, a stablemate Noun 1. stablemate - a horse stabled with another or one of several horses owned by the same person stable companion Equus caballus, horse - solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times of Belmont winner Victory Gallop, is 6 for 6 but paid a healthy $7 because he was stepping up to a graded stakes. He was clocked in 1:22 1/5. Only Holy Bull (1:21 1/5, 1994) ran a faster Hutcheson in the past 15 years. Saturday, at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. winner Answer Lively took a wide trip to seventh in the Lecomte Handicap as Some Actor ($86.80) and Desert Demon (21-1) ran 1-2. It was Answer Lively's first start of the year. Notes: Eddie Delahoussaye pulled within two of 6,000 with a cool win aboard Point Proven. |
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