Eldaafer, last year’s winner of the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, brings some unexpecteden top-shelf quality to Saturday’s $75,000 Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Governors Day Stakes at Delaware Park.
The mile-and-70-yard Governors Day on the main track and the $75,000 George Rosenberger Memorial at 1 1/16 miles on turf are part of a 12-race Owners’ Day card. Both stakes are restricted to horses who have started at least once in a non-stakes race this season at Delaware.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jim Ensom, operating with a two-horse stable, has been having a solid meeting at Woodbine with four wins, two seconds and two thirds from 10 starts and more than $84,000 in purse earnings.
And if Ensom is not a readily recognizable figure here, either on the backstretch or in the grandstand, that is due to the fact that he is not often on the grounds.
Ensom keeps his horses at Teen Ranch, a Christian youth camp in Caledon which is owned by his father-in-law, Mel Stevens, and is about a 40-minute ride from Woodbine.
WinStar Farm will give free matings to three of its young sires to the owners of the first three finishers in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Distaff at Turfway Park on Sept. 24.
Seasons to Super Saver, Colonel John, and Hold Me Back will be rewarded to those top finishers, in addition to earnings from the $100,000 purse.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Monmouth Park heads into the fall portion of the schedule on Saturday with a 10-race card topped by the $60,000 Mongo Queen Stakes for filly and mare sprinters.
Monmouth will race on Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 6 with additional cards on Oct. 10 (Columbus Day) and Nov. 4 (Breeders’ Cup). First post remains 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
No rescheduling decision has been issued for the three days lost during the summer portion of the meet due to inclement weather.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Weekend Romance should be heavily favored Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes, and her main obstacle in the turf route for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies might be the one-mile distance.
Weekend Romance is unbeaten in three 2011 outings, all in Ontario-sired company. She earned a Beyer Figure in the low 80s on each occasion. In her June 12 season opener, she won a six-furlong allowance on Polytrack by 6 1/2 lengths. She romped again after coming from just off the pace June 30 in her turf debut in a seven-furlong allowance.
Fintan paid $28.70 when he won in his first attempt at a marathon distance, going 1 3/8 miles in the first leg of the Northlands Park Marathon Series Aug. 20. He figures to be a much shorter price when he stretches out to 1 5/8 miles in the second leg of the series Saturday.
The $7,500 starter handicap for 3-year-olds and up drew 10 horses, and Fintan is clearly the one to beat off his impressive performance.
Striking Time, coming off a handy win in the Shortgrass Heritage for Saskatchewan-breds, will be looking to hold for the fort for the home side in Saturday’s $15,000 Saskatchewan Derby at Marquis Downs.
The Saskatchewan Derby, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, is the closing-day feature of the meeting, which was scheduled for 30 days but had two weather-related cancellations.
Nine races have been carded and the Saskatchewan Derby goes as race 7 with a field of five.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It is tough to separate the eight 3-year-old fillies running in a $12,500 claiming race restricted to British Columbia-breds that will serve as Saturday’s feature at Hastings. The 6 1/2-half furlong sprint goes as race 7 on the eight-race card, which begins at 5 p.m.
Doc’s Friend, who has taken over as the top older horse on the grounds, and Big Blue Caboose, an up-and-coming 3-year-old, will lock horns at Assiniboia Saturday in the $50,000 Gold Cup.
The Gold Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward, will share top billing on the card with the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity, which is a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds.
