In an attempt to attract bigger fields, the Charles Town Races will offer increased purses for some of its higher-quality races beginning Saturday.
Allowance races, including starter allowance and optional claiming events, along with open claiming races for tags of $12,500 to $16,000, will be worth up to $4,000 extra, depending on how many horses start.
A few years ago at Louisiana Downs, trainer Morris Nicks commented to a visitor how impressed he was with the horsemanship of his new assistant. Saturday, he will be watching closely as Tim Ice, now his former assistant, sends out Summer Bird in the $1 million Belmont Stakes.
"I'm real proud for him," said Nicks.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pure Clan will make her first start since the Breeders' Cup when she returns to action Saturday at Churchill Downs in the $100,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap.
"I'm eager to get her going again," said Bob Holthus, who trains the millionaire filly for a partnership that includes her breeder, Lewis Lakin, and the IEAH syndicate. "She's the best filly I've ever had."
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - There were only six horses entered in the main body of the featured ninth race Thursday at Arlington Park, but one of them is Ciao, who ranks among the best Chicago-based grass females of the last couple seasons. Ciao makes her first start of 2009 in this high-end grass allowance race, and if she shows the same kind of improvement from last year to this as she did from 2007 to 2008, Ciao could be a player in the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap here next month.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Shippers are the exception rather than the rule for the Woodbine Oaks, the 1 1/8-mile race on Saturday that is the first leg of the triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
So it is unusual that the lineup for this year's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks is expected to include no fewer than three invaders from south of the border.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Though he is riding a better horse, it may not be as easy for jockey Alan Garcia to steal this year's Belmont Stakes as it was last year.
In 2008, Garcia guided longshot Da' Tara to a gate-to-wire victory in the Belmont. At 38-1, few handicappers let alone horsemen gave Da' Tara much chance to win, which may have played a role in the colt's ability to sneak away.
"Nobody was paying attention to my horse,'' Garcia said.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer Bart Evans is sitting back and debating with himself what the next course of action will be for Wasted Tears, who shattered a Lone Star Park course record last month when she won the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff. Evans bred, owns, and trains the filly, and on Tuesday was considering races for her at Hollywood Park and Arlington.
Options include the Grade 2, $250,000 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Hollywood on July 11. Another is the Grade 3, $200,000 Modesty at 1 3/16 miles on turf the same day at Arlington Park.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The unbeaten filly Witty will miss the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday in which she would have been among the favorites.
Witty stretched her record to 3 for 3 winning the Grade 3, seven-furlong Railbird on May 10, but she got sick last week and missed five days of training.
"She's back at the track now, but she's just starting back," trainer Richard Mandella said Tuesday.
Plans are undetermined for her next start. Witty is a half-sister to Well Armed.
MIAMI - You Luckie Mann's vacation is over.
You Luckie Mann will return to work following a four-month absence when he takes on six rivals in Thursday's $26,000 allowance feature at Calder. The race serves as the speedy 3-year-old's first step on the road to the Grade 3 Carry Back Stakes here July 11.
