Horse Racing News

Elliott Burch, a Hall of Fame trainer who won the Belmont Stakes three times and hailed from a family of revered horsemen, died Sunday of complications from pneumonia in Newport Hospital in Rhode Island. He was 86.

Trainer Nick Zito didn't really want to do it, but his decision to bypass an allowance event nine days earlier for the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes looks pretty good after the inexperienced Dialed In swept to an impressive win at Gulfstream Park Jan. 30.

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.