Longacres Mile winner Jim Penney returns to Emerald Downs with stakes fillies | Horse Racing

For some trainers taking the winter off is routine. For some trainers racing thoroughbreds through all four seasons is customary practice. For the Jim Penney barn it has always been the latter.

However, this time was different. Trainer Jim Penney and assistant trainer Kay Cooper made a rare move and decided to pack up for the winter. In fact, it has been so long since the Penney barn took a winter off that Cooper couldn’t remember when it could have been.

“We’ve always had a couple horses running somewhere,” Cooper said. “It’s nice to give the horses some time off, so they can come back fresh. Sissy (Sis’s Sis) and Baby (Include the Baby) really came back well.”

Sis’s Sis and Include the Baby are just two of Penney’s older fillies that could contend in their respective stakes division. Last year’s Top 3-Year-Old Filly and double stakes winner, Sis’s Sis posted a bullet work Wednesday when she breezed a half mile in :46 2/5 (1/18).

The less-proven Include the Baby scored an impressive maiden victory last year in her only career race before she was scratched at the gate as the 8-to-5 favorite in the 2010 Federal Way Handicap.  The barn also holds 4-year-old fillies multiple stakes-placed Private Fortune and Sweet Nellie Brown.

And nobody can forget Cliff’s Secret, who caught everyone’s attention when she obliterated a 12-horse field by 7 ¼ lengths. She quickly climbed the class ladder after her maiden score to beat 2010 Belle Roberts champ Mizzen You on two occasions. Cooper said that Cliff’s Secret might have improved the most of any horse in the barn since last season.

“It’s a big advantage to give these horses some time off. It gives horses like Cliff’s Secret a chance to develop a little more,” Cooper said.

TOTEBOARD SPORTS NEW TIMING MECHANISM

Emerald Downs’ engineers made some instrumental changes to the tote board Wednesday when they added a new timing system to accommodate Quarter Horse races this season.

After successfully running its first Quarter Horse race last season, track management tentatively planned to host three Quarter Horse races a week for 2011. In order to effectively time the duration of a Quarter Horse race, the fractions and final time must be measured in hundredths of a second. Unlike a Thoroughbred race, which can be measured satisfactorily by fifths of a second.

Prior to this season, the times were displayed by a magnetic mechanism. Now, the displays are made up of LED lights. TV engineer Dan Huffman, who helped build the new timing mechanism said he was excited about the new upgrades.

“This is a very good change and will allow handicappers to see hundredths of a second in real time,” he said.

Huffman said that while the major construction is complete, there are still some finishing touches to finish up within the next week.

HOLLYWOOD HARBOR TRAINER: 2009 TOP TWO-YEAR-OLD FEELING GREAT

Trainer Chris Stenslie is thrilled with the way Hollywood Harbor has progressed in the past couple months after he sustained an injury to his suspensory ligament last year at the start of his 3-year-old campaign. She said her Washington-bred chestnut gelding shares the same excitement.

“He is so happy to be back at the racetrack,” Stenslie said. “He loves people. He loves horses. He loves attention. Whenever he’s out at the track, he wants everyone to look at him.”

The 2009 Top Juvenile at Emerald Downs has been missed. The son of Harbor the Gold exploded during his 2-year-old campaign at Emerald Downs, where he dominated in each of the three stakes races in which he competed.

Soon after finishing ninth in the $75,000 Harry Henson Stakes at Hollywood Park, Hollywood Harbor had changes in his left, front suspensory ligament after a workout for the 2010 Auburn Handicap at Emerald Downs. Stenslie said that she has been jogging Hollywood Harbor since November and that he appears to be fully recovered.

“We did an ultrasound on his leg and his suspensory looks awesome,” she said.

Stenslie said even with the good news that she will ease her 4-year-old back into racing shape. She said it is unlikely that Hollywood Harbor would make it for the opening week allowance race on Sunday, April 17. Hollywood Harbor has worked twice at three furlongs this year. He worked in :36 2/5 (12/46) on March 12, and he worked in :35 3/5 (4/35) on March 20. Stenslie said with weather permitting that Hollywood Harbor would likely work this weekend.

WEST SEATTLE BOY ON SCHEDULE FOR 2011 CAMPAIGN AT EMERALD DOWNS

Trainer Jessie Velasquez announced earlier this week that West Seattle Boy, the track’s all-time leader with 18 wins, would run in 2011 at Emerald Downs.

“He’s really doing great,” Velasquez said. “He acts the same way every year. He still thinks he’s three years old.”

In West Seattle Boy’s third registered workout of the year, the 12-year-old son of Majesterian posted a bullet Wednesday when he breezed a half mile in :48 3/5 (1/9) at Portland Meadows. Velasquez said West Seattle Boy would be ready for the start of the Emerald Downs season.

“He’s right on schedule,” he said. “He’ll probably work at Portland (Meadows) two or three more times and then ship to Emerald (Downs) in a couple weeks.”

West Seattle Boy has compiled a remarkable 22-12-18 record in 94 career starts. The Washington-bred gelding broke Market Master and Bob Stories’ track record of 17 wins last year with a half-length victory on July 25. He padded his stats for owners Lisa Baze and Jerry Carmody with another win on Sept. 25. He finished the season with three wins in eight starts and was considered a strong candidate for 2010 Claimer of the Meet.

NOTES:

• The Emerald Downs racing office released the first condition book this week for the 2011 season at Emerald Downs. Opening day, April 15 will feature a $21,000 allowance race for older fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs. Sunday, April 17 will showcase an allowance race with similar conditions for older horses. Trainer Doris Harwood said Wednesday that 2010 Longacres Mile winner Noosa Beach would be pointed for the Sunday feature.
• Portland Meadows concluded its 2010-11 stakes schedule Wednesday with the $50,000 Portland Meadows Mile. Deacon Speakin’, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, crushed a nine-horse field to win by 7 ¾ lengths. The 5-year-old Washington-bred went off at 13-1 for trainer Steve Fisher and owner/breeder Paul Hagemann. Two races earlier, 1-to-2 favorite Alec’s Moon beat the boys to capture the $30,000 Portland Meadows Derby under Kevin Krigger. The Kentucky-bred filly also won the $82,000 Portland Meadows Oaks for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on Jan. 29.
• Owners Dave and Jill Heerensperger of Bellevue, Wash. entered their 5-year-old Bourbon Bay Wednesday in Saturday’s $5,000,000 Sheema Dubai Classic at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates…Emerald Downs, the racetrack, has apparently inspired a horseman in the Land Down Under. A stakes-caliber filly named Emerald Downs finished second in the $250,000 Inglis Premier on Feb. 16 at Mornington in Victoria, Australia. The filly is the first winner for the young stallion Churchill Downs…Last year’s Governor’s Handicap winner and 2009 Longacres Mile champ, Assessment breezed a half mile Thursday in :46 2/5 (1/30).