Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Stall could have two favorites at Prairie

Louis Hodges Jr.
My Pal Charlie hasn't won since last year's Super Derby, but could go favored in Saturday's Grade 2 Cornhusker.

Al Stall is a New Orleanian by birth and upbringing, and bases his stable in Louisiana and Kentucky, with a dab of Saratoga tossed in. But Stall could be in for a big Iowa weekend at Prairie Meadows, with major players in the Iowa Derby on Friday night and the Cornhusker Handicap on Saturday evening.

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Versatility Stylish Citizen's hole card

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer John Ross missed the big dance here last weekend when Costalivin had to pass on Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate. But, Ross picked up a nice consolation prize here Saturday when Stylish Citizen upset the $101,250 Charlie Barley, an open race for 3-year-olds that was run over a mile and 70 yards on the main track after being taken off the turf.

Stylish Citizen rallied from fourth place to get up for a half-length victory under Jim McAleney in the Charlie Barley.

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Fawkes has several options for Big Drama

MIAMI - After making the 17-hour drive back to Florida from West Virginia on Sunday, trainer David Fawkes was worn out - much more so than his star 3-year-old Big Drama, who won Charles Town's Red Legend Stakes by seven lengths on Saturday.

The seven-furlong Red Legend was Big Drama's first start since his troubled fifth-place finish in the Preakness. The victory in the $250,000 race swelled the colt's earnings over $1 million and serves as a stepping-stone to what Fawkes hopes will be bigger and better things during the second half of the season.

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Beckon out of critical care after spill

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Chad Beckon, hospitalized since being involved in a serious spill at Woodbine last Wednesday evening, is still in Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre but has been moved out of critical care into intensive care, his agent Anthony Esposito reported Tuesday morning.

"He's still a little foggy, and has lost some short-term memory," said Esposito. "He had a second CT scan and it showed trace bleeding and still some swelling in the brain. But he's getting up, with some help. We're optimistic, but still very concerned."

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Ex-jockey fatally injured in gate accident

Former jockey David Fowler-Wright was fatally injured in a starting gate accident at the San Joaquin County Fair on Sunday.

The 47-year-old native of England was working as a rake man and had just raked tracks after the start of the seventh race, a 1 1/16-mile race. He was standing on the gate as a tractor began to pull it out of the way of the field when he either slipped or attempted to jump off the moving gate and was run over by the gate's rear tires, track officials said.

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Frostad sees Eye of the Leopard improving

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Frostad was the veteran and jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva the rookie when they teamed up with Eye of the Leopard for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.

The combination worked wonderfully as Frostad, represented by his 15th entrant in his 10th Queen's Plate appearance, and Da Silva, making his debut in Canada's $1 million showpiece, met in the winner's circle following a stirring renewal of the 1 1/4-mile race.

Frostad said Eye of the Leopard can still improve.

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

Assessment holds off Wasserman at Emerald

AUBURN, Wash. - After pressing the pace for five furlongs, Assessment surged to the lead on the second turn and held off fast-closing stablemate Wasserman for a neck victory Sunday in the $50,000 Budweiser Emerald Handicap for older horses at Emerald Downs.

Mon, 06/22/2009 - 00:00

Hoosier denies coercion claim

An official of Hoosier Park in Indiana has acknowledged that the track gave its racing secretary a list of trainers who were supposed to receive specific stall allotments, but the official also said that the list was only a recommendation and not a demand tied to horsemen's support of pro-Hoosier legislation.

Mon, 06/22/2009 - 00:00

Tight spots loom for Hot n' Dusty

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The reality has set in for trainer Barry Abrams and the partnership that owns Hot n' Dusty.

The 4-year-old filly has won 3 of 16 starts and is ready for her stakes debut at Hollywood Park this weekend. The options are not that attractive.

Abrams and owners Madeline Auerbach and the Little Red Feather syndicate can choose between a start against reigning champion older female Zenyatta in Saturday's $300,000 Vanity Handicap or against the multiple stakes winner Black Mamba in Sunday's $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap on turf.

Mon, 06/22/2009 - 00:00

Few Plate runners expected for Prince of Wales

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With many in the field of 13 taking their best shots at the Queen's Plate, the road to Fort Erie's Prince of Wales could be lightly traveled.

In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's Queen's Plate, only winner Eye of the Leopard, runner-up Mr. Foricos Two U, and sixth-place finisher Keino West were committed to carrying on to the Prince of Wales.

Each would be making his first start on dirt in the $500,000 Prince of Wales, which follows the Queen's Plate in the Triple Crown series for Canadian-breds and will be run over 1 3/16 miles on July 12.