ELMONT, N.Y. – Viane Lizza is a bundle of nerves. Lizza is the owner of the undefeated New York-bred Agave Kiss, who puts her 6-for-6 record on the line in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park.
“I’m a nervous wreck already,” Lizza said Wednesday morning outside Barn 6 at Aqueduct, where Agave Kiss is stabled. “It started yesterday. Of course, the pressure’s on. The more she wins the harder it is.”
AUBURN, Wash. – Horses moving in opposite directions headline Friday’s feature race at Emerald Downs. Hard Slider, a 4-year-old coming off a career-best effort, and Davos, once a stakes-caliber sprinter in Southern California who seems to have fallen on hard times, will be among the leading contenders in a $15,000 claimer at six furlongs. First post is 6 p.m. Pacific, and the feature is the sixth event on a seven-race program.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mr. Ornery produced one of the surprise wins of the spring-summer meeting at Betfair Hollywood Park when he won his debut in a six-furlong turf race at 40-1 on June 9.
The victory left trainer Marty Jones slightly stunned, and optimistic that the 3-year-old gelding can continue the success in an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf on Friday night.
“We thought he might need a race to get it figured out,” Jones said. “I think the grass helped him. He was pretty impressive the first time out.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mega Dream, a $40,000 bargain purchase last fall, is unlikely to be in trainer Jeff Bonde’s stable very much longer.
The winner of her stakes debut in the Great Lady M Stakes over six furlongs on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 27, Mega Dream makes her graded stakes debut in Saturday’s $150,000 Royal Heroine Mile.
The result of that race will determine how much longer Mega Dream is with Bonde and partners Barry Arnason, Jerry Durant, and Mersad Metanovic.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Turbo Compressor, fresh from a front-running victory in the Colonial Turf Cup, heads the field for the $500,000 United Nations Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
The U.N. at 1 3/8 miles on turf is the featured event on the card that also includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth Cup at one mile on the main track.
The U.N. and Haskell Invitational for 3-year-olds are the two Grade 1 events at Monmouth.
Air Support, Al Khali, Brilliant Speed, Eldaafer, Freud’s Honour, and Slim Shadey complete the seven-horse field.
ELMONT, N.Y. – With Ramon Dominguez opting to ride Trickmeister, Mucho Macho Man will have Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith on his back when he returns to the races off a two-month layoff in Saturday’s Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park.
Dominguez had ridden Mucho Macho Man in his last five starts – beginning with the 2011 Belmont Stakes – but has elected to ride Trickmeister for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. for whom he rides frequently.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Kettle Corn will carry seven pounds fewer than topweight Game On Dude in Saturday’s $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park, and to Kettle Corn’s trainer, John Sadler, that may not be enough to make a difference.
Game On Dude carries 124 pounds, while Kettle Corn carries 117. When they met in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on June 2, they finished first and second, with Game On Dude prevailing by 7 1/4 lengths.
“I need 10 pounds,” Sadler said. “I’d like to have had more spread.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – After a two-month freshening following a bleeding episode in his last start, Be Bullish returns to action Friday in the $85,000 Chasin’ Wimmin’ Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont Park.
First post at Belmont Friday is 3 p.m. for the second of three “Party at the Park” programs featuring live music after the races.
The New York Racing Association will limit the number of starters in 2-year-old maiden sprint races to eight at the upcoming Saratoga meet. The limit for starters in two-turn dirt races will remain at 10.
Previously, NYRA allowed as many as 14 horses to run in a juvenile maiden sprint.
P.J. Campo, NYRA vice president/director of racing, said there were two primary reasons for the change.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Gennadi Dorochenko moved some 60 horses out of Arlington Park late last week, and the horses will now be stabled at Dorochenko’s farm near Versailles, Ky., the trainer said Wednesday.
