LOUISVILLE, Ky. – They’re on, then they’re off. Then they’re on . . . and now a lot of people are off the Fort Larned bandwagon again.
Ian Wilkes pays little heed. The trainer of Fort Larned is well aware that the 5-year-old horse has been inconsistent for the last year, mixing in superlative victories in such major races as the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Stephen Foster Handicap with a handful of disappointments.
Okie Ride overtook Pucker Up Pete approaching the wire for a 1 1/2-length win in the $50,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint on Friday night. It was Okie Ride’s first start on the grass, and his sixth career stakes win. Pucker Up Pete held second by a neck over Stickcrossmountain.
The Remington Park Turf Sprint was a five-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Oklahoma.
POMONA, Calif. – Miss Scatalicious was not a surprise Friday at the Los Angeles County Fair.
One month after posting a 42-1 upset at Del Mar, Miss Scatalicious raced gate to wire as the even-money favorite in the $50,000 Phil D. Shepherd Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Barretts at Fairplex.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Thanks in large part to revenue from the casino at Aqueduct, purses at the Belmont fall meet were increased from last year, including stakes purses, which increased by $1.1 million.
Eighteen of the 31 stakes offered at the Belmont fall meet had their purses increased, most notably Saturday’s Grade 1 Garden City, which was originally worth $350,000 but was upped to $500,000.
AUBURN, Wash. – Having turned back all challengers in her past two starts at Emerald Downs, E Z Kitty left the Pacific Northwest this week, shipping first to Barretts Racing at Fairplex Park in Pomona, Calif., and then on to Turf Paradise in Phoenix, where, if all goes according to plan, she will make her next start in the $35,000 Princess of Palms Stakes on Oct. 12.
AUBURN, Wash. – With a pair of season-ending stakes races just two weeks away, a field of five 2-year-old stakes hopefuls will compete Sunday at Emerald Downs in a no-conditions allowance at six furlongs, the featured event on a 10-race card that kicks off at 2 p.m. Pacific.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trinniberg’s long journey to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint will begin just before midnight Friday, when he steps on a van bound for Ocala. From there, he’ll board a flight to the West Coast, taking up residence for the next six weeks at Santa Anita, where he cemented his championship 2012 campaign with a three-quarter-length decision over The Lumber Guy in the Sprint.
Joey Foster started galloping horses at Louisiana Downs back in 1978. Next weekend, he is expected to win his first career training title at the Bossier City track, which closes its meet Sept. 22.
Foster was up by eight wins heading into Friday’s races. His stable had 39 wins from 205 starters at the meet that opened May 3. The success comes a year after Foster finished second in the trainers’ standings at Louisiana Downs.
“It would be good to get the title,” Foster, 51, said. “It would be an honor to have it.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Tim Hills hopes a return to his favorite turf course and a change in tactics help Kharafa earn his first stakes victory in Sunday’s $150,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes for New York-breds.
The Ashley T. Cole, run at 1 1/8 miles, features the last two winners of the Cole, Compliance Officer (2011) and Lubash (2012) in addition to West Point winner Hangover Kid.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Title Contender came out of the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby in good shape and will likely make his next start in the Grade 3, $100,000 British Columbia Premiers Handicap on closing day at Hastings, Oct. 14.
“We’ve just been shedrowing him, but he seems fine,” trainer Anita Bolton said. “We’ll see how he is when he gets back on the track, but we’re definitely taking a good look at the Premiers.”
