June 8, 2010
A competitive field of fourteen is set to go in the 11th running of the $50,000 Da Hoss Stakes for three year olds and up at one mile this Saturday at Colonial Downs.
Leading the field with an impressive $564,656 in earnings is the Graham Motion-trained Cherokee Artist. Having finished in the money in twelve of twenty lifetime starts, Cherokee Artist has not won since he took the $250,000 Presque Isle Downs Mile in September of 2009. However, he has faced competitive fields in several Grade I and Grade II races, with his best runs coming in the Gr. III Hanship Cup Handicap at Arlington Park and the Gr. III Canadian Turf Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Baltimore Bob is back in the field for a second try, having finished fifth in last year’s running of the race. The John Secor-trained horse most recently finished third in two Grade III races and took the Henry Clark Stakes at Pimlico by a ½ length. His last start, the Gr. II Dixie Stakes, resulted in a fifth place finish after he ran willingly through the stretch.
Although winless since August of last year, the Earnie Oare-trained Pick Six has earned over $300,000 lifetime. Having run in the Gr. I Santa Anita Handicap and finished second in both the Diliberto Memorial Handicap and the Gr. II Mervin Munoz Handicap at the Fair Grounds, Pick Six appears to add class to the Da Hoss field.
Timeless Fashion, a gelding who has finished off the board in three of fifteen starts, also looks to add another stakes victory to his resume. The Thomas Drury, Jr.-trained gelding has won several stakes, including the Dust Commander, Independence Day, Prairie Bayou, and Tejano Run Stakes. He has earned over $270,000 lifetime.
Another starter with a $270,000 lifetime bankroll is Vanquisher, who has finished out of the money only once in four starts this year. He most took third in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes at the Fair Grounds and the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay.
source: ColonialDowns.Com
March 15, 2010
Soon after crossing the wire aboard Timeless Fashion in the March 13 Tejano Run Stakes at Turfway Park, jockey James Lopez pointed to sky. Indeed, he had an angel over his shoulder.
Timeless Fashion is the last horse ridden to victory by jockey Justin Vitek, who died Jan. 28 at age 36 after a two-year battle with cancer. Vitek was in remission long enough to return to riding for a short time, but last year went back to Texas for treatment.
Lopez and Vitek were friends. It all made for a very emotional winner’s circle ceremony on a day when Turfway hosted an after-the-races memorial service for Vitek, who for many years was based in Kentucky and worked horses for Tom Drury Jr., trainer of Timeless Fashion.
“It means the world to me,” Lopez said after the Tejano Run. “Me and Justin were close, and that was for him. I can’t explain it; it’s very emotional.”
Timeless Fashion broke his maiden in the winter of 2008 in his second career start with Vitek riding. It was Vitek’s last victory.
More than 20 members of Vitek’s family and friends traveled from Texas for the memorial service. Vitek’s mother, Kathy, presented the stakes trophy to Timeless Fashion’s owners, Bob Liedel of R-Cher Family Farms LLC and Judy Miller.
“Everybody’s fighting tears,” Drury said after the race. “This was a whole lot more than just a horse race.”
“It was amazing,” said Jo Lynn Johnston, a longtime friend of Vitek who helped arrange the memorial service. “Kathy Vitek presented the trophy, and then the owners told her to keep it. When James came back (after winning), he lost it, and so did everyone else.”
The owners, Drury, and Lopez had pledged 10% of their earnings from the Tejano Run to the Bree Vitek Education Fund. Bree Vitek is Justin Vitek’s 6-year-old daughter and only child.
Johnston said the memorial service, held in the Racing Club, was standing-room only.
“It was important that it was a celebration of Justin’s life, and that’s what it was,” she said. “(Turfway director of operations) Chip Bach and Turfway did a knockout job putting it together.”
Despite his health, Vitek remained in good spirits and was hoping to return to riding again.
Timeless Fashion, a 6-year-old gelding by Sly Classic out of the Formal Gold mare Added Ruffles, has won four stakes, three of them at Turfway. He has a become a popular horse in Kentucky, never having run a poor race with eight wins, two seconds, two thirds, and two fourths in 14 career starts.
Timeless Fashion was bred in Kentucky by David Hager II. The gelding has earned $271,056 for his connections.
Original Article can be found here.
source: Bloodhorse.Com
by Tom LaMarra
September 25, 2009
Trainer Tom Drury hopes that Timeless Fashion’s success over the Turfway track plays in his favor Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding broke his maiden at Turfway and won his first stakes at the track as well, taking the one-mile Dust Commander in February. He has three wins in six starts on Polytrack, all at Turfway, five wins total, and has never been out of the money in nine lifetime starts. The Classic will be his first graded-stakes attempt.
“Certainly with horses like Hold Me Back, Dubious Miss, and Wicked Style it’s not going to be a gimme,” Drury said. “But he likes the Polytrack and has always gotten over it well, so we thought if we’re going to swing for the fences, this is the place to do it. He certainly deserves the chance to compete at this level, and maybe things will go our way. We’re hoping for a little bit of a home-field advantage.”
Noting running styles in the field, Drury said, “He doesn’t have to be on the lead but he can be. If the doors open and nobody wants it, we can take it. If somebody does go, we can be right on their hip. There’s speed in the race but I don’t think any of them have to be on the lead. I think most of [the trainers] will tell the jockeys the same thing: ‘Let the doors open and see who does what.’”
Timeless Fashion comes in off a layoff, having last raced in and won the Independence Day Stakes at Mountaineer in July. He will ship to Turfway on race day.
source: Turfway Park
by Community Press Staff Writer
