BOSSIER CITY, La. - A competitive second-level optional claiming race is Sunday's feature at Louisiana Downs. The 7 1/2-furlong turf affair drew a field of nine, including probable favorite Cashinmywranglers and the consistent Sligo Joe.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Well-prepared horseplayers still welcome the annual headfirst dive into Del Mar. But things are different now in California.
It seems sharks are everywhere. Whether splashing around in the Pacific Ocean or betting horses nearby on the main track at Del Mar, it is a good idea to stick a toe in the water before jumping in all the way. These days, there is always a surprise.
Nicanor, the full brother to Barbaro and the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the $750,000 Virginia Derby on Saturday at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., was scratched from the race Friday after suffering an unspecified injury to his hind end the previous afternoon.
Deliverer will be making a notable class move at Lone Star Park when he drops into a $7,500 starter allowance from the restricted stakes ranks. He is one of eight older horses in the six-furlong starter, with his chief rivals being Runnin' the River, who is a threat to wire the field, and Smoken Smoke and Lunarpeal.
Blumin Won returns to Nebraska to headline the $27,500 Who Doctor Who Handicap, the featured race on day three of the Horsemen's Park Festival of Racing. The Who Doctor Who matches seven older Nebraska-breds at a mile.
Blumin Won shipped to Canterbury Park with trainer Mike Kirby following back-to-back wins at Fonner Park this spring. In three starts there, he finished third twice and and most recently was second against optional claiming company on the turf. The turf-to-dirt switch off his strong showing last out may be enough to propel him to victory here under Ken Shino.
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.