 Phoenix –Serving notice they’re not to be taken lightly, Maker or Breaker won her third stakes in capturing the $35,000 Kachina Handicap as did Storm Power in winning the $35,000 Hank Mills, Sr. Handicap Saturday at Turf Paradise
Kachina, Fillies and Mares, 3-year-olds and up Maker of Breaker ($6.20), sent off the third choice at 2-1, broke free from her stretch rivals, Rock and Glory and Lady Rosberg (who finished in that order) in the scratch-reduced field of five to add her third stakes win locally. Ridden by Israel Hernandez for trainer Dan McFarlane, Maker of Break, a 5-year-old Empire Maker mare, covered the one mile over fast going in 1:35.94. Owned by Patti and Hal Earnhardt, III, Maker or Breaker has now won 7 of 16 races for over $264,974 in earnings. Phoenix – Both the $35,000 Kachina Handicap and $35,000 Hank Mills, Sr. Handicap have more in common than seven entrants in each stake, including multiple entrants from the two leading stakes trainers. Both stakes, which will be featured Saturday at Turf Paradise, will go as the 4th and 7th races.
The Kachina is for fillies and mares, 3-year-old and up and the Hank Mills is open to 3-year-olds and up. Both races will be run at one mile on the main track. In addition to seven horses in each race, each stakes has three horses entered by the two leading stakes trainers: Robertino Diodoro and Dan McFarlane. Diodoro has a trio of fillies in the Kachina and McFarlane matches with three in the Hank Mills. Though small in number, both races come up highly competitive.
Phoenix – The 9-race Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders’ Fall Festival was a success Saturday at Turf Paradise given the total day’s handle when compared to previous year. The numbers tell the story: 2014 - $1,708,819; 2013 - $931,056.
True, reasons can be cited for this $777,763 increase in wagering. This year there were nine races as compared to eight the previous year and secondly the fertile California betting market was on line this year with no exposure last year. Still, the horseplayers have to warm up to the product and indeed they did. Of the nine races, four were stakes races: The $25,000 Cactus Flower, two Breeders’ Futurities, each worth $50,000 and the $25,000 Cactus Flower. The one things all four stakes had in common was, each of the winners won by going wire-to-wire, or nearly so. The track was rated muddy for the first five races and then upgraded to good for the remaining four races.
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