Two trials for the upcoming Arizona Spring Sales Stake were contested at Turf Paradise on April 19, with French General winning the first and McKenzie Honey taking the second. The final times for the two events were virtually identical, as French General, a gelded son of To Honor and Serve, won his event in 52:50 for four and a half furlongs, while McKenzie Honey, a daughter of Parading, was timed in :52.49.
French General, a Kentucky-bred campaigning for Bar Diamond Ranch and Kenneth Fishbein, and trained by Molly Pearson, was a front-running winner over Yo Y Me and was the odds-on favorite of his field. McKenzie Honey, also bred in Kentucky, dueled eventual runner-up High Class Taste and race favorite Spotlight Gal into defeat to win for connections Barbara Eakin, Jonathan Nance and Steve Smith. Nance trains the filly.
The top six finishers from each event qualify for the Arizona Spring Sales Stake, which will be run on Sunday, May 8, closing day at this season’s Turf Paradise meet.
This is the last Spring Sales Stake for 2-year-olds under the current contract. The new contract carries for two years and extends to Sales Handicap events for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Posted April 20th, 2016
The seven and a half-furlong Arizona Stallion Stakes was decided in the final strides as Hey Ez Money edged past favored Lieutenant Margie to win by a neck in 1:31.20 over a firm turf course. The top two overtook pacesetting Sondrio and Heber in upper stretch and opened up on the field, eventually finishing two […]
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Posted April 7th, 2016
Veteran Arizona-bred Jamaican Memories, last seen finishing fourth behind Absolutely Cool in the Hank Mills Sr. Handicap last month, turned the tables in the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 13. Sitting well back off a blazing early pace, Jamaican Memories ran on late to edge out Storm Power in the last inches of the […]
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Posted February 13th, 2016
New ATBA Board of Directors officers have been elected: •Marvin Fleming, President •Jan Osborn, Vice President •Wende Macumber, Secretary/Treasurer The Board also welcomes its newest member, Michael Barro.
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Posted February 1st, 2016
The $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, run on Jan. 16, came down to inches at the wire when California invader Somethings Unusual ran down locally based Az Ridge in the final yards to win by a head in 1:37.01 over firm turf. Perfectly Majestic, the only horse behind Somethings Unusual in the early stages of the […]
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Posted January 17th, 2016
The ATBA wishes a happy 60th anniversary to Turf Paradise, which ran its first race on Jan. 7, 1956, and has operated a racing meet at the present location every year since.
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Posted January 7th, 2016
The ATBA Fall Yearling & Mixed Sale is to be held at Horseshoe Park Equestrian Centre on Thursday, Nov. 19, with a 2 pm start time. The sale is heading to Horseshoe Park Equestrian Centre for the 2015 event. The facility is located at 20464 E. Riggs Road, Queen Creek, Arizona 85142. Horses are available […]
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Posted September 30th, 2015
The ATBA Spring Sales Stakes almost looked like a match race between the two ATBA Spring Sales Stakes trial winners, Taste’s Secret and Chargin Bye, until deep stretch when Ez Deluxe, some five lengths behind the dueling pacesetters as they entered the stretch, mowed them down to win. Favored Taste’s Secret opened up three and […]
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Posted May 10th, 2015