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Weld filly victorious at Hollywood Park

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

Dimitrova is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Swain and The Caretaker. Weld trained the latter during her racing days. Dimitrova now has three wins from six starts. She broke her maiden at Leopardstown in March, then won the 1000 Guineas Trial there in April. In the Guineas, she took the lead with a quarter mile to go, but was caught 100 yards from the wire and settled for third place.
Weld is likely to aim Dimitrova for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in late October, which will be held at Hollywood Park this year.
Ballingarry got back on track with a victory in the $219,200 Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington. The Irish-bred son of Sadler’s Wells, winless since last year’s Canadian International, split horses when the field straightened out in the homestretch, took the lead and held off Dr. Brendler by a half-length. The winning time for 12 furlongs on grass labeled good was 2:28.30. Rene Douglas was the winning jockey.
Sidney Port, Marshall Naify and San Gabriel Investments own Ballingarry, a 4-year-old colt. Laura de Seroux trains him. Last year, he campaigned for Aidan O’Brien. Irishman Francis O’Toole owns runner-up Dr. Brendler. The top two finishers are likely to return here next month for the Arlington Million.
Tony O’Reilly’s Skymarc Farm picked up a stakes win when homebred Madeira won the $187,250 Dance Smartly Handicap at Woodbine. A 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Grand Lodge, Madeira Mist came up the rail through the stretch under Patrick Husbands to prevail by a nose over First Quarter. The nine furlongs on firm ground was run in 1:48.05. She paid $18.90 to win.
Madeira Mist began her career in Ireland, where she ran one race for Kevin
Prendergast. She was sent to America to the care of Christophe Clement, for whom she has now won four races from nine starts.
Keith O’Brien enjoyed one of the finest days of his burgeoning training career when he won two races on Belmont Park’s holiday card last Friday. O’Brien, a former jumps jockey and son of Leo O’Brien, saddled Tiger’s Halfmoon for owners John Desmond and Mark Lansing in the first race, returning a $25 mutuel. In the fifth race, Richard Bomze’s Rose Esther won her second race in a row, defeating claimers to pay $5.20. On Wednesday, Colum O’Brien preceded his nephew to the winner’s circle when Robert Koones’s Jayar surprised a group of open claimers to pay $20.60.

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