GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Jockey Justin Shepherd shipped into Lone Star Park last Saturday to ride a couple of horses on the Stars of Texas Day program. He ended up winning five races. It was a banner day for Shepherd, whose wins included a sweep of both $125,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes.
"I came in to ride two and picked up all the others," he said.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - For several years, the $300,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park has been overshadowed on the 3-year-old summer schedule by more lucrative races in New York and New Jersey in August.
In the case of Grazen, this year's Swaps Stakes on Saturday is all trainer Mike Mitchell wants.
Trainers Larry Jones and Tim Ritchey, who won the last two runnings of the Delaware Oaks, will send out prominent contenders again in Saturday s 58th edition of the Grade 2 race for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park.
Payton d Oro, trained by Jones, and Bon Jovi Girl, trained and partially owned by Ritchey, will meet for the third time this season. They took turns beating each other in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico two months ago and the local prep for the $250,000 Delaware Oaks, the $125,000 Susan s Girl on June 20.
OMAHA, Neb. Nebraska racing shifts into high gear Thursday as Horsemen s Park begins its 12th annual festival, a four-day meet that brings live racing back to Omaha, the state s largest city and the former home of Ak-Sar-Ben race course. The festival typically draws crowds of well over 10,000 fans a day.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Drunken Love, claimed for $62,500 here June 21, paid a quick dividend by capturing last Sunday's $50,000 Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial at Fort Erie.
Running for Tallyho Racing Ltd., a group headed by Frank Merrill Jr., Drunken Love was making his first start on grass for trainer Norm McKnight's barn in the five-furlong Wells Memorial.
Brad McKnight, the trainer's son and assistant, saddled Drunken Love at Fort Erie and is credited with being the man behind the 4-year-old gelding's acquisition.
Terry Thompson on Monday won six races on the Prairie Meadows card, matching a feat he also achieved in 2002.
Thompson, the leading rider at Prairie, swept the early double in tidy fashion when Doughnut Man ($5.60) and Quite a Dude ($6.40) won with plenty to spare. His hot streak continued when he won the third aboard the Ray Tracy-trained Save Our Soul ($8) by a half-length. Save Our Soul's gritty effort took Tracy's career win tally to 999.
MIAMI - The 2009 Summit of Speed is in the books and singling out the stars is as simple as 1-2-3.
The No. 3 star on the Summit card goes to Dashing Debby for her sensational victory in the J J'sdream Stakes. Dashing Debby dominated the 2-year-old filly dash by 10 1/4 lengths, and she was the only first-time starter or maiden in the field. Her performance immediately caught the eye of owner Jess Jackson, who bought the filly and had her on the way to Saratoga less than 48 hours after she had crossed the finish line.
Eskimo's Best was declared the winner of the $70,000 Indiana First Lady at Indiana Downs Monday evening when Trust N Seven was disqualified for interference.
Soon after the start of the one mile turf race, Jockey Leandro Goncalves took Trust N Seven to the rail, causing a chain reaction that eventually caused Sastasticsbest to clip heels and lose rider Rodney Prescott. Trust N Seven then led every step, winning by 7 1/2 lengths. After reviewing the film of the race, the stewards disqualified Trust N Seven and placed her last in the field of 12.
The top four finishers from the Colonial Cup will be joined by a host of talented new shooters when the showcase race at Colonial Downs, the $750,000 Virginia Derby, is run Saturday in New Kent, Va.
Battle of Hastings, winner of the June 20 Colonial Cup, was assigned post 9 in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered Monday in the 12th running of the Virginia Derby, a Grade 2 race set for 1 1/4 miles over the spacious Colonial turf course. Tyler Baze has a return call for trainer Jeff Mullins.
