A hearing regarding a positive test for procaine found in Wait a While after her third-place finishers of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita last October was held by the Santa Anita stewards on Wednesday, who may decide to disqualify the mare and redistribute part of the purse.
Stewards Scott Chaney, Albert Christiansen, and Tom Ward are not expected to file a decision until later this month at the earliest, pending written closing arguments from attorneys.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer David Fawkes announced last month that Big Drama would bypass the Kentucky Derby despite having enough graded earnings and certainly enough talent to warrant a run for the roses on May 2. Even though Big Drama set a course record at Gulfstream Park in his 3-year-old debut, Fawkes and owner-breeder Harold Queen are staying true to their word and have decided to skip the Derby and await the Preakness on May 16.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A year before she decided to ride here, Anna Napravnik told her agent, Bob Klesaris, that she would succeed in New York.
Despite a rough start, Napravnik certainly enjoyed a successful stint in New York this winter, one that comes to an end on Friday. Following Friday's card at Aqueduct, Napravnik is slated to return to the Mid-Atlantic region where she will be based at Delaware Park, but will also ride at Pimlico and Philadelphia Park.
Based on early reviews, turf racing in Cajun Country is a hit.
Named the David Yount Turf after the late director of racing, the lush course at Evangeline Downs was christened on opening night last Wednesday when a full field of Louisiana-bred maidens, led by the odds-on favorite Royal and Flashy, raced 1 1/16 miles.
Royal and Flashy ($3) tracked honest fractions of 24.31 seconds, 49.26, and 1:13.33 before kicking home by more than six lengths in a time of 1:44.04 over the firm going.
A potential rematch of last year's top two finishers is shaping up for next weekend's Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes at Fonner Park, with runner-up Wayzata Bay and defending champion The Nutz adding their names to the list of nominees for the meet's showcase event.
There were 29 horses nominated for the $75,000 race at 1 1/16 miles as of Wednesday morning, with more expected.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mike DePaulo enjoyed a relatively quiet but productive campaign at Gulfstream Park this year, with 3 wins and 4 thirds from 12 starters.
Now, DePaulo is looking to make some serious noise here at Woodbine, and he fired his first broadside when Collerosa prevailed in the quicker split of a five-furlong Ontario-sired maiden race last Sunday.
"He was a little bit of a surprise; five-eighths is probably too short for him," said DePaulo who trains Collerosa for owner Frank Romano.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Pioneerof the Nile has had 14 workouts since joining trainer Bob Baffert's stable after a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last October.
None caught the trainer's eye in the same way as a half-mile work in 46.20 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday.
"It's probably the best work since I've had him," Baffert said.
Put up the money, they will come.
Led by Grade 1 winners Commentator and Mast Track, Saturday's Charles Town Classic - with a tiered purse structure that starts at $500,000 - drew a solid field of 10 older horses set to contest 1 1/8 miles.
As Grade 1 winners, Commentator and Mast Track are running for $1 million in purse money. Dry Martini, Magnum and Zappa - all Grade 2 winners - are running for $750,000. Researcher and Ah Day, both Grade 3 winners, are running for $600,000, while the rest of the field - No Advantage, Ea, and Delaware River - are running for $500,000.
CINCINNATI - River Downs begins its 85th season of racing Friday and, as is tradition, the 102-day meet will run through Labor Day, Sept. 7.
The meet's schedule came after lengthy negotiations, as track management and the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association were at odds over account-wagering revenue splits. Normally racing dates in Ohio are requested in August and allotted in September. But this agreement wasn't reached until Dec. 19.
Atlantic City Race Course is no longer running in the dark.
For the first time in 10 years, the signal from Atlantic City's short all-turf meet will be broadcast to simulcast locations across the country when the track opens for live racing on Thursday. The opening-day card is the first of six cards spread out over the next three weeks.