BCZ Middleton employed last year’s race tactics to repeat victory in the $30,000 Princess of Palms Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
Running a nearly identical race as in the previous Princess of Palms, BCZ Middleton ($5.60) and Scott Stevens tracked a fast pacesetter from second and then came flying at the head of the lane.
 
This year it was 6-5 favorite Fight to Glory blazing early fractions of 21.55 and 44.34 for the half mile until being headed by 9-5 second choice BCZ Middleton with a quarter mile remaining. The two matched strides briefly until BCZ Middleton pulled away at the sixteenth pole and went on to win by 2 ½ lengths.
 
Fight to Glory was edged out a neck for second by the fast closing Brookys Star in the field of six fillies and mares.
 
Owned by William Burns and Rebecca Turcott and trained by Jeff Metz, BCZ Middleton covered the 6 furlongs in 1:08.95.
 
“We’ll go next in the City of Phoenix Stakes (Nov. 11),” said Metz. “She finished second in that race last year so we’ll be looking to win it this year.”
 
BCZ Middleton, a 4-year-old daughter of Nobiz  Like Shobiz, was winning for the eighth time in 29 starts and now has earnings of $162,293.

Jeff Metz would like nothing better than for BCZ Middleton to repeat last year’s game winning performance in Saturday’s $30,000 Princess of Palms Stakes at Turf Paradise.
 
The Princess of Palms, to be run at six furlongs attracted a field of nine fillies and mares. First of eight races is at 12:55 pm.
 
Metz may have to re-think BCZ Middleton’s front-running tactics that resulted in last year’s Princess win since five of the nine entrants have a similar running style. BCZ Middleton parlayed her Princess victory into a runner-up effort in her next start, the City of Phoenix Handicap.
 
Metz then shipped 4-year-old daughter of Nobiz Like Shobiz to Emerald Downs for a five-race summer campaign that resulted in a second place finish in the $50,000 Hastings Stakes and a victory in the $25,000 Kings County Stakes on August 13, her most recent start.
 
Leading trainer Robertino Diodoro who won seven 17 starts over the three-day opening weekend, will send out his lightly raced 3-year-old filly Fight to Glory. The daughter of American Lion, who has two wins against older fillies and mares in her last two efforts, will surely challenge BCZ Middleton for the lead. Diodoro, who’s vying for his fifth consecutive trainer’s title, won this race in 2012 with Jaws n’ Paws and 2011 with Shakenwithanolive.
 
Far from a two horse race, Valerie Lund sends her own speedball Risque Legacy.  The 3-year-old daughter of multiple stakes winner Atta Boy Roy and who has never gone off worse than 5-1 odds in seven career starts, counts two stakes wins to her credit.
 
Southern California shipper Princess Kendra, who has won six of 28 lifetime efforts and who leads all entrants with a $174,387 bankroll, is being sent forth by Reed Saldana. A closer, Princess Kendra will benefit from the assured quick pace of the Princess.   
 

Heavy 3-5 favorite Shrewd Move delivered for his backers by winning the $30,000 Bienvenidos Stakes Saturday as Turf Paradise opened its 132-day race meet. Meanwhile, leading trainer Robertino Diodoro signaled his intent to go after his fifth consecutive title by winning four of opening day’s nine races.
 
Shrewd Move ($3.20) handled by Leslie Mawing, was immediately engaged by last year’s Bienvenidos winner Kaabraaj. The two matched-race clear of the field until Kaabraaj tied to finish fourth and Shrewd Move drew clear to win by 2 ½ lengths. Madlba finished second and 2014 Bienvenidos winner Storm Power third in a field of seven reduced by five scratches.
 
Owned by Yeaman’s Racing Stables and trained by Dan McFarlane, Shrewd Move covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.77. Shrewd Move winner’s share of $18,228 pushed his career earnings to $241,499 from ten wins in 18 lifetime efforts.
 
Giving notice that he’s earnest about ruling the trainers’ standings, Diodoro swept the first three races on the card with London Legacy ($3.00), Vidaks Back ($3.60) and Strut N Swagger ($7.40). Diodoro came back to win the seventh race with Jam N Addy ($7.00). Jockey Andrew Ramgeet was aboard three of the four winners.

A full field of 12 horses is entered for opening day’s $30,000 Bienvenidos Stakes as Turf Paradise Race Course kicks off its 62nd season this Saturday (Oct. 14).
 
The 6 ½ furlong Bienvenidos will go as the eighth race on the nine race program. First race is 12:55 pm.
 
A 132-day meet will run from October 14 thru May 6, 2018. Racing will be conducted primarily on a five-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday.
 
This year’s 22nd running of the Bienvenidos features two previous winners: Kaabraaj (2016) and Storm Power (2014). The latter is trained by four-time leading trainer Robertino Diodoro, who’s won this race three times and who has four horses entered in this year’s edition.
 
Kaabraaj’s last victory came after winning the Bienvenidos in Turf’s Luke Kruytbosch Stakes. Five subsequent tries in California resulted in out-of-the-money efforts.
 
Although Storm Power has a win in this race, he may not be the strongest of Diodoro’s four entries. That honor falls to Madiba who has been running against high-priced claiming company with moderate success at Santa Anita, and who was claimed by Diodoro for $50,000 in early June.
 
The Dan McFarlane-trained Shrewd Move is looking for his fourth victory this year after winning once locally and twice at Canterbury.
 
Jose Silva’s Eleven Zip has been a win machine this year, capturing six of nine efforts while looking for his fourth consecutive victory in the Bienvenidos.
 
The well-traveled Jessica’s Star sports the best bankroll of $508,899 from six lifetime victories. Jessica’s Star will be coming off 45-day respite for trainer Kevin Eikleberry.

Robertino Diodoro certainly knows his way to the winner’s circle at Turf Paradise. The Canadian-born trainer will be looking to return often to that familiar enclosure as he goes after his fifth consecutive title when the track opens this month for its 62nd season.
 
A 132-day meet will run from October 14 thru May 6, 2018. Racing will be conducted primarily on five-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday with a first race post of 12:55 pm.
There will be three special live race day Fridays: Nov. 1, the first day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup Championship simulcasts; the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24 and May 4, to accommodate the Kentucky Oaks simulcast.
 
Diodoro finished the 2016-2017 meet with 84 victories – the lowest of his four-year title win skein – but 51 wins ahead of the second leading trainer Miguel Silva. Diodoro saddled 316 horses during last season’s 127-day meet for a 27% win rate, the best among the Top 10 trainers. Fifty-five percent of Diodoro’s horses raced, finish either first, second or third. In winning his first title in 2014, Diodoro did so with an exclamation point, winning a record 128 races, eclipsing the old record of 104 wins set by Silva in 2013.
 
“Winning a title is an accomplishment, not only for me but for my entire team,” said Diodoro. “So, we’ll be trying for our fifth title.”
 
Diodoro, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, and who got into the game via his trainer grandfather, has been training horses since 1992.
 
Diodoro has started 1,274 horses and won 418 races during the four-years he has campaigned at Turf Paradise. But Diodoro’s talents are not confined to Arizona, where he has 60 horses. He also maintains stables at Belmont Park in New York (32 horses), Churchill Downs in Kentucky (25) and Louisiana Downs (35). He will also have 40 horses at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas when that meet opens in mid January.
 
“The only way to care for so many horses and be responsible to all the owners is to have a good, dedicated team,” said Diodoro. “That’s the only way.”
 
As of October 1, Diodoro is tied for fourth among trainers in the nation in races won with 161 victories. However, Diodoro points to winning the 2017 Oaklawn Park Handicap with Inside Straight and capturing this year’s Northland Park’s Canadian Derby with Chief Know It All, as career highlights.
 
“Any time you win a graded stakes, like the Oaklawn Park Handicap (G2), you feel you’re getting better at your profession,” said Diodoro. “Winning the Canadian Derby was special because my entire family was there with me. We celebrated.”
 
The all-time winning trainer is Richard Hazelton with a record 16 titles (462 victories), who dominated Turf Paradise racing in the sixties and seventies, when the race meets were comprised of less days than what they are now.
 
“Hazelton’s record is probably safe,” said Diodoro. “But who knows?”

Robertino Diodoro certainly knows his way to the winner’s circle at Turf Paradise. The Canadian-born trainer will be looking to return often to that familiar enclosure as he goes after his fifth consecutive title when the track opens this month for its 62nd season.
 
A 132-day meet will run from October 14 thru May 6, 2018. Racing will be conducted primarily on five-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday with a first race post of 12:55 pm.
There will be three special live race day Fridays: Nov. 1, the first day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup Championship simulcasts; the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24 and May 4, to accommodate the Kentucky Oaks simulcast.
 
Diodoro finished the 2016-2017 meet with 84 victories – the lowest of his four-year title win skein – but 51 wins ahead of the second leading trainer Miguel Silva. Diodoro saddled 316 horses during last season’s 127-day meet for a 27% win rate, the best among the Top 10 trainers. Fifty-five percent of Diodoro’s horses raced, finish either first, second or third. In winning his first title in 2014, Diodoro did so with an exclamation point, winning a record 128 races, eclipsing the old record of 104 wins set by Silva in 2013.
 
“Winning a title is an accomplishment, not only for me but for my entire team,” said Diodoro. “So, we’ll be trying for our fifth title.”
 
Diodoro, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, and who got into the game via his trainer grandfather, has been training horses since 1992.
 
Diodoro has started 1,274 horses and won 418 races during the four-years he has campaigned at Turf Paradise. But Diodoro’s talents are not confined to Arizona, where he has 60 horses. He also maintains stables at Belmont Park in New York (32 horses), Churchill Downs in Kentucky (25) and Louisiana Downs (35). He will also have 40 horses at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas when that meet opens in mid January.
 
“The only way to care for so many horses and be responsible to all the owners is to have a good, dedicated team,” said Diodoro. “That’s the only way.”
 
As of October 1, Diodoro is tied for fourth among trainers in the nation in races won with 161 victories. However, Diodoro points to winning the 2017 Oaklawn Park Handicap with Inside Straight and capturing this year’s Northland Park’s Canadian Derby with Chief Know It All, as career highlights.
 
“Any time you win a graded stakes, like the Oaklawn Park Handicap (G2), you feel you’re getting better at your profession,” said Diodoro. “Winning the Canadian Derby was special because my entire family was there with me. We celebrated.”
 
The all-time winning trainer is Richard Hazelton with a record 16 titles (462 victories), who dominated Turf Paradise racing in the sixties and seventies, when the race meets were comprised of less days than what they are now.
 
“Hazelton’s record is probably safe,” said Diodoro. “But who knows?”