ALBANY, Calif. Golden Gate Fields has canceled its scheduled Thursday card because a lack of entries.
We had one race that filled with five horses, the track s racing secretary, Sean Greely, said Saturday. We re taking entries for Friday today, and we re looking good for an eight-race card.
Golden Gate Fields has run seven-race cards the past two Thursdays because of a lack of entries.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark - Oaklawn Park on Saturday announced a second increase to its overnight purses this meet, citing increases in attendance and handle over the first 38 dates of its 54-date season. The track was to boost all maiden special weight and allowance races by $1,000 and all claiming races by $500, effective with the program of Sunday, March 22.
"Our numbers are surprisingly good," Charles Cella, the president of Oaklawn, said in a release issued Saturday.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Dunkirk and Quality Road, the two leading candidates for Saturday's Grade 1 Florida Derby, beat the rain at the Palm Meadows training center on Saturday morning, turning in sharp workouts.
Theregoesjojo was not as fortunate. Heavy showers turned the main track at Gulfstream Park into a sea of slop Saturday, forcing trainer Ken McPeek to postpone Theregoesjojo's final Florida Derby drill until Sunday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A pair of first-level allowance races highlight Sunday's nine-race card at Aqueduct and trainer Tony Dutrow appears to have major players in both events.
In the seventh, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares, Dutrow sends out Indian Way for her first start in eight months. When last seen, Indian Way, a 4-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie, finished third behind Indian Blessing and By the Light in the Grade 1 Prioress at Belmont on July 5. Dutrow said Indian Way was later diagnosed with a stress fracture of her pelvis.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Christophe Clement has already put his stamp on Gulfstream Park's 1 1/2-mile Orchid Stakes, having won the race a record six times. He will shoot for lucky number seven on Sunday when he sends the steadily improving Lamentation up against the heavily favored Criticism in the Grade 3 turf fixture for fillies and mares.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Papa Clem is the first shipper to arrive at Oaklawn Park for next month's Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby. He vanned up from Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Thursday, trainer Gary Stute said.
Papa Clem was second to Friesan Fire, a top candidate for the Kentucky Derby, in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby last Saturday. He also had been under consideration for a start in the Grade 2 Illinois Derby.
"We were debating between the two races, and it seemed a lot easier to get to Oaklawn Park," said Stute, who trains Papa Clem for Bo Hirsch.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Sugar Mint's performances are catching up to her promise.
After recording a convincing win in an optional claimer over a mile on turf Thursday, her second win in three starts this year, Sugar Mint is on schedule to make her California stakes debut in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on May 2.
The Wilshire "seems perfect for her," said Dan Ward, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's assistant. "She's had six weeks since the last race and the Wilshire is six weeks away."
The 2009 Calder stakes schedule, which was announced Friday, reflects the struggling economy and downturn in business throughout the racing industry with purses reduced from recent years in an effort to help bolster the daily overnight racing program.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Jockey Terry Thompson will replace Ramon Dominguez on Kentucky Derby candidate Old Fashioned next month in the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
"It's a one-race commitment," said Larry Jones, who trains Old Fashioned. "I don't know who will ride in the Kentucky Derby."
Old Fashioned suffered the first defeat of his career in last weekend's Rebel Stakes. He was close to a quick pace set by Silver City, overtook him midway on the final turn, then was caught late by 56-1 shot Win Willy.
FLORENCE, Ky. - With this being just the fourth year the Lane's End Stakes will have been run over the Polytrack surface at Turfway Park, there is a limited sampling from which to judge how the race stacks up as a Kentucky Derby prep.
The 2008 Lane's End winner, Adriano, was proven as a turf specialist before and after his powerful win in the Lane's End and his 19th-place finish in the Derby.
The 2007 winner, Hard Spun, acquitted himself in terrific fashion by running second to Street Sense in the Derby. Before and after the Derby, Hard Spun was a proven entity on dirt.