ELMONT, N.Y. – If, as it appears on paper, a hotly contested speed duel develops in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park, the field could be In Trouble.
AUBURN, Wash. – Doris Harwood will try to cap an eventful Emerald Downs meeting Sunday with a victory in a race the trainer has dominated in recent years, the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity. The Gottstein, which attracted a field of 10, including four fillies, serves as Emerald’s traditional championship for 2-year-olds, and with likely favorites Noosito and Del Rio Harbor in her care, Harwood is positioned to win the race for the fourth time in seven years. First post for the 11-race card is 2 p.m. Pacific.
Marathon Lady has hooked Princess of Sylmar, Close Hatches, and Fiftyshadesofhay in her last three starts. Her life gets easier on Sunday. Marathon Lady will be dropping from Grade 1 company for the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, one of five undercard stakes supporting the Oklahoma Derby.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The two divisions of the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes at Hastings on Sunday shape up completely different. In the colts and geldings division, which goes as the seventh race, Hopeseeker is going to be heavily favored to win his first stakes race. In the fillies division, it is hard to take a firm stand on any of the six horses entered.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Alonso Quinonez will learn in coming days how long he will be sidelined after suffering a fracture near his tailbone in a spill at Barretts at Fairplex on Sept. 21, the rider said Friday.
Quinonez said he plans to visit doctors Monday and Tuesday to assess his condition.
“I’ll learn how long it will be,” he said. “I don’t want to say next week or two weeks. It depends on the fracture.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – On July 22, Phil Schoenthal walked into the paddock at Parx with his unstarted 2-year-old filly Miss Behaviour feeling pretty good about his chances. Well before the race, the filly had a sensational workout at Bowie, one that prompted many phone calls from friends and agents who had heard about it.
Departing’s connections did not get caught up in Derby fever this spring and instead have employed a conservative campaign. The payoff has been a strong second half for Departing, who comes into Sunday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in search of his fifth stakes win of the year.
Departing, whose $1.3 million in earnings is greater than the combined bankrolls of his seven rivals, is the marquee horse on a special afternoon program of six stakes worth a total of $975,000. The most important card of the meet includes the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.
In 2012, Flame N Flash won the Mildred N. Vessels Handicap at Los Alamitos against older fillies and mares in September, and was later was second by a head in the $750,000 Champion of Champions against older males in December.
Those results were enough for Flame N Flash to be named the champion 3-year-old Quarter Horse filly of 2012. Success in the same races this year could lead to the title of champion aged mare.
With his stable split between Gulfstream Park and Saratoga this summer and now into the fall, trainer Ralph Nicks has logged a lot of miles overseeing his operation. He also has picked up some new clients and several promising young horses along the way, including the 3-year-old Speechify, who will put his unblemished record on the line in Sunday’s first-level optional $25,000 claiming feature at Gulfstream.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Six weeks have passed since Indy Point finished last of 13 as the favorite in the Arlington Million on Aug. 17, a race intended to showcase why he was a star in Argentina in 2012.
Indy Point grabbed both of his front feet when racing in traffic in the Arlington Million and never reached contention.
