LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When you're a jockey at Churchill Downs and they keep mentioning your name in the same breath with Pat Day, you're probably doing something remarkable.
Julien Leparoux, who equaled a longstanding record held by Day when he rode seven winners on the Nov. 11 card at Churchill, broke the fall meet record for wins, held by the Hall of Fame rider, when he booted home five winners Friday.
Zenyatta, the undefeated 4-year-old filly, will be paraded between races Sunday at Hollywood Park. Customers will receive a Zenyatta poster with a paid admission.
The winner of the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 and unbeaten in nine starts, Zenyatta is being rested this fall and will resume racing in 2009.
Finger Lakes canceled the last eight of nine scheduled races Friday after jockeys refused to ride after the first race, citing poor track conditions.
A continuing winter mix of rain and snow over the past two weeks has caused the track problems, leading to the cancellation of multiple cards.
Live racing was scheduled to resume on Saturday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Just as her career is coming to a close, Leah's Secret is blossoming.
After breaking a step slowly, Leah's Secret got herself into a good position under Eibar Coa, then outfinished Slewfoundmoney by three-quarters of a length in the final furlong to win Friday's Grade 2, $150,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct. Slewfoundmoney, who attended a solid early pace, held second by 1 1/2 lengths over Boca Grande.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It has been nine years since an apprentice rider based in Western Canada took home a Sovereign Award, with the Vancouver-based Ben Russell having turned that trick in 1999.
But there is a strong Western flavor to the division this year, and the Sovereign Award voters have solid contenders to choose from among the leading apprentice riders in from Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The second phase of El Gato Malo's career begins in an optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs Sunday over the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park. If it's anything like his six-race campaign last year at 2 and early in his 3-year-old season, the gelding will merit massive attention in coming months.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If trainer Barclay Tagg hasn't ended his six-week long drought by Sunday, he very well could do so when he sends out Hamsa in Sunday's $65,000 Kamikaze Rick Stakes at Aqueduct.
Through Friday, Tagg had gone winless with his last 40 starters in New York, including all 29 he had run at Aqueduct. (Tagg had three horses scheduled to run Saturday, including Tale of Ekati in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.) Tagg's last winner in New York was Dr. Decter on Oct. 18 at Belmont. Dr. Decter is entered in Sunday's first race.
Patrick Husbands won with his first five mounts on Thursday's card at Woodbine. He had two seconds and a third with his other three mounts on the 10-race program.
Through Thursday, Husbands is second in the Woodbine jockey standings with 152 wins, three fewer than leading rider Jim McAleney. The meet runs through Dec. 7.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Beattie still doesn't think the public has seen the best of Fabulous Strike. But if Beattie can keep the 5-year-old Fabulous Strike sound and healthy, perhaps we will.
Fabulous Strike certainly looked good Thursday, taking control soon after the start and leading all the way to record a 1 1/2-length victory in the $111,200 Fall Highweight Handicap before a Thanksgiving Day gathering of 3,239 at Aqueduct. He's So Chic rallied to get second by 3 1/2 lengths over Ferocious Fires.
Okay, okay, we get it now: Sok Sok likes the Fair Grounds.
Eleven months after he won the Sugar Bowl Stakes by almost eight lengths last season, Sok Sok won the Thanksgiving Handicap on Thursday in New Orleans. The margin this time was smaller, about three lengths, but Sok Sok looked just about as good, going six furlongs in a swift 1:09.98 while sprinting clear from his stablemate Devereux in the final furlong.