NEW ORLEANS - Under lights early on a humid New Orleans morning, the Steve Asmussen stock whizzed around the Fair Grounds racetrack seemingly by the hundreds. But it was not hard to find the queen of the hive. Rachel Alexandra paraded out at 6:30, accompanied by assistant trainer Scott Blasi and Pancho, the most recognized stable pony in America. A few feet behind, astride another pony, came Asmussen himself.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Telling is to resume galloping this week at Oaklawn following a freshening and has at least one major objective for the coming year: a return trip to the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.
"I think that would be a definite goal," said Steve Hobby, who trains Telling for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. "We enjoyed it there last year . . . and we won."
ARCADIA, Calif. - A week of storms that led to the cancellation of racing on Monday and Thursday at Santa Anita is jeopardizing the prospects for an eight-race program on Friday.
On Wednesday morning, track officials canceled Thursday's seven-race program and said a decision will be made on Thursday morning regarding the prospects of racing on Friday.
"It depends on when the storm lets up," the track's president, Ron Charles, said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita has canceled its seven-race program on Thursday, citing continued drainage problems with its synthetic main track and a looming rainstorm expected to drop several inches of rain in Southern California on Wednesday night and Thursday.
The decision was made mid-morning on Wednesday, and is the second day of racing lost this week. The track canceled Monday's nine-race program after approximately 1 1/2 inches of rain fell from Sunday afternoon into Monday.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - During the Oaklawn meet last spring, track president Charles Cella met with trainer Lynn Whiting and discussed trying to find a good young horse. Mission accomplished.
Dryfly is officially on the road to the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby after winning Oaklawn's first prep for the race, the $100,000 Smarty Jones, on Monday.
According to figures released by the track, Golden Gate Fields showed a 6.5 percent decrease in average daily all-sources handle for its 42-day 2009 fall meet compared with its 67-day 2008 meet. The fall meet ran from Oct. 21 to Dec. 20.
Average daily all-source handle - which includes betting on Golden Gate Fields races as well as incoming simulcasts - was $3,253,176, compared with $3,477,494 during the 2008 fall meet.
Daily account-wagering handle was a bright spot, jumping 21 percent instate and 36 percent from out of state.
NEW ORLEANS - Granted, Friesan Fire won the 2009 Lecomte Stakes on his way to a clean three-race sweep of the major Fair Grounds 3-year-old stakes. But the Lecomte generally does more weeding out of decent 2-year-olds than producing of top-class 3-year-olds. And judging from the size of the field in the race's 2010 edition, there is plenty of sorting to do Saturday in New Orleans.
Saturday's California Derby did little to establish Kentucky Derby credentials for the six participating 3-year-olds.
The three Southern California invaders - Ranger Heartley, Connemara, and Thomas Baines - ran one-two-three, with the three local entrants bringing up the rear. None appeared to have an excuse.
Ranger Heartley won the race going wire to wire, but was allowed to set a very easy pace on a track that was playing slowly, and he will have to improve on his Beyer Speed Figure of 78 to be considered a contender in the major upcoming 3-year-old races.
The Delaware Racing Commission has approved 116 days of racing at Delaware Park for 2010. Delaware Park, which houses more than 2,500 slot machines, raced 109 days last year, down from 136 in 2008.
Last year's meet was originally scheduled for 116 days but was further reduced after the state legislature passed a bill lowering the horsemen's share of slot machine revenue at the track by 10 percent.
