OCEANPORT, N.J. - Rachel Alexandra is headed for a Jersey Shore encore.
According to Jess Jackson, who owns Rachel Alexandra in partnership with Harold McCormick, the defending Horse of the Year is scheduled to make her next start at Monmouth Park in the $400,000 Lady's Secret Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on July 24.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After mulling all the options, trainer D. Wayne Lukas decided Thursday to enter 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in the Grade 2, $175,000 Firecracker Handicap, the closing-day feature Sunday at Churchill Downs.
Lukas said Mine That Bird would not necessarily start in the Firecracker, a one-mile turf race, but that owners Mark Allen and Leonard Blach "thought they'd go ahead and spend the $875 entry fee and keep our options open."
QUEEN'S PLATE PREVIEW
The 151st running of the Queen's Plate, Canada's most famous race, will be run Sunday with Queen Elizabeth in attendance. A 1 1/4-mile event, the Queen's Plate is worth $1 million and is for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. It has been won by such standouts as Northern Dancer, Awesome Again, and Dance Smartly.
WHO'S HOT
Joe Bravo's still got it. A 13-time leading rider at Monmouth Park, he was again atop the standings here after seven wins last week. Bravo had 26 wins at the meet, eight more than Paco Lopez, who was in second. Garrett Gomez is heating up, having won four races in two days, including the two stakes Saturday. Eddie Castro won three of the last four races Sunday and had 12 wins at the meet after a 4-for-70 start.
WHO'S HOT
Huge week for jockey Joel Rosario. While Rafael Bejarano held a comfortable lead in the jockeys standing before serving a five-day suspension, Rosario and Tyler Baze closed the gap, and Rosario's hat trick Wednesday, June 23, brought him even closer. Two more wins the following day helped, too, though Bejarano and Baze also booted home a winner.
Rosario continued his surge Friday evening, posting another hat trick. Bejarano slowed Rosario's charge a bit with a winner.
WHO'S HOT
Despite losing his five-pound apprentice allowance Sunday, leading rider Luis Saez continues to dominate. Saez opened a commanding lead atop the standings after posting eight more winners last week. Nobody else in the local room won more than three times; veterans Sebastian Madrid and Pedro Monterrey Jr. were among those who won three last week. Madrid and Monterrey got off to slow starts early in the session but have picked up momentum.
WHO'S HOT
Jimmy Toner
Toner, who saddled his first winner at Aqueduct a half-century ago, turns the big 7-0 next week, and the Philadelphia native still has a few tricks up his sleeve, judging from a 6-2-1 record from 14 starters at the current meet.
Zifzaf ($37.60) won a first-level turf allowance off a 10-month layoff to get things rolling in early May and returned last Friday, June 25, to take his second-level condition.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hotep, one of three Sam-Son Farm entrants trained by Mark Frostad, has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate at Woodbine.
A field of 13 was announced at the annual Queen's Plate breakfast here Thursday morning, with the connections of each entrant first drawing for their order of selection and then choosing a post position.
Frostad, with the eighth pick, chose post 11 for Hotep in the 1 1/4-mile showpiece for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds and will have regular rider Patrick Husbands aboard.
Mister Marti Gras, a 19-1 shot, came from off the early pace to win the $200,000 Oliver at Indiana Downs Wednesday evening.
Jockey Eduardo Perez got the 3-year-old chestnut gelding to settle near the back of the 12-horse field early in the one-mile turf event, but never more than 5 1/2 lengths off the lead. Mister Marti Gras angled out and rallied into the stretch, wearing down the leaders and winning by a half-length.
