Retama Park track report

Dick Clark, the winningest trainer in Prairie Meadows history, is one of several Iowa-based trainers expected to use Retama Park near San Antonio as a training facility base this winter. The track, which closes out its fall Thoroughbred meet on Oct. 19, will open as a training center five days later, said Bob Pollock, general manager of Retama.

Retama has become increasingly popular winter destination for Iowa horsemen, and this year the track will operate as a training center for a longer period than in previous years. That is because Retama's spring meet for Quarter Horses will be run at Sam Houston in 2004 as part of a number of one-year schedule changes made to the Texas racing calendar to accommodate the 2004 running of the Breeders' Cup at Lone Star Park.

As a result, the Retama training center will remain open until the the track's 2004 meet for Thoroughbreds in July.

* Super Wager, trained by Jack Bruner, heads a stakes-quality field of seven fillies and mares who will be going five furlongs on turf in the featured ninth race Friday night at Retama. Others in the allowance include Asheville and Pinethymeprincess.