ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Marc-Andre Blouin passed away Sept. 27 at his home in Brantford, Ontario, after a long battle with cancer. He was 55.

Blouin was well known in the horse industry as Equine Technical Services manager for Agribrands Purina of Canada. 

Blouin won 19 races with 396 career starters, for earnings of approximately $900,000. He used unconventional training methods, which included running horses with no shoes and no medication.

Arrangements for a celebration of his life will be announced soon, according to a Facebook post by wife Belinda.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Eric Guillot, who spent the summer in steamy south Florida, has shipped up two promising juveniles, at least one of whom will run in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

Stronger, a son of Bodemeister who won a one-mile maiden race in his second start at Gulfstream Park, is definite for the Champagne. Master Manipulator, a son of Tale of the Cat who had a brutal trip when second in a one-mile race Sept. 17 at Gulfstream, could run in the Champagne or a seven-furlong maiden race the same day.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barring unsatisfactory workouts over the weekend, Diversify and Highland Sky are expected to join the field for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Diversify, an 11 1/2-length winner of the Evan Shipman Stakes against New York-breds at Saratoga, could very well be the speed of the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup. He was expected to work Saturday morning.

“I’m probably going to take a shot,” trainer Rick Violette said. “Aside from Destin, there doesn’t look to be other speed, and we’re probably quicker than him.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Thirty-four horses are nominated to the 80th running of the Canadian International on Oct. 15. The Grade 1 event received a purse reduction the year, going from $1 million to $800,000.

Last year’s winner, Erupt, is expected to return to Woodbine for the 12-furlong turf race. The 5-year-old formerly French runner has changed trainers since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Aug. 26, going from Francis-Henri Graffard to Graham Motion.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Forgive Dan Blacker if he’s a bit bleary-eyed this weekend at Santa Anita.

On Wednesday, his wife, Christina, a commentator on TVG, had the couple’s third daughter, Eliza, who is expected home this weekend.

Sunday, Blacker starts Tonahutu in an optional claimer at a mile on turf. There are positive signs Tonahutu can win her second start in this country, after a tough nose loss at Del Mar in an optional claimer Sept. 2.

Ransom the Moon secured a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4 with a win in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at that track in July.

On Oct. 7, Ransom the Moon can solidify his status among the nation’s sprinters when he has a final prep race for the BC Sprint in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs. The $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship is the final Grade 1 prep race for Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita’s autumn meeting.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The probability of Miss Temple City trying for a repeat win in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile is just one of numerous compelling story lines that await fans when Keeneland opens its 17-day fall meet Friday.

The New York Islanders of the National Hockey League have submitted a bid to build a stadium on land near Belmont Park, one of three plans reportedly submitted for the property under a state-issued request for proposals.

Despite brutal weather in the Pacific Northwest last spring, the mutuel handle at the 2017 Emerald Downs meet that ended last Sunday held its own compared to last year.

According to numbers released by Emerald officials, the all-sources total handle of $69,581,303 for 72 days was a small increase over the $68,259,384 wagered over 70 days in 2016. The $966,406 daily average was down slightly from $975,134 last year.

Ontrack total handle of $11,321,695 was up marginally from $11,710,658 in 2016.

The Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes will be run at the Los Alamitos winter meeting in December, but at a cost.

Overnight purses will be reduced to finance the $200,000 race for fillies and mares, Jack Liebau of Los Alamitos and Greg Avioli of the Thoroughbred Owners of California said on Thursday.