RODEO KING CAPTURES LINTON MEMORIAL

Rodeo King has added a stakes win to his growing list of victories.

The son of Blissfull Hall captured the Keith Linton Memorial for four-year-old horses and geldings (non-winners of $30,000 lifetime up to an including Dec. 15) last Saturday at Fraser Downs.

Rodeo King, with trainer Bill Davis at the controls, went gate to wire to win by 1 1.2 lengths over a field of eight in 1:57.4. Longshot (28-1) Red Star Governor and Red Star Robust, who both were well back early, finished second and third respectively. Rodeo King, who started from the three hole on the gate and battled early with Regal Intention for the lead, was part of a 1-5 favored entry.

The victory was the second in a row and sixth in his last seven starts for Rodeo King, who was claimed for $10,000 by Niele Jiwan on Oct. 12. Rodeo King now has 10 career wins and more than $46,000 in earnings.

“I wanted to control the race and when we got away from the gate I thought I had a good chance so went for it,” Davis said when asked if he wanted to have the lead.

“He (Rodeo King, who last started on Dec. 26) did a helluva job,” Davis added. “I had to train him up pretty good with no elimination.”

He did such a good job that Davis and Jiwan have entered him in with the $35,000 claimers and open horses for this Sunday.

Meanwhile, A Midnight Promise held the lead most of the way in the $25,000 Penny Bath Memorial stakes final on Sunday, lost it in the stretch, but was awarded the win after an inquiry.

Complete Game, who was fourth early but worked her way up from before the half, had crossed the wire first. However, when her entry mate Intrepid Kate made a break at the head of the backstretch while racing second and caused interference to trailing horses, Complete Game’s win was taken down to eighth in the field of nine. Kate, part of the 7-5 favored entry, finished sixth but was placed ninth.

A Midnight Promise, who had raced to a new life mark in winning one of two qualifying legs the previous Sunday, was awarded the victory. Midnight is owned by Bruce Barbour and the Shale Stables and is trained and driven by Barry Treen.

The win for A Midnight Promise, who was part of a second-choice 8-5 entry, was the fourth of her career and pushed her career earnings to more than $40,000.

Two longshots, Ross Ridge Biggins (28-1) and Drinks White (34-1), finished third and fourth and then were moved up a spot. 

LOVE GROWS: Westart Love is for real. Five wins in a row will help prove that but it is also who she has beaten that tells a tale.

Among the wins by the five-year-old daughter of Western Hanover was one on Dec. 23 in the fillies and mares open (along with $35,000 claimers) over open mare Betterfrombehind. Just to show that was not a fluke, Westart Love did that again last Sunday.

She, and driver/trainer Bill Davis, used the same strategy. Starting from the five-hole in the field of six, she slipped into the garden spot two-hole trip behind Betterfrombehind who raced to the front from her outside six post.

Westart Love, owned by Niele Jiwan, used a strong last quarter (28.4) and stretch showing to win by a length. Stablemate Alldressedinvelvet was third.

Westart Love has moved up from the $15,000 claiming ranks during her five-race streak. She now has 16 career victories and more than $77,000 in career earnings.

There was no open event for the male gender so the $35,000 claimers took the spotlight last Sunday with a field of six.

Hi Time Ascot, a six-year-old son of Barnett Hanover, sat back early but used a strong backstretch move to win the event by 5½ lengths in a time of 1:54.1 (just a tick off his career best).

Ascot, trained by Ray Gemmill and driven by Darren Howald, now has 12 lifetime wins and earnings of more than $117,000. He has a 3-2-2 mark in his last seven starts.

Active Pass was second and Armbro Blacktie, the even-money favorite, was third. 

CARBON COPY: There obviously will not be any resting on laurels or slowing down in 2007 for top driver Bill Davis.

He again led all Downs drivers last weekend and has already roared away from the gate.

Davis picked up eight victories on the weekend and now has 18 in the year’s early going (he also is now at 102 for the meet).

Take away Davis and the 2007 battle becomes tight. Jim Marino and Scott Knight each have six wins while Serge Masse, Darren Howald, Dave Hudon and Clint Warrington have five apiece and Jim Burke and Gord Abbott have four.

Hudon had four wins last weekend while Howald and Warrington had three and Masse and Marino two each.

Davis also led all trainers with six trips to the winner’s enclosure. Log-jammed at two were: Hudon, Warrington, Erik Neyhart, Wayne Isbister, Ty O’Neill, Jim Richards and Steve Germain.

Davis had 13 for the year while Neyhart is next at six. 

WEEK'S STARS: Cleverly – but no so appropriately it seems -- named Vanishing Equity continues to win and earn money.

The veteran (13) son of Precious Energy powered to lifetime win No. 50 for owners Laurie Davis and Myrna Green and trainer/driver Bill Davis. Equity has earned more than $213,000 in his career.

The lightly raced One Great Lady, a five-year-old daughter of Falcons Future, captured her second straight win in a new lifetime clocking of 1:57.3.

Johnny Jojo, a nine-year-old son of Camluck, triumphed for trainer Dave McKellar and pushed his career earnings to more than $150,000.

A Mainman’s Moonshot hit the winner’s enclosure ending a long drought for the handicapper. Southwind Sage, a six-year-old son of paid $74.80 to win for trainer Brett Currie and his lifetime earnings went to more than $50,000.

Magic Pal (g 9 Cams Magic Trick) won the 46th of his career and ended the five-race win streak of Triple Play who had to settle for second.

Red Star Pristine, a five-year-old daughter of Gothic Dream, won her second straight and fifth in her last six starts for trainer/driver Bill Davis.

Tahuya Panda, a four-year-old daughter of Kents On Nuke, made it two in a row for trainer Erik Neyhart.

Badtimingthatsall, a four-year-old son of Kents On Nuke, won his first race since 2005 when he impressed as a two-year-old. He was winless in only five starts in 2006 but this time he set a lifetime best of 1:56.2 for trainer Bill Davis.

Law Of The Yukon, a six-year-old son of Fit For Life, raced to a new life mark of 1:55.1 and in the process, as a 20-1 shot, ended the eight-race winning streak of Red Star Soprano.

The latter had an amazing run with big wins and was a 1-9 favorite last Friday. He roared from the gate as usual but Yukon, who took the cozy two-hole trip, was able to beat Soprano in the stretch and win by 1¼ lengths.

Millbacks Dakota (h 4 Usher Hanover) lowered his lifetime best clocking to 1:58.1 for trainer John Zahara; Tahuya Adara (m 6 Brace Yourself) moved her life mark to 1:58.3 for trainer Erik Neyhart; Brenchly (g 6 Barnett Hanover), trained by Dave Hudon, covered the mile in a new life mark of 1:56.4; Hudon’s charge Undercover Brother (h 6 Jate Lobell) lowered his career best to 1:55.3 and Red Star Sailor (c 3 Fit For Life) paced his fastest ever, 1:58.3 for trainer Clint Warrington.  

SKIPPY DOMINATES MARATHONS: The second 1 5/8 mile event at Fraser Downs was just as exciting as the first.

And the most excited after – again – were owner Jennifer Dodsworth and trainer/driver Randy Rutledge as their five-year-old horse Skippy Blue Shoe made it two in a row in the event.

Skippy won the first race by a neck and this time by half a length as the son of Usher Hanover again came from well off the pace.

Milestone, who was fourth the first week, was second and both times he started from the eight hole. For the second straight week, Red Star Riverboat was third, just three quarters of a length away and Moscow Dancer was fourth, 2¾ lengths back.

Skippy’s win, which was the 10th of his career, was in 3:20.2, short of his track record time of 3:18.1. 

HALL IN DREAMIN' FINAL: Ray Hall has captured week two in the California Dreamin’ handicapping contest at Fraser Downs.

Hall closed with a rush to end the day with $799 and a big margin over runner-up Sarah Day at $600.

Howie Gelford, Rob Roxburgh and Walter Valleau (he was fifth opening weekend) shared third place at $495 followed by Doug Robertson at $490 and Pete Day at $469.

Hall joins opening day winner David Porter in the contest final.

The contest will run for nine weeks and each weekly winner will compete on March 3 to try to win a trip to the 2007 Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

Contestants are allowed to pick any three races using races 3-8 on the designated Saturday cards from Santa Anita Racetrack. Each selection will have a mythical $20 across the board wager on it. The person with the most money from his/her three races will be off to the final. Prices will be capped at $42 for a win, $22 for a second and $12 for a third. Each weekly winner will receive $100 as a prize.

The final this year has a slight twist. Each of the nine finalists will have a live bankroll of $180 to wager. Six races from Santa Anita will be selected and each contestant must place a $10 across the board wager on each of the races. The twist: if a contestant makes money for the day, regardless if he or she is grand champion, they get to keep their proceeds.