Smoke Glacken

The winners are in. Maryland's equivalent of the Eclipse Awards are final. And the 1997 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year is Smoke Glacken.A son of Two Punch and Majesty's Crown, Smoke Glacken also won a 1997 Eclipse award as the nation's outstanding sprinter. At distances of a mile or less, he was undefeated in six starts.Based on the vote of eight Maryland racing writers, Smoke Glacken was the unanimous choice for state-bred Horse of the Year.The Maryland Horse Breeders Association conducted the poll.

A bay colt by Smoke Glacken who broke his sire's Timonium workout record by two-fifths of a second was purchased for $320,000 yesterday, topping Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2-year-olds-in-training sale. The New York-bred horse went to Richard Violette on behalf of Klaravich Stable. The colt worked three furlongs in 33 1/5 to bring the third-highest price ever at this sale. Gross from the sale increased nearly $500,000 to $9,805,300, largely because 40 more horses were sold this year. The average price was down almost 10 percent; median price was $20,000.

With the talented Meadow Monster scratched, the $72,875 Housebuster Handicap became a wide-open affair yesterday at Laurel Park.It was Wise Dusty who closed the door.On a lightning-fast track, the chestnut gelding dominated five rivals and scored a three-length victory, perhaps gaining himself a shot at the big boys in the $300,000 De Francis Dash July 19.Wise Dusty finished the six furlongs in 1: 08 4/5, only three-fifths of a second off Fighting Notion's track record."We were looking at it [the De Francis]

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic will conduct its annual 2-year-olds-in-training sale today and tomorrow at the Timonium sales pavilion, beginning at 10 a.m. both days."

Trainer Henry Carroll is returning to Laurel Park on Saturday to run probable favorite Smoke Glacken in the $300,000 Grade II Frank J. De Francis Dash, the second-richest sprint race next to the Breeders' Cup Sprint.Carroll, a resident of New Jersey, raced at Laurel Park for seven years during the 1970s and has made several successful forays since then. In 1989, Yankee Affair finished second in the Washington D.C. International, and a year later Carroll's Southern Tradition captured the Martha Washington.

Two horses with Maryland connections racing toward the Triple Crown series -- one Maryland-bred, the other Maryland-trained -- took major strides yesterday, winning stakes events in New York and Arkansas.Maryland-bred Smoke Glacken, a son of Two Punch, won the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes, a six-furlong sprint at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. And Concerto, trained by Maryland-based John J. Tammaro III, captured the $50,000 Whirlaway Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile test at Aqueduct.Smoke Glacken won in the mud, Concerto in the snow.

Two Punch, Allen's Prospect. Allen's Prospect, Two Punch.Perry Rosebrock and his brother Joe couldn't decide which Maryland stallion would best suit their unproven mare Majesty's Crown."

NEW ORLEANS -- Smoke Glacken's road to the Kentucky Derby ended yesterday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.The headstrong colt from Maryland finished a gutsy third in the $400,000 Louisiana Derby. But the distance of 1 1/16 miles pushed the speedy son of Two Punch to the limits of his stamina.He sprang to the front and zipped to a three-length lead down the backstretch. Then he charged gamely down the Fair Grounds' long homestretch, only to be passed near the wire by the fast-closing Crypto Star and Stop Watch.

Smoke Glacken took a giant stride toward the spring classics yesterday with an electrifying performance in the $100,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.The Maryland-bred gray colt won the one-mile race -- his first ever around two turns -- by eight lengths. None of the other seven 3-year-old in the race, including two trained by the Triple Crown master himself, D. Wayne Lukas, even challenged him.The Southwest was a key race in the winter schedule of Smoke Glacken, a son of Two Punch and Majesty's Crown.

Smoke Glacken, the most highly regarded Maryland-bred thoroughbred since Cigar, injured a knee while training and most likely will be retired.Perhaps the fastest horse in North America, the 3-year-old gray son of Two Punch and Majesty's Crown was the leading candidate for an Eclipse Award as this year's champion sprinter.Henry Carroll, Smoke Glacken's trainer and part owner, detected slight swelling in the colt's right front knee after a workout Thursday at Monmouth Park on the Jersey shore.

The winners are in. Maryland's equivalent of the Eclipse Awards are final. And the 1997 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year is Smoke Glacken.A son of Two Punch and Majesty's Crown, Smoke Glacken also won a 1997 Eclipse award as the nation's outstanding sprinter. At distances of a mile or less, he was undefeated in six starts.Based on the vote of eight Maryland racing writers, Smoke Glacken was the unanimous choice for state-bred Horse of the Year.The Maryland Horse Breeders Association conducted the poll.

For the bold stroke of her pen on checks worth nearly half a million dollars, Carolyn Hine won an Eclipse Award yesterday as horse racing's Owner of the Year.A native of Baltimore, Hine wrote checks for $480,000 to supplement Skip Away to the $4.4 million Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Hollywood Park. For his electrifying performance in the Classic at the end of a gritty year, Skip Away also won an Eclipse as outstanding older horse."I'm extremely happy and proud and honored," said Hine, who grew up in a Highlandtown apartment above the family business, Seaman's furniture store.

Smoke Glacken, the most highly regarded Maryland-bred thoroughbred since Cigar, injured a knee while training and most likely will be retired.Perhaps the fastest horse in North America, the 3-year-old gray son of Two Punch and Majesty's Crown was the leading candidate for an Eclipse Award as this year's champion sprinter.Henry Carroll, Smoke Glacken's trainer and part owner, detected slight swelling in the colt's right front knee after a workout Thursday at Monmouth Park on the Jersey shore.

Age was no barrier to Smoke Glacken yesterday at Laurel Park.In his first test against older horses, the nation's premier 3-year-old sprinter led from start to finish and won the eighth running of the Grade II, $300,000 De Francis Memorial Dash by 1 1/2 lengths.The 2-5 favorite thus stamped another credential onto his claim for an Eclipse Award as Sprinter of the Year.Withdrawn from Triple Crown consideration because he wasn't prepared for distance running, Smoke Glacken may now be pointed toward the Breeders' Cup sprint; he would have to be supplemented into the race.

The closers came flying at Absolutely Queenie yesterday, but none could catch her.As a result, the 35-1 long shot captured the $75,000 All Brandy Stakes with a front-running performance over 1 1/8 miles on the turf.It was an exhilarating maiden ride on the filly for jockey Robby Albarado."I had never ridden her before, so I let her break on her own," said Albarado. "She didn't break as well as I would have liked, but she went to the lead on her own. She relaxed comfortably down the backstretch and when I asked her to slow it down, she rated kindly."

If Smoke Glacken, the gray Maryland-bred speedster, is to win this year's Eclipse Award for sprinting, he must run today like a champion for about 1 minute and 8 seconds.That's how long the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash will last. In the minutes leading up to the Grade II race at six furlongs, or three-quarters of a mile, bettors at Laurel Park and around the country will cast their midsummer votes. Smoke Glacken will be heavily favored to win his sixth straight stakes at a mile or less.

If Smoke Glacken, the gray Maryland-bred speedster, is to win this year's Eclipse Award for sprinting, he must run today like a champion for about 1 minute and 8 seconds.That's how long the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash will last. In the minutes leading up to the Grade II race at six furlongs, or three-quarters of a mile, bettors at Laurel Park and around the country will cast their midsummer votes. Smoke Glacken will be heavily favored to win his sixth straight stakes at a mile or less.

Age was no barrier to Smoke Glacken yesterday at Laurel Park.In his first test against older horses, the nation's premier 3-year-old sprinter led from start to finish and won the eighth running of the Grade II, $300,000 De Francis Memorial Dash by 1 1/2 lengths.The 2-5 favorite thus stamped another credential onto his claim for an Eclipse Award as Sprinter of the Year.Withdrawn from Triple Crown consideration because he wasn't prepared for distance running, Smoke Glacken may now be pointed toward the Breeders' Cup sprint; he would have to be supplemented into the race.

Two Punch, Allen's Prospect. Allen's Prospect, Two Punch.Perry Rosebrock and his brother Joe couldn't decide which Maryland stallion would best suit their unproven mare Majesty's Crown."

Trainer Henry Carroll is returning to Laurel Park on Saturday to run probable favorite Smoke Glacken in the $300,000 Grade II Frank J. De Francis Dash, the second-richest sprint race next to the Breeders' Cup Sprint.Carroll, a resident of New Jersey, raced at Laurel Park for seven years during the 1970s and has made several successful forays since then. In 1989, Yankee Affair finished second in the Washington D.C. International, and a year later Carroll's Southern Tradition captured the Martha Washington.