VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Don’waitforme stamped himself as the favorite for the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 26 with a convincing win over Cherokee Notion in the Richmond Derby Trial at Hastings last Monday.
The biggest weekend of the Presque Isle season begins Friday evening with the $250,000 Presque Isle Mile. The Mile will be followed Saturday by the Grade 3, $400,000 Presque Isle Masters.
A full field of 12 is entered in the Mile, including Godolphin’s Gayego, who is trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Gayego ships in from the recently concluded Saratoga meet off an even fourth-place finish in the six-furlong A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap. The Mile will be Gayego’s first attempt at more than seven furlongs since he finished second in the Goldophin Mile in March 2009.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Just 14 days left at the Hastings meet and with the Pacific National Exhibition Fair over, the usual schedule of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday racing will be in effect for the next three weekends.
Friday’s feature is a $17,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles. It drew seven horses and goes as race 6 on the seven-race card that begins at 7 p.m. Pacific.
The transfer of Lone Star Park ’s license to Global Gaming will not be considered at the Texas Racing Commission’s meeting on Sept. 14 because the Department of Public Safety’s background investigation is not complete, said Bill Childs, a spokesman for the commission. Global Gaming, a Chickasaw Nation subsidiary that last fall purchased the operating assets of Lone Star from Magna for $47 million, has requested a special commission meeting in October.
AUBURN, Wash. – Breeders in the nation’s Northwest corner bucked industry trends Tuesday at the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s annual summer yearling sale. The average sale price increased 26 percent from 2009, and the median was up 22 percent.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey Robert Landry has put away his tack for this season but is intent on returning to action here at Woodbine next spring.
Landry cited issues involving his diet and weight reduction as the reasons behind his decision to take a break from the saddle.
“I’ve got to change my diet,” said Landry, who will be 48 years old on Sept. 18. “When you’re riding, you’re always pushing the limit. You’re dehydrated and you’re starving yourself; you only eat one big meal a day.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Absolutelystriking should be the clear-cut favorite in Friday’s seventh race at Woodbine, but there are questions surrounding that lightly raced Sam-Son Farm homebred.
Absolutelystriking had been idle for nearly a year before his authoritative tally in a seven-furlong maiden special Aug. 26, for which he earned a solid Beyer Speed Figure of 85. Speed was very effective that week, with the movable rail in the outermost lane on a firm turf course, and he made all the running en route to a 5 1/4-length victory.
AUBURN, Wash. – Blame the Jockey could have things his way Friday in the feature race at Emerald Downs. He’s the only late-runner in a five-horse field of 3-year-olds going six furlongs for a $25,000 claiming price. It’s the seventh of eight races on a card that begins at 6 p.m. Pacific.
Striking Time, who has been thoroughly dominant in 2-year-old races at Marquis Downs, will be looking for his fourth win in as many outings in Friday’s $25,000 Prairie Lily Sales Stakes.
The 6 1/2-furlong Prairie Lily, the feature on the penultimate weekend of the 30-day Marquis Downs meeting, attracted a field of seven who went through the local yearling sale, and Striking Time looms a prohibitive favorite.