Canterbury Park concluded its 2008 meeting on Labor Day with declines in attendance and handle, reflecting a trend at racetracks across the country.
The Canterbury Park meeting consisted of 67 racing days, one fewer than last year, and attracted 360,987 fans for an average daily attendance of 5,388, a 1.6 percent decrease from 2007's average of 5,476.
In the absence of the Grade 1 Frank De Francis Memorial Dash and three other marquee stakes, Laurel Parks focus will shift to Maryland-breds and big fields of turf runners for its 65-day fall meet that begins Thursday.
Gone are the De Francis Dash one of just three Grade 1 races in the state and the Laurel Futurity and Selima for 2-year-olds and the Grade 3 Safely Kept for fillies and mares. All were victims of a Maryland Jockey Club cost-cutting move, which canceled all open stakes for the fall meet.
AUBURN, Wash. - What goes around comes around.
It was a little over a year ago when the 2-year-old Gallon appeared to win the $50,000 Premio Esmeralda at Emerald Downs, only to be disqualified and placed second to Margo's Gift for bumping in the stretch. Owner Mike Feuerborn shuffled reluctantly out of the winner's circle, no doubt grumbling under his breath, to make room for the jubilant connections of Margo's Gift.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - If things had gone as originally planned, the 2-year-old filly C. S. Silk would have wound up at Saratoga, racing in the Adirondack Stakes and perhaps this past weekend's Spinaway Stakes. As it happened, C. S. Silk never left her home base at Churchill Downs, but she is coming to Chicago this week for Saturday's Arlington-Washington Lassie, her stakes debut.
Brownie Points, who rallied to defeat male rivals in the $150,000 DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup on Monday, is one of three horses trainer Donnie Von Hemel has under consideration for stakes on the Super Derby Day program at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 20.
The $100,000 River Cities for fillies and mares at 1o1/16 miles on turf is a next-race possibility for Brownie Points. She won the DeBartolo, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up at Remington Park, by a half-length over Tricky Causeway, a horse with a stakes win at Belmont Park to his credit.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Smarmy settled just off the pacesettling odds-on favorite Catlauch into the stretch, went up to engage that one when rider Luis Gonzalez set him down and proved best by three-quarters of a length at the end of the the $75,000 Governor's Buckeye Handicap on Labor day. lt was 12 1/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Go Johnny in the 1 1/4-mile race.
Smarmy is owned by Blazing Meadows Farm LLC and is trained by Tim Hamm. He was timed in 2:06.20 over the fast strip and returned an $8 mutuel.
First Class Brass ($11.80) finished with a good late run to wear down the leg-weary Bevys Best in the closing sixteenth of a mile to successfully defend his title in the Labor Day Stakes at Columbus on Monday.
Bevys Best, the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven older horses going 6 1/2 furlongs, opened up what appeared to be a commanding lead of six lengths at the top of the stretch but shortened stride late. First Class Brass, with Armando Martinez aboard, rallied along the inside and prevailed by three-quarters of a length, covering the distance in 1:20.40 over a fast track.
Brownie Points rallied into a slow pace to defeat male rivals in the $150,000 DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup, the richest of three stakes at Remington Park on Monday. She won by a half-length over Tricky Causeway, who finished a length in front of third-place Brego.
Fatal Bullet ($2.40) was kept just off the early pace by jockey Eurico Da Silva and rallied to draw off by 1 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes at Presque Isle Downs on Monday evening.
Trained by Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet is now 6 for 7 lifetime over synthetic surfaces. MJ's Enchanteur set the early pace but then faded to second, 7 1/4 lengths in front of Honest trip.
The winning time for the six-furlong Tom Ridge was 1.08.60.
Gallon was awarded the win in Monday's $100,000 Emerald Downs Derby when Thiscatsgotcharm, who reached the wire a nose in front after 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.20, was disqualified for repeatedly bumping Gallon through a thrilling stretch duel.
Fear No Evil, who set the pace, held on for third in a field of seven.
Gallon, a son of Victory Gallop who races for Mike and Amy Feuerborn, paid $4.20 to win as the favorite and earned $55,000 for his owners. Gallon, who is trained by Jim Penney and was ridden by Ricky Frazier, has now won 4 of 11 starts and $187,940.