Ellis Park ended its 2011 meet Monday with a double-digit decrease in all-sources handle, according to figures released Tuesday by officials at the western Kentucky track.
Gross all-sources handle for the 31-day meet was nearly $39.2 million, whereas the 27-day meet in 2010 grossed more than $43.7 million. That translates to declines of 10.4 percent in gross handle and 21.8 percent in average daily handle.
Super Derby prospects began arriving at Louisiana Downs en masse Tuesday, with Alternation vanning in from Chicago and Meistersinger and Malibu Glow landing mid-morning after a flight from New York. The horses are part of a projected field of 10 for the Grade 2, $500,000 race over 1 1/8 miles that will be run Saturday.
Three millionaires and one that could be with a victory are on tap for Friday’s $250,000 Presque Isle Mile. A total of 14 horses were entered, with 12 in the main body of the race and two on the also-eligible list.
The millionaires are Noble’s Promise from the Ken McPeek barn, Ravalo, trained by Donald Barr, and Anak Nakal trained by Tim Girten. Stunning Stag, trained by Sid Attard, has $852,000 in earnings and would top the million-dollar mark if he were to win Friday.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Sure, the 3-year-old colt Pass the Dice lacks racing experience. He has started twice – both races during the 2011 Churchill Downs spring meeting – and won twice. But that is not to say Pass the Dice has not gotten around.
The elation that officials at Turfway Park have felt about bringing back the Kentucky Cup for the fall meet that begins Thursday night has been tempered somewhat by the news that North American handle was down a whopping 12.3 percent last month versus corresponding dates for August 2010.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Khulna will move out to what should be an ideal distance for him in Thursday’s fifth race, an Ontario-sired maiden special, which is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Khulna made all four of his starts in sprints for Reade Baker, Woodbine’s second-leading trainer. Khulna launched his season in June by running fifth in a fairly quick maiden special on the Polytrack. Khulna was a stalking third behind Valid’s Best and future maiden special winner Rob the Cradle on the grass July 15. Valid’s Best finished third in the restricted Vice Regent Stakes.
It is not every day that one sees the favorite in a graded stakes at Churchill Downs show up at Evangeline Downs, but that will be the case Thursday evening when trainer Tom Amoss sends out Culotte in the $50,000 Opelousas Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The six-furlong Opelousas is part of a 10-race program that was rescheduled from last Saturday due to Tropical Storm Lee.
MIAMI – There were no cheering crowds, no cameras clicking or media types waiting to record her every word when Abigail Fuller walked A. J.’s Hot Mambo into the winner’s circle after guiding the filly to her maiden win in Sunday’s finale at Calder. The scene certainly was nothing like what greeted Fuller 26 years earlier, during the summer of 1985, when she brought Mom’s Command into the winner’s circle following victories in the Acorn, Mother Goose and Coaching Club Oaks to sweep New York’s filly triple crown.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s yearling sales stakes for 2-year-olds had their distances shortened from seven to 6 1/2 furlongs and their purses increased from $125,000 to $200,000 this year.
All of which was just fine with trainer Ralph Biamonte as he sent out Menlo Castle and Where’s Johnson to finish one-two in Monday’s Simcoe for colts and geldings and Rose and Shine to win the Muskoka for fillies.
