Although the 2013 Northern California su mmer fair racing schedule has a familiar look, a major change has taken place behind the scenes.
The Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa has withdrawn from the California Authority of Racing Fairs umbrella and will run as a separate entity.
Seven have been entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Campanile Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies going a mile on turf.
The field includes three stakes winners: Unusual Way, who won the Wine Country Debutante at Santa Rosa last summer as well as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes Prevue; Qiaona, winner of the California Breeders’ Championship; and Warren’s Veneda, who graduated in the Alphabet Kiss on April 27 at Hollywood Park.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mickey Walls, winner of an Eclipse Award and three Sovereign Awards, is this year’s recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.
The award, presented annually on Woodbine Oaks Day, goes to a jockey who is Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or has been a regular rider in the country for more than five years and has made significant contributions to the sport.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up With the Birds remains on a straight course for the July 7 Queen’s Plate after winning the $163,681 Marine Stakes in impressive fashion here last Sunday.
“He did everything right, had a good trip, and seems to have come out of the race in good order,” said Malcolm Pierce, who trains the homebred for Sam-Son Farm. “We’re where we want to be with him right now. We’ll just have to hope he stays healthy for six weeks.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fans of the popular CBS television series “NCIS” now have a racehorse they can enjoy watching, too.
Agent Di Nozzo, a 4-year-old gelding, has won four of his last six starts and earned a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent outing, a runner-up effort in an allowance race during Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Glass Art is another runner trainer Greg Sacco hopes will turn a disappointing winter for the stable into a productive summer at Monmouth Park.
A 5-year-old gelding, Glass Art makes his season debut Friday in the $44,000 feature, a second-level optional $32,000 claimer on the turf at 1 1/16 miles.
This is the first Friday card of the meet as Monmouth shifts to a Friday through Sunday schedule from now until the Labor Day weekend. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
OPELOUSAS, La. – After squaring off against graded stakes company in two of her last three starts, Sittin At the Bar returns to a more friendly environment Friday night as she takes on seven Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies in the $50,000 Acadiana Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
The Brett Brinkman-trained Sittin At the Bar will likely go favored in the seven-furlong race.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Yellow Boat makes her Woodbine debut in Friday’s headliner and will likely be a short price in the seven-furlong allowance for fillies and mares.
Yellow Boat, a Robert Evans homebred by Lemon Drop Kid, started twice two years ago at 2. She wound up second in her six-furlong opener at Saratoga and then graduated in a seven-furlong maiden special at Belmont Park.
Discreet Marq came out of her three-quarter-length victory in Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point Stakes in good order, said trainer Christophe Clement, who added he has not thought ahead to where the 3-year-old filly may run next.
“A mile and a sixteenth on turf, no problem,” Clement said. “Would she like to go further? I don’t know. She looked in complete control every step of the race, let’s see how she trains. Most races are going a mile and a sixteenth.”
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Field for the 2013 Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8, at Belmont Park in New York. Click horse names to view handicapping profiles, past race records, and videos. MORE: Get Belmont PPs, watch video previews, read latest updates »
Purse: $1,000,000; 1 1/2 miles
