STICKNEY, Ill. - Ava Mae just finished her 2-year-old season last weekend, winning for the first time in her career when she captured the $107,650 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante. And already trainer Michele Boyce is casting an eye to next year, when she expects Ava Mae to be an even better prospect.
"She's going to the farm very shortly, but it won't be a terribly long downtime," Boyce said. "I'd like to have her ready for the first of May, or even earlier."
Beulah Park canceled its last three races on Wednesday because of unsafe track conditions. The cancellation occurred after the fifth race when a horse broke down and threw her rider as the horses were galloping out.
Abbyanne, a 3-year-old second-time starter, finished third and then apparently broke a front leg, falling and throwing jockey Christian Pilares. Pilares was taken to a local hospital for examination but was awake and alert. Abbyanne was euthanized on the track. It was the third spill in less than a week at Beulah.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine's total all-sources handle and average daily handle showed slight declines for its its 2008 live Thoroughbred meet, while the average handle per race remained steady compared with last year.
An all-sources total of $337,734,635 was wagered on live racing during the 167-day meet that ended this past Sunday, compared with the $343,059,524 recorded from the 169 dates offered in 2007, a 1.5 per cent overall drop.
This year's average daily handle of $2,022,363 was down 3.7 percent from last year's average of $2,029,938.
The first horse New Orleanian Bobby Asaro ever owned, Genuine Meeting, won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic back in 1992.
"I've been trying to win that race again ever since," said Asaro, who grew up blocks from Fair Grounds and operates a popular wedding reception venue, Southern Oaks Plantation, in New Orleans.
That's why Louisiana Champions Day, scheduled for Saturday at Fair Grounds, can't come soon enough for Asaro, who thinks he has a prime contender for the race in Southern Invasion.
MIAMI - Presious Passion surprised just about everyone - except trainer Mary Hartmann - a year ago when he sprung a 67-1 upset in the Grade 2 W.L. McKnight Handicap. Presious Passion returns to defend that title here Saturday, and while another victory wouldn't be quite as shocking, it will still be regarded as an upset of sorts considering the gelding's recent form.
Sunland Park is pushing for graded status for its $800,000 Sunland Derby and has made aggressive changes to the 1 1/8-mile race that will highlight a 77-date mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses that opens Friday.
The New Mexico track's 50th season will get off to a rousing start with the undefeated Peppers Pride scheduled to make what could be the final start of her career Sunday. She will be looking for her 19th straight win when she starts in the $125,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It was easy to dismiss the chances of Dave's Revenge for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Oct. 24. She had only won a one-mile maiden race at Del Mar in late August in her debut and went into the Juvenile Fillies as a 64-1 outsider.
It is not so easy to dismiss Dave's Revenge now, in advance of Saturday's $421,500 Hollywood Starlet Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Jockey Eguard Tejera has moved to the top of the Retama Park standings after winning three stakes on the Texas Champions Day card last Saturday. He upset three favorites, with his most dominant score coming aboard the 2-year-old Valid Stripes, who earned a Beyer Figure of 100 for his 11-length romp in the $50,000 Groovy Stakes.
"He impressed me a lot," said Tejera, who rode Valid Stripes for trainer Amos Laborde. "He finished really strong. He never stopped."
VINTON, La. - Rolling Sea sort of came out of retirement to win the $100,000 Treasure Chest last Friday night at Delta Downs. She had been set to sell at Keeneland in November, but when she did not reach her reserve, her owner, Ro Parra, decided to target the Delta stakes upon the advice of her longtime trainer, Steve Asmussen.
"We were only able to get a live bid of $190,000 for her, and she was worth a lot more to us than that, so we decided not to sell her," Parra said, noting that the sale was affected by the economy.
