LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It will be one year ago Saturday when Blame finished a barely noticed third in a first-level allowance sprint at Churchill Downs.
"We thought the world of him even back then," said Al Stall Jr., who trains Blame for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, who bred and own the 4-year-old colt in partnership. "Still, it is hard to imagine that he'd be the favorite for the Stephen Foster just a year later."
Wasted Tears will be going for her seventh straight win when she makes her next start. But where that race will come has yet to be determined. Bart Evans, who owns and trains Wasted Tears, is deliberating among stakes at Arlington, Del Mar, and Saratoga.
"I'd like to give her a chance to run in a Grade 1," he said.
MIAMI - Trainer David Fawkes arrived at Churchill Downs early Tuesday morning with his Grade 2 winner Duke of Mischief, who will be among the top contenders in Saturday's Grade 1 Stephen Foster.
But the Foster is not the only big race for the Fawkes stable on Saturday. Back home at Calder, Fawkes will send out graded stakes winner Big Drama for his much-anticipated 2010 debut in the Ponche Handicap. Several hours earlier, baby brother Little Drama makes his career debut here in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rick Dutrow sent Arson Squad to Churchill Downs in April with a modest goal: win the Grade 3 Alysheba on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
With that mission accomplished, the Churchill bar has been set higher for Arson Squad. Dutrow left the 7-year-old gelding here with assistant Michelle Nevin following the 2 1/4-length victory on April 30, and the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap looms next.
After finishing one-two in Saturday's Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap, stablemates Winchester and Gio Ponti will likely not face each other again for the foreseeable future, trainer Christophe Clement said.
Clement said both horses came out of the Manhattan in good order and both will be kept eligible to all the same races through the summer. Clement said Gio Ponti would likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $600,000 Man o' War at Belmont on July 10, while Winchester will target the $750,000 United Nations at Monmouth Park a week earlier.
Jockey Luis Quinonez broke both of his arms in a spill at Lone Star Park on Sunday and will be out of action for at least six weeks, said his agent, Richard McNaughton. McNaughton said Quinonez is hopeful he will be back riding for the opening-day card at Remington Park on Aug. 19.
Quinonez was injured in the fourth race when his mount, Henerita Mystery, broke down and threw him while racing midpack along the rail in a $5,000 claimer for fillies and mares at a mile. Quinonez told McNaughton that he was injured when stepped on by other horses. Henerita Mystery was euthanized.
Proviso and Phola, the one-two finishers in Saturday's Just a Game Stakes, are likely to meet again in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 31.
Proviso, who beat Phola by a half-length in the Just a Game, has had success in Europe at distances beyond a mile. The Just a Game was at a mile. The Diana is at 1 1/8 miles.
Phola, meanwhile, had two wins at 1 1/16 miles, and Pletcher said he believes that with a bit more pace Phola might have been able to run down Proviso in the Just a Game.
ELMONT, N.Y. - There may not be many stars in this year's 3-year-old division, but one prominent horse from last year's 3-year-old crop is getting closer to making a comeback.
I Want Revenge, who has not run since winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4, 2009, is doing so well right now, according to new trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., that he could make his return to the races in the Grade 2, $300,000 Suburban at Belmont Park on July 3.
Village Drive was one of four winners on Sunday for trainer Reade Baker, who sent out It's Time Bear and Venezau Beach to score here and Loveyouallthetime to prevail at Fort Erie.
Village Drive, Venezau Beach, and Loveyouallthetime all race for the Jus Luk Stable of Alberta-based Richard Fortier, who was on hand for the occasion.
But the big winner, money-wise, was It's Time Bear, who won the $127,000 Bold Ruckus Stakes for the Bear Stable of Danny Dion.
It's Time Bear was making his turf debut in the Bold Ruckus, a six-furlong race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.
Artic Fern solidified his status as a key contender for the July 4 Queen's Plate with a 2 1/4-length score under second-level allowance conditions here Saturday.
After stalking the pace of multiple stakes-winning 8-year-old True Metropolitan, Artic Fern moved to the lead inside the final furlong and widened without his regular rider, David Clark, ever cocking his whip.
Winning for the third time in as many starts this season, Artic Fern showed a new dimension after leading throughout both a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs and a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles
