Freud’s Honour, a New Jersey-bred colt who took to the turf so well that he was able to upset open stakes company in his second try on the surface, begins his 4-year-old campaign in Sunday’s featured ninth race at Monmouth Park, a second-level optional $32,000 claimer scheduled for one mile on grass.
For the first five races of his career, three as a 2-year-old with John Tammaro and his first two starts last spring for Greg Sacco, Freud’s Honour was strictly a dirt sprinter.
FORT ERIE, Ontario – Trainer Michael Cohen, 51, has been has been working with his small Fort Erie stable for the past 10 years and looks forward to many more seasons at this historic oval.
When not at the Fort, usually in the spring or fall, Cohen is frequently found at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Other sojourns over the years have been south of the border to such tracks as Thistledown in Cleveland and Beulah Park in Columbus, Ohio.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Some may theorize that Rogue Romance, coming off a fast victory at Gulfstream on March 21 following a layoff of more than13 months, subsequently bounced when seventh, beaten more than 29 lengths in the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland on April 22.
Don’t count trainer Ken McPeek among such believers.
“That wasn’t a bounce; that was a thud,” he said.
Sunday’s ninth race at Churchill Downs, a $60,600 third-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, provides a prime opportunity for Rogue Romance to get back in form under conditions that suit him.
The Cartel Straw is fortunate to remain unbeaten after two starts in advance of Sunday’s $268,200 Kindergarten Futurity for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos, her trainer says.
Juan Aleman was not particularly impressed by the filly’s start in time trials on May 6, even though she won a division by a half-length to claim a berth in the 300-yard final.
“If she breaks, she’ll be tough,” Aleman said. “She didn’t break all that sharp in the trials. She was standing a little off-balance. She has to break on top to get it done.”
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation did not include the town of Fort Erie in its proposed list of 29 “gaming zones” for the province of Ontario, which means Fort Erie Race Track will probably not be able to operate slot machines again.
On Thursday, the OLG identified the zones where existing or new gaming facilities would be permitted following municipal and other approvals.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – After 57 years of working various jobs in horse racing, Junior Goss, the head clocker at Hastings, has decided to retire. Goss, who will turn 73 on July 4, was to clock his final horse before the track closes for training at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I think it’s time,” Goss said. “I’ve been kind of looking for an excuse, and when management cut our hours last week, I figured it was time to go. It will be a bit odd not coming to work on Sunday. I’m sure I’ll be up at my usual time of 4 a.m.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The last thing Jerry Hollendorfer wanted was his two starters in a $125,000 stakes going head and head.
But there were two supposed teammates, Halo Dolly and Sister Kate, running each other into the ground in the $125,000 B. Thoughtful on April 28 at Betfair Hollywood Park. It was not the plan.
“I was disappointed those two horses hooked up on the front end, but that happens sometimes,” Hollendorfer said.
BALTIMORE -- There may not be a more inscrutable race on Saturday’s program at Pimlico than the Grade 3, $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap. There are no standouts in its 10-horse field.
Ravalo, an 8-year-old gelding, won this race in 2009 and was third in 2010. However, he has not started since finishing last in an overnight stakes at Aqueduct in January, from which he emerged with a quarter crack and then a bruised foot.
A pair of major upsets on Thursday's Belmont Park card contributed to the pick six going unhit, resulting in a three-day carryover of $319,939 going into Friday.
After A Boy Named Em ($9.40) won the fourth race, Beppj returned $83 in the fifth. Victories by Rigby ($8.20) and Becky's Kitten ($9.50) followed, and then Irish Lion lit up the board with $102.50 payoff in the eighth. Margaret Lilian ($6.30) took the day's last race, the only winning favorite in the pick six sequence.
Tickets with five winners paid $6,231
Threatening the 1 1/16-mile track record, Trickmeister ($4.80) bounced back from an off-the-board finish in the Donn Handicap to wire Thursday's $88,200 Vanlandingham overnight stakes at Belmont Park over troubled even-money favorite Stay Thirsty.
Trickmeister broke alertly under Ramon Dominguez to quickly clear his four rivals, rolled through fractions of 23.23 seconds, 45.72, and 1:09.50 while racing in the two path, repelled a final try from Stay Thirsty in deep stretch after a mile in 1:33.58, and reached the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front.
