Good Afternoon,
Hialeah Park kicked off the New Year today with the $20,000 City Of Hialeah Stakes. The race drew quite the contentious field and was as exciting on the racetrack as it looked on paper. In the end, Matt Frazier trainees finished 1st and 2nd, with Fredaville catching Struttin High in deep stretch and breaking the track record to boot!! Meanwhile, Donnie Strickland and Oscar Delgado continue on a super human run, winning 5 in a row today. The streak is actually 6 in a row for Donnie Strickland when you factor in that he won the last race yesterday. All kinds of tales coming out of Hialeah Park today! See attached and below for more. Hope 2011 is a good one for all of you!
Pete Aiello
Director of Marketing/Simulcasting
Hialeah Park
305 885 8000 Ext 280
paiello@brunetti.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
PETER AIELLO
HIALEAH PARK
(305) 885-8000 Ext. 280
paiello@brunetti.com
FREDAVILLE GETS UP TO SCORE TRACK RECORD WIN IN THE CITY Of HIALEAH STAKES
Hialeah, FL, January 1- Hialeah Park kicked off the New Year Saturday with Fan Appreciation Day and the $20,000 City Of Hialeah Stakes. The eight race program not short on stories was contested over a fast track amidst partly cloudy skies.
In the feature race, the City Of Hialeah Stakes, it was apparent midway that trainer Matt Frazier had the race won. The only question was which of his two runners would seal the deal. In the end it was the less fancied of the two, Fredaville, a five-year-old sorrel mare by Mr Jess Perry, who nailed pacesetter and barn buddy Struttin High in the closing strides for the victory. As a 10-1 outsider, Fredaville paid $23.40 to win and collected $12,000 for the score, while covering the course in a track record clocking of 19.268, despite a constant headwind. This is the third time the 400 yard track record has fallen this season. Struttin High held gamely for second, in front of Hez Double Trouble who did not offer his usual sharp start and ended up third.
Fredaville has now won 4 of 20 at lifetime with this being his first win in as many tries locally. In the most recent try, Fredaville finished behind One Tough Dude and Struttin High in the Bradford Stakes at Hoosier. She was bred in Oklahoma by owner Robert Gentry and is out of the Dash for Cash mare Fearless Freda. This is the third stakes win of the season for high percentage winning trainer Matt Frazier.
“We don’t have as many bullets as some of the other guys, but we make em count,” said trainer Frazier.
Meanwhile, the team of Oscar Delgado and Donnie Strickland shined yet again, winning five consecutive races. When accounting for the fact that Strickland scored in the nightcap yesterday, it is actually six consecutive for Hialeah’s leading conditioner. Today’s festivities started in race two with Brimmerton Miss, followed by Gutsy Dash in the third. Things got interesting when First Teller powered away in race four and Srr Royal Flush returned to form the win race five. In the sixth, Sheza Titleist received a standing ovation from the crowd when she gave the team their fifth straight win. In the finale, their runner, Iba Twiggy Ohs looked home when Just Dashin Bye surged to catch her in last jump. When asked about the heartbreaking loss and failure to make it seven straight, the Strickland outfit remained humble.
“You can’t win em’ all”, said Strickland’s wife Gina with a grin.
Racing resumes at Hialeah Park Sunday, with a 2:05 PM first race post. Next weekend, the track will be showcasing the local Latin heritage, with the first annual “Hialeah Art In The Park”. This two day art and jazz festival will feature a variety of local artists, local fresh food, cigar rollers and live jazz music. The racing season at the famed oval continues through January 23rd with racing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:05 pm. Hialeah Park offers free parking and admission every day, with valet parking available for just $3.
