The $35,000 Princess Elaine Stakes at Canterbury Park has three uncoupled entries, making the about 1 1/16-mile turf race difficult to handicap.
Trainer Mac Robertson entered Bella Notte and Seasahm in the Princess Elaine, which has attracted a field of eight older Minnesota-bred filly and mares.
Bella Notte captured the Lady Slipper Stakes here in May and figures as the likely pacesetter after posting three bullet works while preparing for this assignment. Dean Butler has the call.
The $50,000 Oak Hall Stakes at Evangeline Downs presents quite a few handicapping challenges, not the least of which is trying to locate a favorite. A field of 10 will go seven furlongs in the evening's headliner and while almost all merit respect, there are an equal number of questions.
The betting public could gravitate toward Red Rock Creek if for no other reason than name recognition. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the 8-year-old gelding will be ridden by Shane Sellers, who recently launched a comeback here.
Prairie Meadows concludes its Thoroughbred meet Saturday with a pair of hotly contested juvenile stakes races, the Prairie Gold Juvenile and Prairie Gold Lassie. An abundance of shippers add intrigue to both $50,000 five-furlong events.
Representatives from Steve Asmussen's powerful stable will likely will be favored in each race and will test the mettle of trainer Kenny Smith's pair of highly-regarded, locally-based 2-year-olds.
A rising star and a returning champ bookend a full field of Massachusetts-breds in the $50,000 Last Dance Stakes at Suffolk Downs on Saturday.
No More Goodbyes proved he's among the leading horses in the region by dominating the Rise Jim Stakes last month by more than seven lengths. He has post 12 and is in search of his fourth straight victory and first around two turns.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The participating connections agree that Saturday's Ontario Jockey Club has come up extremely tough, particularly considering that the seven-furlong turf race is an overnight stakes for Ontario foals.
But Field Commission, the horse who conceivably could be the toughest of all, has been cross-entered in Sunday's 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture and may go in that spot.
"We haven't made any absolute decision," said Danny Vella, who trains Field Commission and owns the 4-year-old in partnership with Ed Seltzer. "We want to have a good look at both races."
A total of 72 horses have been pre-entered in the seven races in the 11th annual Claiming Crown series, to be run next Saturday, July 25, at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
The richest race in the series, the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, drew Antrim County, who was named the 2008 Claimer of the Year by one of the event sponsors, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. Antrim County won the $50,000 Iron Horse last year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Costalivin overcame traffic problems to land his first stakes Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $126,200 Deputy Minister.
Daniel Be Good established quick fractions of 22.80 and 45.62 seconds in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds. Costalivin trailed the eight-horse field on the backstretch, before looming into contention on the turn.
Tom Aronson, a longtime racing consultant who had served as a vice president for programming and product development for Churchill Downs Inc. since March 2007, was among personnel laid off Wednesday by the Louisville, Ky.,-based company.
Aronson confirmed Wednesday that he no longer was with the company and that he intended to resume his role as president of the Racing Resource Group, a consulting company he founded in 1989. Churchill has a longstanding policy of not commenting on personnel matters in cases of layoffs and firings.
The New York State Racing and Wagering Board will scratch True Quality out of Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park because of "insufficient proof" that Paraneck Stable no longer has ownership interest in the colt, according to a board spokesman.
