OCEANPORT, N.J. - Spain and Summer Colony come to Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap at Monmouth Park along different paths. With a victory, one will leave Monmouth as the top filly in the East and chief challenger to Azeri, the divisional leader out West and the best filly in the country.
The Molly Pitcher, for fillies and mares at nine furlongs, drew a field of five.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - As if six wins in five days last week weren't enough, trainer Terri Pompay continued her hot streak by sending out another winner Wednesday at Monmouth Park. Seven wins in six days, including a win each day. She had no horses entered Thursday.
"I guess I better quit training while I'm ahead," Pompay joked Thursday morning. "I just want to ride the wave as long as I can."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Although Astra will be heavily favored in Saturday's $250,000 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park, there may be some suspense in the late stages of the race.
On May 27, Astra won the Grade 1 Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap by a head, catching Starine in the final stride under Kent Desormeaux. Starine did not enter the Beverly Hills, and there are no other Grade 1 winners from the United States to challenge Astra, the 124-pound topweight.
Could the move to statebred ranks mean more to a horse?
Lights on Broadway, who last year swept the two richest dirt races offered for horses bred in Texas, will get back to racing with statebreds Saturday when he defends his title in the $125,000 Assault, the richest of six restricted stakes at Lone Star Park that make up the Stars of Texas Day.
Together, the races are worth close to $600,000, and offer a preview of some of the Texas horses most likely to qualify for the inaugural NTRA Great State Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park on Dec. 7.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A small field seemed probable for the $164,700 Clarendon Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds Saturday at Woodbine, mainly because of the expected presence of Goldies Legacy, an impressive winner of his lone start.
But when word got out that Goldies Legacy would be a no-show for the 5 1/2-furlong dash because he had popped a puss pocket in his foot, the field size swelled to eight, with only two winners in the lineup.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Many would have thought that by the end of June Belterra would have already established herself as one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country. Instead, Saturday's $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park offers Belterra a chance to play catch-up in a division with no clear-cut leader.
In her brief career, 3-year-old filly Alternate has passed every test, barely breaking a sweat. After running third in her career debut, Alternate won her next three starts by a combined margin of more than 20 lengths.
The final exam is still almost a month away, but first Alternate must show she can step up to the next level of competition in Saturday's $175,000 Susan's Girl Breeders' Cup at Delaware Park. The 1 1/16-mile Susan's Girl is the final local prep for the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 20.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Dark Fuse will be the 119-pound topweight and should rule as the favorite as he returns to sprinting in Saturday's Western Canada for 3-year-olds at Northlands Park.
Owned by George and Rosemarie Hominuik, Dark Fuse heads a field of nine in the 6 1/2-furlong Western Canada and will break from post 7 under Orlando Martinez.
After winning an allowance following a nose defeat at the same level, Dark Fuse won the President's Handicap in his first stakes try, at Stampede Park this spring.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Ten 3-year-olds are entered for the $75,000 Burnaby Stakes Saturday, and with many of them trying three turns for the first time it looks like a wide-open race.
Likely favorite Commodore Craig has never been worse than second, but has never gone this far, and will face early pressure from Test Drive and Silver Donn.
