ANDERSON, Ind. – Shackleford has been in this situation before, and what followed was very good.
Shackleford was badly beaten in the Fountain of Youth in February before going on to prove himself as one of the best horses in the 3-year-old class. Although not all the circumstances are the same coming into the Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park on Saturday, Shackleford once again is entered off a puzzling drubbing, having finished eighth by 22 lengths in his last race, the Aug. 27 Travers Stakes.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It looked like it could be a disastrous season in terms of mutuel handle when Hastings started the 2011 meet in April. The daily average the first couple months of the season was down close to 17 percent compared to 2010. There was a dramatic turn around, however, and according to Hastings general manager Raj Mutti, going into the final weekend the daily average is now up for the year by close to 4 percent.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Fire On Ice, visually the most impressive maiden-winning 2-year-old colt of the Saratoga meet, suffered a condylar fracture of his left hind leg and will miss the remainder of his 2-year-old season and most likely a shot at the spring classics, trainer John Kimmel said Thursday.
Kimmel noticed something wrong with Fire On Ice Thursday morning, one day after he worked five furlongs in 59.94 seconds over Belmont’s main track.
ANDERSON, Ind. – One of the telling signs of a marquee day at any racetrack is the number of stakes on the undercard. And given that eight stakes precede the Indiana Oaks and Indiana Derby on a 12-race program Saturday at Hoosier Park, there can be little doubt about the import the day will carry for Indiana racing.
Six Indiana-bred events, each worth $84,000, precede the $100,000 Mari Hulman George and $100,000 Michael Schaefer, making for an outstanding afternoon of racing. Working backward, here follow brief synopses of each:
When Northlands Park recently cancelled the final three Sundays at the meet, management said it would run extra races if there were enough horses entered. The track lived up to its promise with 13 races carded Saturday, including both divisions of the $50,000 Three and Four Year Old Sales Stakes.
High-percentage trainers Todd Pletcher and Bruce Levine have taken turns winning the past two runnings of the New York Breeders’ Futurity, and they send out prominent contenders again in Saturday’s $260,876 running of the Futurity, the richest race of the season at Finger Lakes.
Pletcher, who won the 2009 Futurity with Ibboyee, looks imposing in Saturday’s six-furlong sprint for New York-breds with his unbeaten colt Zow.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Atlantic Hurricane, coming off a sharp victory in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes here at Woodbine on Sept. 3, will be looking for her fifth straight win in Saturday’s $100,000 Avowal.
The Avowal, a seven-furlong overnight turf stakes for fillies and mares, attracted a competitive field of 11, including stakes winners Amiable Grace, Ariana D, Jenny’s So Great, Moonlit Beauty, and Valli With a Vow.
Atlantic Hurricane, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old, was claimed from a winning effort for $40,000 over seven furlongs of turf here June 10.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mike DePaulo looks loaded for bear in Saturday’s $125,000 Victorian Queen Stakes at Woodbine, when he runs the uncoupled duo of Kitty’s Got Class and Bear’s Wit in the six-furlong dash for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.
Kitty’s Got Class came inside from a stalking position to win her Sept. 11 debut in a six-furlong maiden special with authority. Her time of 1:11.42 translated into a 53 Beyer Figure.
Beulah Park outside Columbus, Ohio, will reduce the takeout for its pick three, pick four, and pick five wagers during its upcoming meet to 15 percent, track officials announced on Thursday.
Takeout on the multi-leg wagers were 22.5 percent during Beulah’s previous meet. Beulah is scheduled to open its 2011-12 meet on Oct. 10, running through May 5, for a total of 123 race days.
