Morning Line, winner of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap last month at Aqueduct, will not run in Monday’s Grade 1 $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap as scheduled, due to a foot issue, trainer Nick Zito confirmed Thursday afternoon.
MEMORIAL DAY RACING: Stakes schedule, contender replays, and news updates »
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. – From a timing perspective, Sidney’s Candy may be impossible to beat in Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap at Hollywood Park.
The Grade 2 American, run over a mile on turf, will be Sidney’s Candy’s second race after a four-month break. In the past, Sidney’s Candy has repeatedly won stakes in his second starts after layoffs.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The performances of Goldwaki and Eclair de Lune in graded stakes at Hollywood Park this weekend are as much about hopes for the summer as they are for the short-term for owner Richard Duchossois and trainer Ron McAnally.
They start the French import Goldwaki in Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap over a mile on turf and Eclair de Lune in Monday’s $250,000 Gamely Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Winter time is usually the right time for apprentice riders to shine in New York. Someone forgot to tell that to Ryan Curatolo, a 19-year-old Frenchman who is serving notice this spring that he could be a star on the rise.
Through the first 19 days of the 56-day Belmont spring/summer meet, Curatolo has 14 winners from 76 mounts. By comparison sake, he rode 14 winners from 167 mounts during the entire Gulfstream Park meeting. His success at Belmont has included a four-win day on May 21 and multiple-win days on May 5, 6, and 25.
MIAMI – South Florida horsemen and management of Calder Race Course are at odds again. This time the dispute centers around the radius of the source-market area from which a portion of advance-deposit wagering revenue for purses are determined.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario − Trainer Ian Black will be active on the stakes front here this weekend, with Fifty Proof and Southdale entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Eclipse and Stormy Lord set for Sunday’s Grade 2 Connaught Cup.
Both races are for 4-year-olds and upward and offer purses of $150,000. The Eclipse is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack, and the Connaught Cup is scheduled for seven furlongs on turf.
Arapahoe Park has a good deal of momentum heading into its 39-date mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses that opens on Saturday. The Aurora, Colo., track, which will race through Aug. 21, was able to introduce phone betting last September.
The additional stream of revenue came on board a month after Arapahoe wrapped up a highly satisfying meet in which it experienced a double-digit jump in handle. Those numbers were fueled by large fields, said Bill Powers, the plant manager at Arapahoe who is looking forward to 2011.
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ELMONT, N.Y. – It was not trainer Graham Motion’s original intent to run La Luna de Miel in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park. But not wanting to give his German-bred filly 10 weeks between starts, Motion looked for a steppingstone to the Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park on July 9.
Unreachable Star’s only local loss came in the 2010 running of the William Henry Harrison. He will try to make amends by winning this season’s edition Saturday at Indiana Downs.
A 7-year-old gelding rained by Tim Glyshaw, Unreachable Star has won 3 of 4 over the Indiana Downs main track, with his only defeat in his first out last year in this event. He will be making his first start of 2011 in the $84,000 William Henry Harrison against a full field, including two entries, of Indiana-bred and sired older horses.
Catlaunch will carry 126 pounds and spot his rivals 10 to 16 pounds in the $50,000 Michael F. Rowland Memorial at Thistledown on Saturday.
It looks like there will be a mad dash for second money in the six-furlong Rowland, in which Catlaunch will try to defend his title.
