NOTEBOOK: AZERI RETURNS TO WIN THIRD CONSECUTIVE APPLE BLOSSOM.Byline: Art Wilson Arthur Earl "Dutch" Wilson (December 11, 1885 in Macon, Illinois; died June 12, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Art Wilson was the catcher for Cubs pitcher Hippo Vaughn during the "double no-hitter" game in 1917. Staff Writer Proving that she hasn't lost a step during her six-month layoff, 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri returned to the races in dramatic fashion Saturday by winning the $500,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap The Apple Blossom Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and up run each year during the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The race is run over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. at Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home of The Racing Festival of the South. History and information Oaklawn Park officially opened on February 24, 1905. for the third consecutive year. Azeri missed last year's Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982 by a consortium of North American racing organizations, led by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. because of a minor tendon injury and was briefly retired before owner Michael Paulson decided to keep the 6-year-old daughter of Jade Hunter in training, switching from the Laura de Seroux barn to D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. . Just like in her powerful victory in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. It is sponsored by the airline Emirates. , regular rider Mike Smith took Azeri to the lead and went gate to wire, completing the 1-1/16 miles over a fast main track in an impressive 1:41-1/5. ``I thought going into the first turn that we were in good shape,'' Smith said. ``The only thing I didn't know was how fit she was. When we straightened in the stretch, she was just pricking her ears and I knew she had plenty left.'' Wild Spirit, the 3-2 favorite trained by Bobby Frankel, finished second, 1 1/2 lengths behind Azeri. Island Fashion, the third filly to finish second in the Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the late winter at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses three years old and up, and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during last month, went postward as the 9-5 second choice and wound up fourth - about 10 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Azeri went off as the 2-1 third choice. ``I am not a bettor but when I saw that 2-1, if I had a runner you could have got all I had on me,'' Lukas said. Frankel came back two races later and saddled Peace Rules, ridden by Jerry Bailey, for a two-length victory over Ole Faunty in the $500,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap The Oaklawn Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Oaklawn Park each year. The race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $500,000. at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. --Illinois Derby: Pollard's Vision, trained by Todd Pletcher, threw his hat into the Kentucky Derby ring with a powerful 2 3/4-length gate-to- wire score in the $500,000 Grade II Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. Ridden by Eibar Coa, Pollard's Vision went postward as the 3-2 betting choice and ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50-4/5 over a fast main track. The Kentucky-bred son of Carson City was coming off a third-place finish in last month's Louisiana Derby. --Ashland Stakes: Madcap Escapade, the 3-5 favorite, went gate to wire to win the $500,000 Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland by a half-length under jockey Rene Douglas. Halfbridled, champion 2-year-old filly for 2003, was withdrawn from the race Friday by trainer Richard Mandella because of a minor injury. She is expected to be OK for the Kentucky Oaks on April 30. --Excelsior BC: Funny Cide, ridden by regular jockey Jose Santos, scored his first stakes victory since winning last year's Preakness when he won the $200,000 Grade III Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct as the 6-5 favorite. --Also: Dynever, third to Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia d'Oro in last fall's Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1ΒΌ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. , romped to a 4 1/2-length victory in the Grade III San Bernardino Handicap under jockey Corey Nakatani. Dynever, the 3-5 favorite, ran the 1 1/8 miles on the main track in 1:48. Total Impact finished second. ... David Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the rallied in the stretch aboard the Frankel-trained Diplomatic Bag to win the Grade II Arcadia Handicap by three quarters of a length over Statement. Diplomatic Bag ran the 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:47-4/5 and returned $10.20, giving Frankel his fourth win in the stake. ... Victor Espinoza won four races Saturday, including both ends of the daily double, and increased his lead over Alex Solis in the rider standings to eight, 76-68. Both Flores and Nakatani won twice. Art Wilson, (626) 962-8811 art.wilson(at)sgvn.com |
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