VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Quint McCabe has added a bounce to his step lately. The reason? According to McCabe, having Woombroomexpress, Destiny's Home, and Victor's Magic in his shed row has picked up his spirits considerably.
McCabe, 63, feels this is the best group of horses he has had to train since he took out his license in 1980.
"It's pretty exciting," said McCabe. "They can all run, and I don't know how good the 2-year-old is going to turn out."
ELMONT, N.Y. - With the exception of last year's Ohio Derby, trainer Bennie Stutts hasn't had a lot of luck when it comes to shipping Smooth Air out of south Florida. Perhaps his fortunes will change Monday when Smooth Air runs in the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.
By Mary Rampellini
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Seaspeak has proven himself to be of graded quality even though he has not technically won a graded stakes. Monday, he can make it official. Seaspeak is expected to start as a strong favorite in the Grade 3, $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star Park.
The 1 1/8-mile grass race is one of six stakes worth $1.1 million on the Lone Star Million Day card. It is the richest program of the meet, and is headed by the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - From allowance to listed stakes to Grade 2 stakes, Tizaqueena has climbed steadily up the class ladder during her four-race win streak. But a step up to the next rung might have to wait. Tizaqueena remains under consideration for the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 6 at Belmont Park, but the Grade 3 Mint Julep the same afternoon has begun to look like an appealing option.
"The real tough race will be at Belmont," said trainer Mike Stidham. "We may veer off and go back to Churchill."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Papa Clem and Pioneerof the Nile, major stakes winners in April who were sixth and 11th in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 16, have returned to California and are candidates for the $300,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 18, their trainers said.
Neither Gary Stute, who trains Papa Clem, nor Bob Baffert, who trains Pioneerof the Nile, is considering the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 6.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Eddie Castro flew out of the gate at Monmouth Park, winning with 10 of his first 25 mounts, including a pair of overnight stakes during the first four days of the meet.
It's a terrific start to what could be a fabulous season for Castro.
Jose Lezcano, the leading rider here last summer, opted to remain at Belmont Park. That leaves the door open for Castro, the runner-up the last two years, to capture his first Monmouth title.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - There are a few new faces in the jockey colony this season at Louisiana Downs, but nobody has been more visible than Ramsey Zimmerman.
A native of Florida, Zimmerman, 27, won with four of his mounts on opening weekend last week to take an early lead in the rider standings in his first summer of riding here.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Zen Stakes and the Your Ladyship Stakes, Illinois-bred races on Sunday at Arlington, serve as preps for richer stakes races on the Prairie State Festival program next month. But the gang's pretty much all here for these pair of $50,000 seven-furlong Polytrack sprints, the Zen for males, the Your Ladyship for females.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When Sara Louise defeated Rachel Alexandra by nearly four lengths last fall in the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs, it might not have been too far-fetched to say a superstar was emerging.
But you would have been going farther out on the limb to predict that it would be the runner-up in that Nov. 1 race - and not the winner - who would proceed to set the racing world on its ear by winning her next six races, including a record romp in the Kentucky Oaks and a thrilling triumph as the favorite over male rivals in the Preakness.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Rui Pimentel finished last year's Fort Erie meet with 80 wins, five behind leading rider Chad Beckon. This year he is a strong candidate to take the title.
With Beckon now riding at Woodbine, Pimentel has 13 wins in the first eight days of the season. Sunny Sing is next with nine wins, and Kris Robinson and Melanie Pinto are tied with eight heading into the fourth weekend of the meeting.
