ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Van Lear Rose may have earned herself a trip to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with her victory here in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile Mazarine.
Owned by Kingview Farm, the nom du course of Richard Day, Van Lear Rose was making her fifth start in the Grade 3 Mazarine and coming off her first win in the seven-furlong Muskoka, a yearling sales stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Michael Baze reached the finish line aboard Mr. Chairman in the $250,000 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita last Sunday and let fly a fist pump that released about three months of frustration.
The California Cup Classic was Baze's richest win since Georgie Boy won the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes here last March. In between, Baze suffered a neck injury at Hollywood Park in June that kept him out of action for a month.
Those participating in the post-season balloting for Ohio horse of the year honors are in for a difficult choice.
The results of last Saturday's Best of Ohio Series centerpiece races, the Distaff and Endurance, should make for a close vote.
The front-running win by Pay the Man in the 1 1/16-mile Distaff and Catlaunch's brave performance in the 1 1/14-mile Endurance gave both horses four stakes wins this year.
Pinnacle Race Course has requested 71 dates for the 2009 season. A formal hearing to discuss dates for all of Michigan's tracks was scheduled for Thursday in the racing commissioner's office in Lansing. Pinnacle is the first Thoroughbred track in the Detroit metropolitan area since Detroit Race Course closed following the 1998 season.
The favored Rikman ($4.80) engaged pacesetter Shipwatch and 8-5 second choice Unbridled Wisdom in a three-way stretch battle before drawing clear to post a four-length victory in Tuesday night's $75,000 Fall Stakes at Mountaineer Racetrack.
A 6-year-old ridden by Deshawn Parker, the New York-based Rikman has now won 4 of 6 starts since he was claimed for $25,000 in March by trainer Bruce Brown on behalf of Ralph Durante, James Buckley, and Pennston Farm. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.58.
Sam Houston Race Park in Houston is scheduled to open its Thoroughbred meet Nov. 28, but with damage from Hurricane Ike worse than first thought, the season could be in jeopardy. Officials said high winds have left significant damage to the grandstand roof, as well as structural damage to some barns.
"We're going to do everything possible that we can do to run, but we have not made a decision," said Andrea Young, chief operating officer of Sam Houston.
The meet is scheduled to end April 4.
Despite flawless weather and a sensational three days of racing, Keeneland Race Course reported substantial business declines for the opening weekend of its 17-day fall meet.
Combined ontrack handle at the Lexington, Ky., track was $5,225,476, down more than 11 percent from corresponding figures for the 2007 meet, while all-sources handle of $25.9 million was down 18 percent. Ontrack attendance of 47,179 was down more than 10 percent.
When the Big Fresno Fair made adjustments in its stakes schedule for this year, there were some concerns over what would happen. The adjustment for Fridays $50,000 Harvest Futurity seems to have worked out fine.
The six-furlong race was formerly an open race for 2-year-olds. This years version is for 2-year-old California-bred fillies, and the race attracted eight entrants, five of them based in Southern California.
MIAMI Big Drama will be the center of attention here a week from Saturday when he attempts to complete a sweep of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, the main event on what figures to be an outstanding 17th edition of Calders Festival of the Sun.