OLDSMAR, Fla. - Every year you can be sure of one thing: There will be new faces on the scene at Tampa Bay Downs. The lure of warm weather and a safe racing strip bring trainers and jockeys from all over the country. And every year there will be tales of those who came with high hopes only to leave town long before the meeting is done when their stables and runners didn't live up to expectations.
MIAMI - According to the Beyer Speed Figures, Notonthesamepage was the third-fastest 2-year-old in North America this year. That distinction was earned for the 104 Beyer Speed Figure he was assigned for setting a 4 1/2-furlong track record of 50.12 winning his maiden at Churchill Downs on April 30.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The racing campaigns of the older horse Lucky J.H. tend to be brief - and memorable.
He made only three starts in 2006, three in 2007, and three so far this year, with each campaign highlighted by at least a stakes placing, and in two of those years at least one stakes win.
When he returns from a layoff of more than eight months in Monday's $70,000 Impressive Luck Handicap at Santa Anita, Lucky J.H. will be after his fourth stakes win. The Impressive Luck is run over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.
The Riley Allison Futurity will be run for the 46th time on Tuesday as Sunland Park cards its final racing program of 2008. A field of eight 2-year-olds will do battle for the $100,000 purse at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Heading up this years edition of the Riley Allison is Retap. A well-traveled son of Tapit who is trained by omnipresent Steve Asmussen, Retap will be making his sixth start on Tuesday, all at different tracks.
ARCADIA, Calif.-A series of mid-priced longshots at Santa Anita on Friday, opening day of the winter-spring meet, led to a carryover of $171,220 for Saturday's nine-race program.
The pick six on Saturday covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. There are three stakes in Saturday's pick six races.
The fourth race, an optional claimer over a mile on turf, has drawn eight runners. Sartorial has been scratched. The morning-line favorite is Monterrey Jazz, who won the Grade 3 Texas Mile and Grade 2 Strub Stakes earlier this year.
ARCADIA, Calif.-Bob Black Jack's best asset - his devastating speed - helped the colt record his first Grade 1 win in Friday's $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. There can be no doubting the quality of the field. The second- through fourth-place finishers are also Grade 1 winners - Into Mischief, Georgie Boy and Colonel John.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Even in face of an economic climate that has had tracks scrambling for customers and betting revenue, Santa Anita provided a glorious counterpoint on its opening day Friday. Under sunny skies, a crowd estimated by track officials at 33,000 showed up for the start of the 72nd winter meeting. Perhaps it was a temporary respite from the doom and gloom of these times, or the lure of seeing racing in such a magnificent setting. Maybe it was the free calendar. But Santa Anita was showing off on Friday.
ALBANY, Calif. - Jockey Russell Baze notched his 400th victory of 2008 when he guided Portland Storm ($5.40) to a rail-hugging victory in the sixth race at Golden Gate Fields on Friday.
The victory helped Baze to reach the 400-win milestone for the 12th time in his career. No other rider has reached the figure more than three times.
Hawthorne Race Course was forced to cancel its Friday program, the second straight cancellation at the Chicago-area track.
Races were called off lsdy Sunday because of bitter cold, but Friday, jockeys declined to ride over a wet track surface that still was icy underneath, with little cushion between the layer of ice and the top of the track.