WHO'S HOT
Jockeys Patrick Husbands and Chantal Sutherland both won six races from May 19-24. Sutherland had the best win percentage (19) among all of the leading riders during that time.
Apprentice Cory Spataro won aboard his only mount. The other bugs who found the winner's circle were Omar Moreno, Caroline Duquet, and Betty-Jo Williams.
Eurico Da Silva saw limited action due to a suspension, but he managed to exit the week in a tie for leading rider with Husbands, with 34 victories apiece.
One of the many pet phrases trainer Nick Zito uses comes from a preacher friend: "Great expectations bring great disappointment."
When it comes to the Belmont Stakes, Zito has far exceeded expectations in recent years. He has won two of the last six runnings of the Belmont; in 2004 with Birdstone, a 36-1 shot, and in 2008 with Da' Tara, who at 38-1 was the longest shot on the board. In the same span, Zito has two seconds and two thirds with horses who ranged in prices from 11-1 to 34-1.
AUBURN, Wash. - In a predictable world, Posse Power's victory last Sunday in the Auburn Handicap would serve as a stepping-stone to Emerald Downs' marquee race for 3-year-olds, the $75,000 Emerald Derby on Aug. 15. But Posse Power, a rapidly improving colt trained by Frank Lucarelli, might jump into deeper waters this summer.
Much depends on Posse Power's stablemate, Gallant Son, who is scheduled to run Monday in the Grade 1, $250,000 Shoemaker Mile on the grass at Hollywood Park.
Warrior Maid's win in the $60,000 Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint was a popular one for the Heitzmann family last Saturday at Louisiana Downs. The filly is trained by Eric Heitzmann, whose brother Roger made the trophy presentation in his role as the secretary-treasurer of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. In addition, another brother, David, was on hand as the new racing secretary at Louisiana Downs.
"It's always good to have family around," Eric Heitzmann said. "It was a good day."
Redding Colliery and Euroears flew into Texas on Wednesday to run in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race is Monday. It has a working list of seven probables, with starting highweights Mythical Power and Awesome Gem having been scheduled to arrive Thursday from Southern California.
There should be no horse shortage at Marquis Downs, which opens its 2010 meeting Friday evening.
A total of 71 horses were entered for Friday's eight-race card at the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan oval including full fields of 10 in four races.
"The barns will be full," said Rick Fior, general manager of racing for Marquis Downs, which has stalls for 550 horses.
Marquis Downs will be conducting its usual 30-day meeting, with racing on Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 7:05 p.m. with the exception of Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, when the chuckwagon races take over.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Dave Forster reported that Otero came out of her win over Dearest Princess in the $51,000 Emerald Downs at Hastings on Monday in good shape and will be pointed to the $50,000 Supernaturel Stakes on July 1. The 1 1/16-mile Supernaturel will be the first middle-distance stakes race for 3-year-old fillies at Hastings this year.
Forster doesn't think the added distance will be a problem for Otero.
"She runs like she'll go long and she also has the pedigree," said Forster.
Attendance and handle figures for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore skewed the overall results for the track's 20-day meet, but in opposite ways, according to figures provided by the track Wednesday.
Average daily attendance at Pimlico shot up 9.7 percent, from 7,891 last year to 8,660, with the increase entirely due to 17,000 more people in attendance on Preakness Day. For the meet, total attendance was 173,200, up 15,377 compared with last year's total attendance of 157,823.
River Downs has named the seventh race on Friday in honor of Richard "Dickie" Burge, who was around the racetrack for 60 of his 75 years. Burge died from complications related to heart failure last Sunday evening.
Burge was the longtime valet of jockey Perry Ouzts, who has won 22 riding titles at River Downs and multiple titles at Beulah Park, Latonia, and Turfway Park while Burge was his valet.
Burge retired form the jockeys' room four years ago and became a placing judge.
ELMONT, N.Y. - In what amounted to little more than a public workout, the filly Franny Freud cruised to a six-length victory over five males in Wednesday's $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park.
The New York Stallion Stakes was opened up to both sexes after gender-restricted races failed to fill with enough entries to be carded for Sunday. Though 10 were entered for Wednesday's seven-furlong race on turf, the field scratched down to six, in part because of the presence of Franny Freud, a Grade 2 winner.
