Wed, 06/22/2011 - 16:29

Woodbine: King Edward has intriguing field

Michael Burns
Artic Fern beings a four-race winning streak into the King Edward.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – While Sunday’s Queen’s Plate will be getting almost all of the headlines the most interesting stakes race run here this weekend well may be Saturday’s King Edward.

The field of 11 for the King Edward, a one-mile turf race that offers Grade 2 status and a purse of $250,000, features a number of proven Grade 1 performers, including Fifty Proof, Grand Adventure, Society’s Chairman, and Workin for Hops.

And then there are the up-and-comers, a group that includes the intriguing pair of Artic Fern and Court of the Realm

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 16:25

Churchill Downs: Dublin to scratch out of Kelly's Landing; Here Comes Ben eyes repeat

Tom Keyser
Here Comes Ben will be seeking a repeat in Friday's Kelly's Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The long-awaited return of 2009 Grade 1 Hopeful winner Dublin, unraced since finishing fifth in last year’s Preakness, has been delayed a little longer.

Entered in Friday night’s $76,600 Kelly’s Landing overnight stakes at Churchill Downs, Dublin will be scratched and pointed to another race yet to be determined, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

Lukas said he preferred not to run Dublin under the night racing environment at Churchill Downs, which typically has a large, raucous crowd just outside the paddock area.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 16:10

Belmont Park: Joyful Victory inherits role as favorite in Mother Goose

Barbara D. Livingston
Joyful Victory has inherited the role of favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Mother Goose.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Larry Jones knows eventually his 3-year-old filly Joyful Victory will have to face Plum Pretty again. But Jones is not fretting the fact that the rematch will not take place in Saturday’s Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 16:02

Hollywood Park: Courageous Cat due for Shoemaker Mile

Tom Keyser
Courageous Cat, with Jose Lezcano riding, wins the Poker.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Courageous Cat, the winner of the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10 and three other stakes in his career, will be shipped to California for the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on July 2, owner Marty Wygod said on Wednesday.

“That’s our current intent,” Wygod said. “He won the last race pretty easily. It seems to be a good spot for him. I think he would be the favorite.”

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 15:40

Emerald Downs: Atta Boy Roy may be coming home for Longacres Mile

Tom Keyser
Atta Boy Roy could return to Emerald Downs for the Grade 3 Longacres Mile.

AUBURN, Wash. – Already well down the road to a possible return engagement in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Atta Boy Roy could make a detour to the Pacific Northwest for a start in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile on Aug. 21, trainer Valorie Lund said Tuesday.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 15:30

Woodbine: Hold That Echo looks like major factor

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The versatile Hold That Echo should be a player in Friday’s seventh race at Woodbine, which is the first leg of a marathon starter allowance series.

The nine-furlong turf route is for fillies and mares who have competed for a claiming price of no more than $20,000 in 2010-2011, and it carries a purse of $51,400. Hold That Echo had a solid 2010 campaign, during which she won 4 of 9 starts and more than $70,000. She ran hot and cold on the grass last summer, which included a victory over $40,000 conditioned claimers.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 15:25

Woodbine: Check Your Soul gets final Queen's Plate tune-up

Michael Burns
Check Your Soul is among the favorites for Sunday's Queen's Plate at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Check Your Soul, impressive winner of the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 5, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 here Wednesday morning in preparation for Sunday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate.

A field of 16 or 17 is expected when the entry box closes at 8:30 a.m. Thursday for the Queen’s Plate, the 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds that is being run for the 152nd time.

Check Your Soul, under Patrick Husbands, went in company with older stablemate Simmard and exercise rider Darren Fortune.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 15:14

Belmont Park: Rain would help Kindergarden Kid

ELMONT, N.Y. – Regardless on which surface it is run, Friday’s second-level allowance feature is a challenging handicapping puzzle.

The race is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf course, and determining which of the five horses entered for the turf will make the lead is extremely difficult. There are also five horses entered in case the race is transferred to the dirt, and the probable favorite, Rocking Out, has thus far been suspect beyond sprint distances.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 15:05

Monmouth: Awesome Son in tough once again

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Tim Kelly was hoping to find an easier spot for Awesome Son when he entered him in the third-level, $50,000 claiming co-feature at Monmouth Park on Friday.

It didn’t work out that way.

The six-furlong race is as tough as the stakes races Awesome Son has contested recently.

The new week at Monmouth kicks off with a 12-race card topped by the pair of $54,000 races.

The co-feature offers identical optional claiming conditions for fillies and mares going one mile on the turf.

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 14:44

Santa Anita to get new track superintendent

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita soon will name a new track superintendent following the resignation of Richard Tedesco from the position he held during a tumultuous four years. Tedesco gave 30-day notice when he tendered his resignation in May. His final day at Santa Anita is Friday.