ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Hard Not to Like, the talented 3-year-old filly who had been pointing for the Queen’s Plate, will not make the June 24 race.
“She has an issue that needs to be dealt with,” said Gail Cox, who trains the homebred Hard Not to Like for Garland Williamson. “She’s gone to the farm, and she’s probably going to need some minor surgery. Hopefully, we’re going to have her back toward the end of the year.”
Four of the six horses entered in a $40,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares that will serve as the Northlands Park feature Friday are coming off wins. Nonetheless, Fleet Mama, second in a similar race May 25, and Maegans Princesses, fourth in the same race, appear to be the ones to beat in the six-furlong sprint.
Travelin Man, a Grade 2 winner during his 3-year-old campaign last year, is among five horses who accounted for 11 stakes victories the past two seasons in Friday’s feature race for older sprinters at Monmouth Park.
The six-furlong race, which goes as race 7, is a fourth-level optional $75,000 claimer that also is open to horses who have not won an allowance or stakes in 2012. None of the seven entrants will run for the claiming tag.
ALTOONA, Iowa – With two-time Hawkeyes winner L D Shes Special and defending champ Go Milan Go both retired to the breeding shed, the Iowa-bred filly and mare division has opened up for a new champion to step forward. The picture should be clearer after Friday night’s $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap, which drew eight distaffers going 1 1/16 miles.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sweet Cassiopeia garnered her first black type in the Hendrie Stakes, and should be dangerous as the lone speed in Friday’s second race at Woodbine, a third-level allowance-optional claimer.
Sweet Cassiopeia put together a wonderful 2011 campaign under the guidance of trainer Barb Minshall. After three consecutive runner-up placings in the summer, she graduated in a six-furlong maiden special Sept. 24.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Take your pick among the seven horses entered in a $25,000 claiming race that will serve as Friday’s feature at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up goes as the sixth race on the seven-race card and appears to be a wide-open event. Post time for the first race is 7:15 p.m. Pacific.
AUBURN, Wash. – An evenly matched group of $12,500 claimers will compete over one mile Friday in the feature race at Emerald Downs. The first races goes at 6 p.m. Pacific, and the feature is the sixth event on a seven-race program.
Emancipated, dropping sharply in class, and Swiss Exploit, a front-runner who finished second behind the red-hot Go For Gusto in his last start, will attract plenty of support in the wagering.
Balooga Bull, who remained undefeated in five starts in an open allowance race on May 21, will be looking for his fourth stakes win in Friday’s $30,000 Golden Boy at Assiniboia Downs.
The six-furlong Golden Boy, the first open stakes of the meeting, attracted a field of five and will go as the third of eight races on the evening program.
ELMONT, N.Y. – I’ll Have Another drew post 11 from which he’ll begin his quest to win the Belmont Stakes and become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. A field of a dozen 3-year-olds was entered for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, with the late addition of My Adonis.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Alpha, who was withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont Stakes because of a temperature, was shipped to Saratoga over the weekend, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
Alpha, the 12th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, took up residence in Shiekh Mohammed’s Greentree training center.
“We’ll let him enjoy some grass,” McLaughlin said. “We haven’t trained him since all this happened. He’ll go back in training soon.”
