GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The sprint division just got quicker.
Euroears, a winner of 6 of 7 starts who has not raced since November 2008, is scheduled to make his comeback next month at Penn National. He is being pointed to the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap at five furlongs on turf Aug. 1, trainer Bret Calhoun said.
"We're trying to find a realistic spot off the layoff and go from there," said Calhoun, who trains Euroears for Jim and Marilyn Helzer.
The vice president of racing and gaming at Northlands Park, Les Butler, resigned Wednesday morning. Butler had been in charge of racing and gaming at Northlands for 15 years.
According to the track's president, Ken Knowles, Butler resigned for personal reasons.
"He has served the industry well for the past 15 years," said Knowles.
Knowles has reorganized management, with Kevin Behm becoming director of racing, Rey Wosar to act as interim vice president, and Marty Lunde to be in charge of gaming.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Eye of the Leopard, winner of the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate at Woodbine on June 21, has been made the 9-5 favorite to take down the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales Stakes here at Fort Erie on Sunday.
A field of six was announced Wednesday for the $500,000 Prince of Wales, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
Joining Eye of the Leopard will be Queen's Plate returnees Mr. Foricos Two U, Milwaukee Appeal, Flip for the Coin, and Keino West, plus recent Woodbine maiden winner Gallant.
Driving Snow was kept midpack in the field of nine by jockey Miguel Mena before rallying in the stretch to win the $200,000 Oliver at Indiana Downs Tuesday evening.
Trained by Darrin Miller, Driving Snow made his 2009 debut in the Oliver, winning by three-quarters of a length. Miller now plans to run the 3-year-old in the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington Park on Aug. 8.
Longshot Quite a Handful was second, two lengths in front of the favorite, Jack Spratt, in third. Driving Snow returned $9.40 to win and ran the mile over a firm turf course in 1.36.20.
It took 14 months, but on Tuesday a stewards hearing into Steve Asmussen's lidocaine positive from May 10, 2008, was held at Lone Star Park. A ruling in the matter could be issued by the end of the week.
Texas has a zero-tolerance policy on lidocaine, a local anesthetic. As a Class 2 medication violation a lidocaine positive can, among other penalties, carry up to a six-month suspension.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - If your horse gets a bruised foot right before an important stakes race, it can blow up weeks, even months, of the best-laid plans. The bruised foot Pure Clan suffered this past spring cost her 30 days or so of training, but it could have come at a far worse time.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - By mid-morning on Tuesday, Doug O'Neill, the runaway leader in the trainer standings at Hollywood Park this summer, was embarking on a one-week Mediterranean cruise in Barcelona, Spain, with his family.
O Neill's stable, including Informed, a leading candidate for Saturday's $700,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, were in the capable hands of assistant Leandro Mora. O'Neill will not return to California until the start of next week. This greatly enhances Informed's chances in the Gold Cup.
AUBURN, Wash. - Emerald Downs's 3-year-old filly division might have added another stakes-caliber horse Sunday when Dream Sweeper raced to an impressive victory in a maiden race. Making her first start in nearly a year, Dream Sweeper ran six furlongs in 1:09.60, holding off Mizzen You and 4-5 wagering favorite Seeking Ema in the final furlong to prevail by a neck.
Rodney Orr acquired Dream Sweeper for $122,000 at the 2007 Keeneland summer yearling sale, but her story is a little more complicated than that.
MIAMI - Trainer Steve Klesaris hadn't originally planned on bringing Ask Joe to Calder for Saturday's Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes. But after a minor eye issue forced Ask Joe to miss last weekend's Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park, Klesaris decided to put up the $4,000 supplemental fee and ship his stakes-winning 3-year-old to south Florida for the six-furlong Carry Back.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer John Mattine is planning to give Lemon Twirl a whirl in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Dance Smartly.
Lemon Twirl, a Kentucky-bred 5-year-old owned by George Robertson, will be making her stakes debut in the Dance Smartly, which is a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
"She's feeling great," said Mattine, a longtime assistant trainer who took over the barn when his father, Tony, died in May. "I think she's going in well."
