OCEANPORT, N.J. - With the weather finally drying out a bit on the Jersey Shore, Musket Man got back to work Wednesday morning at Monmouth Park.
In his first drill since finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Musket Man was clocked in 47.80 seconds for the half-mile with jockey Daniel Centeno aboard. The Illinois Derby and Tampa Bay Derby winner worked in company with Ponzi Scheme, an unraced 2-year-old in trainer Derek Ryan's barn.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Roger Attfield had green on his mind here Wednesday morning, sending out 10 horses to work over the turf training course while planning his stakes engagements both at home and on the road.
Leading the way was Spice Route, who breezed five furlongs in 59.40 seconds under jockey Jim McAleney. The move was the quickest at the distance by almost a full second.
"He worked a little faster than I wanted him to, but he was just cruising, so I guess I should be happy," Attfield said. "He's doing very, very well."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Dino Condilenios should have a few important questions answered when he runs a couple of his top horses in two of the four stakes races scheduled for Wednesday, July 1. Almost Time will be one of the favorites in the Chris Loseth Stakes for 3-year-olds. Teide will be trying for his first stakes win when he tackles a tough field of older horses in the $100,000 Lieutenant Governors.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Lone Star Park leading rider Cliff Berry will be missing from the entries here Friday and Saturday because he has mounts in five major stakes during the two-day Iowa Racing Festival at Prairie Meadows. Some of the best horses Berry rides will be running, including Jonesboro, the second highweight in the Grade 2, $300,000 Cornhusker, and Euphony, the favorite for the $125,000 Iowa Distaff.
The dead heat for first between LD Fire and Streakin Laquinta in the $1 million Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos on Saturday may be their only encounter of the year.
The two Quarter Horses appear headed in different directions this summer, with Streakin Laquinta not nominated to the next seven-figure futurity at Los Alamitos, the Golden State Million in November, and more likely to be sent to Ruidoso Downs for the All American Futurity trials later this summer. LD Fire is expected to have a summertime break because of concern over a sore shin.
AUBURN, Wash. - Assessment and Wasserman, the top two finishers Sunday in the one-mile Budweiser Emerald Handicap, will return on two weeks' rest to run in the 6 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Governor's Handicap on July 5, trainer Howard Belvoir said Wednesday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sarah Campion made the 90-minute drive from Lexington, Ky., last Friday night to Churchill Downs to drink beer, spend time with friends, "and watch racing," she said.
Undaunted by the inconveniences she experienced with parking, programs, concessions, and oppressive heat, Campion said she plans to do the same this Friday.
"What better way is there to spend a Friday night?" asked Campion, a University of Kentucky student majoring in agriculture economics.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Turf racing for 2-year-olds has taken a higher priority in recent seasons at Louisiana Downs, with the ultimate goal a pair of six-figure stakes events on the Super Derby undercard in September - the $100,000 Happy Ticket Stakes for fillies and the $150,000 Sunday Silence. In addition, the Donnie Wilhite and Sunny's Halo will offer $50,000 each for aspiring juvenile turf performers on Aug. 15 as will the Princess and Minstrel on July 18.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Owner Jess Jackson said Wednesday he would love to race his Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra against the boys again this year, but that she would not compete in this year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. He also suggested that she could run again next year as a 4-year-old.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - All hands on deck.
Churchill Downs officials are promising that the exceedingly difficult conditions that greeted the massive crowd for its historic first night-racing program last Friday will not be repeated when the track doubles its number of beverage stations and triples its staffing at those stations for the two night-racing programs that remain at the spring meet.
