Horse Racing News

Dancinginherdreams and R Heat Lightning had attracted all the pre-race publicity coming into Sunday's $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park, but Pomeroys Pistol had a race over the track.

As dominant as she was in winning the Grade 1 La Brea in stakes record-time one month ago, Switch looked like a world-beater as she trounced her rivals in the $250,000 Santa Monica Handicap (Grade 1) Jan. 30 at cloudy Santa Anita Park.

John Doyle, 49, of Scottsdale, Ariz., rallied in the last race to top a field of 301 to win the $500,000 prize and title of 2010 Handicapper of the Year at the 12th annual DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship.

Longshot Tackleberry led from the start and repulsed Duke of Mischief to win the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic by 2 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29.

Caracortado, a Grade 2 winner on Santa Anita's synthetic track last winter, proved equally at home on the lawn when he outlasted The Usual Q. T. to capture the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Turf by a half-length Jan. 29.

Steven Michael Bell's Aegean, sent off at 9-1 odds, held off a determined 13-1 shot in Jessica Is Back to post an upset in the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.

Trainer Jim Cassidy was so concerned about Evening Jewel's mental state in the moments before Saturday's $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff that he forgot to have a pre-race strategy conference in the paddock with jockey Victor Espinoza.

Dancinginherdreams will draw the most support when a field of seven 3-year-old fillies gathers for Sunday's extremely attractive, Grade 2, $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Dynaslew will begin her 2011 campaign in a much easier spot when she meets a field restricted to just Florida- and California-breds in Saturday's $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

First Dude, runner-up last season in the Preakness and third in the Belmont, Haskell, and Travers, tops the $500,000 Classic at Gulfstream, where he will face Duke of Mischief.