Ellis Park has had its ups and downs in m ore than 90 years of existence, with closures, bankruptcy, changing ownership, employees’ strikes, horsemen’s boycotts, and even a devastating tornado in fall 2005.

So the latest problem to arise was little more than a proverbial bump in the road for the western Kentucky track. Valid complaints that the main racing surface was full of rocks were made public two weeks out from the 2013 opener on Thursday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Delegation, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse, was an overpowering winner of Monday’s Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes.

Delegation set a track record of 2:01.51 in the 1 1/4-mile Dominion Day, bettering the old mark of 2:01.99 established by Strait of Dover in last year’s Queen’s Plate.

His Beyer Speed Figure clocked in at 110, the highest for a two-turn race since the Polytrack surface was introduced in summer 2006.

Thursday’s first running of the $75,000 Casual Lies Handicap – formerly known as the Sam Whiting Handicap – has come up unusually contentious. For example, Ain’t No Other has won three stakes, placed in graded stakes, and was the runner-up in last year’s Sam Whiting, yet he’s not even the favorite.

Named for the 1992 Kentucky Derby runner-up, the Casual Lies drew a field of six 3-year-olds and up who will run six furlongs on the dirt track at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif.

2013 Racing Dates

July 26 - August 11

Post Times

3:15 p.m. PT (Fridays); 1:15 p.m. PT (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays)

Handicapping Information

Entries ~ Track News ~ 2013 Stakes Schedule

Sonoma County Fair - Santa Rosa Track Layout

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Under a perfectly timed ride by Scott Williams, Shooting Jacket made a strong three-wide move to edge Bluegrass Pride by 1 1/4 lengths in Monday’s $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap for 3-year-olds at Hastings. He paid $19.80 for his come-from-behind win in the 1 1/16-mile race that drew eight horses.

Shooting Jacket had just one horse beat after Ruby’s Victory posted a moderate half-mile of 48.13 seconds, but Williams was confident he was going to get up in time.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Evelyn’s Dancer paid $4.20 for her easy front-running win in the $50,000 Monashee for fillies and mares. With Aaron Gryder aboard, Evelyn’s Dancer was never put under pressure at any time, and the 1 1/16-mile race was pretty much over when she posted a modest half-mile time of 49.35 seconds.

She took a 1 1/2-length lead over Overvalued into the stretch and increased the margin to two lengths at the finish. Overvalued , who stalked Evelyn’s Dancer the whole way, held on to finish second in front of Castinette Dancer.

The final time was 1:44.96.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Despite being rank early and getting shuffled back going down the backstretch, Miss Derek was able to score an upset in the $50,000 Supernaturel for 3-year-old fillies. She paid $23.70 for her two- length win over Silkworm in the 1 1/16-mile race.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Herbie D. was a very sharp winner of Monday’s $50,000 Lieutenant Governors’ Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Hastings. Sent off as the second choice behind Shrug in the six-horse field, Herbie D. paid $6 for his 1 1/2-length win over Wilo Kat in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Setting brisk interior fractions of 23.58 seconds and 46.31 with Amadeo Perez aboard, Herbie D. took a four-length lead into the stretch and easily held off the late move from Wilo Kat.  Fransor’s Finest rallied to finish third. Shrug never threatened while finishing fourth.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Black Hornet, a gelding who had been impressive in winning the seven-furlong Queenston and was supplemented to the Queen’s Plate at a cost of $5,000, had been pointing to the Plate Trial but suffered a brief setback that put an end to that plan.

But Pat Parente, who is the trainer and a part-owner of Black Hornet, picked up a $90,000 consolation prize here last Saturday when the gelding was an impressive winner of the six-furlong Achievement Stakes under his regular rider, Justin Stein.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The June 9 Woodbine Oaks was the first leg of the triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, a series that continued with the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes here last Sunday and will conclude with the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on the turf here Aug. 4.

But trainer Paul Attard certainly wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth after Original Script, who had finished third behind Nipissing and Spring in the Air in the Woodbine Oaks, suddenly became the filly to beat in the Bison City after the Oaks 1-2 opted for the Queen’s Plate.