ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Bigstormbrewin’ seems poised for a peak effort Friday at Woodbine in the third race, a third-level optional claimer scheduled for seven furlongs on the grass.

Bigstormbrewin’ had a brief but fruitful 2012 campaign for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Malcolm Pierce. He scored twice and recorded two seconds from four starts, while putting more than $100,000 in the bank. The highlight of that campaign was a front-running tally in a seven-furlong optional claimer, for which he received a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Four stakes races are on tap at Woodbine this weekend, beginning Saturday with the Grade 3, $150,000 Ontario Matron for fillies and mares and the $125,000 Colin for 2-year-olds, with fields of seven signing on for each event.

The 1 1/16-mile Ontario Matron is headed by Sisterly Love, who is coming off a dominant win in the 1 1/16-mile Trillium last month. Sisterly Love is trained by Mark Casse, who also will send out Eagle Hall in the Ontario Matron.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Midnight Aria, the front-running winner of the July 7 Queen's Plate at Woodbine, will not be continuing his Canadian Triple Crown bid in Fort Erie's Prince of Wales Stakes.

"He's not going to run," said Nick Gonzalez, who trains Midnight Aria for owners Carlo and Lou Tucci. “He's kind of worn out. The Queen's Plate took a lot out of him physically. It's just the strain and the stress, being training and racing for like a year. It was just going to be too much for him, and he wouldn't be 100 percent going in, so we're going to err on the side of caution."

2013 Racing Dates

Sept. 19 - Dec. 31 (59 racing days, 31 stakes)

Post Times

TBA

Handicapping Information

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Chris Brown, an equine dentist who worked on the backstretch of New York Racing Association tracks for decades, died Sunday from heart disease. He was 68.

Brown, who worked on champions such as Personal Ensign, Cigar, Empire Maker, and Mineshaft, worked for such notable horsemen as Bobby Frankel, Bill Mott, Christophe Clement, Shug McGaughey, and Neil Howard.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tiz Miz Sue, winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps in her most recent start, will not run this weekend in either the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap or the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga, according to trainer Steve Hobby.

[SARATOGA 2013: Complete meet coverage, exclusive DRF videos]

Macabe’s Gold might be moving up into the allowance ranks after facing claimers, but the strength of the race he exits suggests he has landed in the right spot. The first-level allowance, Thursday’s fifth race at Louisiana Downs, is the second leg of the super pick five jackpot wager that has a $271,683 carryover pool heading into the program.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Opening day at Del Mar is a spectacle, with tens of thousands here for the party more than the racing. Day 2 is when the regulars regain control of proceedings.

It’s always a sleepy day compared with the over-the-top atmosphere of opening day, and the card is often a letdown, but the horseplayers who come out Thursday are in for an unexpected treat, with 2012 Del Mar Debutante winner Executiveprivilege making her first start of the year against two other high-quality returnees, Reneesgotzip and Gypsy Robin.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Short on stature, but long on talent, Bahnah looks to validate her eye-catching six-length maiden win last month at Churchill Downs when she runs in Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes on the opening day card at Saratoga.

The Schuylerville, which drew a field of seven 2-year-old fillies, shares billing with the Grade 3, $100,000 James Marvin Stakes, the local prep for the Grade 1 Forego later in the meet. The 10-race card also includes the $100,000 On the Bus Stakes for New York-bred turf fillies and mares.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It was way back in July 2006 when a horse named Rahystrada made a winning career debut in an Ellis Park turf sprint race. His trainer at the time, Frankie Brothers, retired in 2009. His sire, Rahy, died in 2011. But Rahystrada, now a 9-year-old gelding, still is going strong. Not only did he come out of his win Saturday in the Arlington Handicap in decent shape, he came out of it looking for more action.

“He was raising a little hell this morning,” trainer Byron Hughes said Tuesday. “We’re going to have to put him back to work tomorrow.”