There were two divisions of a 2-year-old Illinois-bred maiden race on the Thursday card at Arlington Park. The Meier family had both covered.
Jockey Randy Meier won race 6 on an unlikely victress, a 47-1 shot named Cielo Pintado. Two races later, it was Randy Meier's son Brandon Meier guiding Mustang Stacey to an open-lengths victory at a much, much shorter price of 3-1.
The decision by the connections of Travers runner-up Mambo in Seattle to bypass the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs next Saturday has flung the 1 1/8-mile race wide open.
"When this happened, we probably go from an eight-horse field to a 12-horse field," said Tommy Sibille, the stakes coordinator at Louisiana Downs.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Bird is the word for Sunday's Swynford Stakes here at Woodbine.
The $150,000 Swynford, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds that will play a supporting role to the Grade 2 Natalma, attracted a field of six, and Mine That Bird should be favored as he goes in search of his third straight victory.
Trained by Dave Cotey, Mine That Bird finished fifth in his debut, then won his maiden for a $62,500 claiming price over six furlongs and rallied for a two-length win in the 6 1/2-furlong Silver Deputy Stakes here Aug. 23.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Owner K.K. Sangara isn't taking any chances in trying to win the $250,000 B.C. Derby for the second year in a row. He is shipping in two horses for the derby, Wink at the Girls and Dancingall Theway.
Wink at the Girls is based in Southern California with trainer Rafael Becerra, and Dancingall Theway will be making the trip from Woodbine, where he is trained by Lorne Richards.
Sangara won the derby last year with Celtic Dreamin, who was trained by Becerra. In 2006, Richards shipped in Ok Nothanksforaskin, who lost by neck to Halo Steven.
Fair Grounds Race Course will boost overnight purses by some 20 percent for its 2008-2009 meet, the New Orleans track has announced.
In a press release, Fair Grounds said daily overnight purses will average about $300,000, significantly more than the $249,000 average during the 2007-2008 meet. At $300,000 a day, the overnight purse structure will be the highest ever offered in New Orleans.
Officials of Churchill Downs Inc. and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association have agreed on a contract to give breeders .75 percent of slot revenue during the 10-year term of the contract when Calder Race Course begins slots operations at a yet-to-be-determined date.
Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Calder, signed a similar slots contract with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association earlier this summer.
Suffolk Downs officials are in the classic big horse-big race conundrum as they try to attract horses for next Saturday's $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap.
"I keep telling everyone there's good news and bad news," said Sam Elliott, Suffolk's vice president of racing. "The good news is we've got Commentator. The bad news is we've got Commentator."
Elliott is sure the good will outweigh the bad when the field lines up for Boston's signature horse race.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Big Brown won't be running at Belmont Park Saturday, but Big Stick will be.
Big Stick is one of seven 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's $100,000 Allied Forces Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The race was written by the New York Racing Association in hopes of luring Big Brown, who opted to run instead in Saturday's $500,000 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park. The purse of the Allied Forces would have doubled had Big Brown or any other Grade 1 winner run.