ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With Queen Elizabeth II in attendance, the filly Moment of Majesty would be an appropriate winner of Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.
But, Moment of Majesty was not even confirmed as a Queen's Plate starter until late Wednesday afternoon after trainer and part-owner Sue Leslie did some serious soul searching and decided to ante up the supplementary entry fee of $25,000 on Thursday morning.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Jockey Glenn Corbett will make the trip up I-35 from Prairie Meadows to ride McKenna's Justice in the $35,000 Dean Kutz Stakes at Canterbury Park. A son of Medaglia d'Oro trained by David Wolochuk, McKenna's Justice was third last time out in the $60,000 Prairie Mile.
The Kutz is a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds, and is the co-feature on a Sunday card that also includes the $35,000 Northbound Pride Stakes, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.
Trainer Charlton Baker will send out a potent pair of fillies that are difficult to separate in Sunday's $50,000 Niagara Stakes at Finger Lakes. Fortunately for bettors, Sweet Hot Toddy and Helyna's My Mom will run coupled in the six-furlong sprint for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Daryl Wells, Fort Erie's longtime track announcer and director of communications and off-track operations, has retired from his post effective June 30.
Wells, 50, had been with Fort Erie since 1976, beginning as the announcer for Quarter Horse racing under the auspices of the Ontario Jockey Club.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Owner and breeder Bruno Schickedanz will no longer be allowed to enter or stable horses at Woodbine, the track's executive vice president of racing, Jamie Martin, said Friday.
The decision follows an incident this past Tuesday in which the Schickedanz-owned Wake At Noon shipped in to breeze over the training track and was euthanized after suffering a catastrophic breakdown.
Notoriously, $16.40, upset Shifty Time in the $50,000 Chariot Chaser Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at Northlands Park on Thursday.
Under a well timed ride by Tony Maragh, Notoriously stalked the early pace set by Vying Ty Grr and That Voodoo Youdo, took the lead on the stretch turn and then held off a determined bid by Shifty Time to win by a length. That Voodoo Youdo held on to finish third.
Notoriously is trained by Rod Cone and owned by Darrell Landry.
Final time for the six furlongs was 1:12.80.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - As expected, heavily favored Teide came from off the pace to capture the $50,511 Lieutenant Governors at Hastings on Thursday.
Breaking alertly with Chad Hoverson aboard, Teide was eased off of a moderate pace set by Spaghetti Mouse. He moved up to engage Spaghetti Mouse approaching the quarter pole and then gradually drew away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Spaghetti Mouse, who set fractions of 23.93, 47.93 and 1:12.37, held on to finish a clear second over Ganbei in the four-horse field.
Golden Stripe seized command shortly after entering the backstretch and rolled on to a 1 3/4-length victory in Thursday's $30,000 Canada Day at Assiniboia Downs, putting an end to Preservata's seven-race win streak.
With Gary Baze in the irons, Golden Stripe turned into the stretch with a two-length lead and was not seriously threatened in the one-mile stakes for fillies and mares.
"The race went pretty much according to plan," said Baze. "She broke well, I got her to relax, and when I asked her she responded."
Rnorthern Stoli might not be the fastest qualifier for Saturday night's Grade 2, $201,450 Firecracker Futurity for Quarter Horses at Delta Downs, but he deserves plenty of respect for who he has raced against. He faced two of the nation's top-ranked juveniles, American Runaway and Llano Teller, back in April, and that might give him a class edge Saturday.
The Firecracker, to be run at 350 yards, is the richest open-company race of the Delta meet. It will share a card with the $132,150 Firecracker Derby.
Stormy Lord came into his current campaign as a Queen's Plate candidate after finishing a close second here in the Coronation Futurity over 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack last November.
But after watching Stormy Lord finish last of six when making his 2010 debut in the seven-furlong Queenston, trainer Ian Black hit the reset button and Stormy Lord is coming into Saturday's $100,000 Charlie Barley as the one to beat.