Thanks to a pair of sister mules, the Humboldt County Fair had its first-ever million-dollar day Sunday, the final day of the meet.
Sunday's handle was $1,025,953, bringing the meet total to $4,965,143, well ahead of the figure of $3,399,656 bet on the corresponding eight days from last year's meet, which ran for 10 days.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Marchfield was Canada's champion older male last year on the strength of his Polytrack successes. But it certainly didn't take long for Marchfield to establish serious credentials going long on the turf, as he followed up a second-place finish in the 1 1/4-mile Nijinsky with a game win under Patrick Husbands in Sunday's 1 3/8-mile .
DEL MAR, Calif. - The broken finger sustained by jockey Tyler Baze before Del Mar's final race on Saturday will keep him out of action for at least a week, alter the riding situation for key stakes races this weekend, and pretty much hand over the leading rider title to Joel Rosario, who already had a six-win cushion over Baze even before Baze was injured.
With the two richest stakes races on the fair circuit and high purses for two of the most popular claiming levels, the California State Fair meeting in Sacramento begins its 11-day mixed meeting Wednesday. The meet ends on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
The six-furlong California State Fair Sprint on Saturday and the 1 1/8-mile Governor's Handicap on Labor Day each carries a $75,000 purse. The Sprint, for California-breds, will feature defending champion and Cal Cup Sprint winner Tribesman, who will bring a four-race win streak into the race.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Chirac, the 12-1 upset winner of the on Saturday, will get a breather after an arduous season at Monmouth Park.
The Iselin was the fifth start at the meet for the 4-year-old gelding, who over the course of the summer developed from a nice allowance/high-priced claimer into the leading older dirt runner on the grounds.
Trainer Jane Cibelli doesn't plan to run Chirac until the Grade 2, $300,000 Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 16.
COLUMBUS, Neb. There were upsets in both the fillies and the colts-geldings divisions of the Columbus Breeders Special Stakes for Nebraska-bred 3-year-olds on Sunday afternoon.
Ms. Bumper led throughout to post a $15.40 surprise in the $15,500 fillies division as 3-5 favorite Apple Crumble suffered a serious injury in the stretch. With Luis Ranilla aboard, Ms. Bumper was challenged by the favorite turning for home in the 6 1/2-furlong test but Apple Crumble bore out soon after straightening for home and went lame through midstretch.
All five riders that went down in a spill in the ninth race Sunday at Louisiana Downs avoided serious injuries in the incident, according to their agents. Jockey Lonnie Meche could be sidelined the longest. He was diagnosed with a crack in his collarbone, a fractured bone in one of his wrists, and he aggravated an old ankle injury, said his agent, Rick Mocklin.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Superstar filly Rachel Alexandra will attempt to add another chapter to her already history-making 3-year-old campaign when she takes on older males in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga on Sept. 5, her connections announced Monday morning. The New York Racing Association announced Monday that the purse of the Woodward would be raised from $500,000 to $750,000.
