VANCOUVER, British Columbia - At 61 years of age, jockey Alan Cuthbertson is riding as well as he ever has - if not better than ever. That's saying a lot about the talented journeyman.
Known at Hastings as "Ace," Cuthbertson was the leading rider here in 1972 and is widely regarded as one of the best jockeys to ever ride in British Columbia.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Utterly Cool and Grand Adventure, who are among the locally based candidates for the Grade 3, $300,000 Summer, a one-mile race for 2-year-olds that will be run here Saturday, both breezed five furlongs on the training track turf course here Friday morning. The Summer is a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The wet weather that prompted the New York Racing Association to cancel Friday's nine-race card at Belmont Park also led to the postponement of two graded stakes scheduled for Sunday that were stepping-stones to Breeders' Cup races next month at Santa Anita.
MIAMI - Annabill is unquestionably the leader of the local filly and mare handicap division on dirt. On Sunday, she'll try to put her name at the head of the turf division as well when she attempts to defend her title in the $55,000 Capital Request Stakes, which is scheduled to be run at a mile on the grass. The Capital Request Stakes lured a full field of 12, plus two also-eligibles, and includes such turf specialists as Dancing Band, Silversider, Lydia's Love, and Saint Knows.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Okay, there was no hat contest, and there were no celebrity sightings, even of the C-list variety. There was no ocean breeze, or talk of which racetrack dining institution would be patronized in the evening. No one ever said this was Del Mar or Saratoga, but opening day of the 2008 Hawthorne fall meet went off with pristine weather and a decent Friday afternoon crowd. And with trainer Tom Tomillo - a Hawthorne veteran if ever one existed - capturing the meet-opener with a low-level claimer named Charming Bay, everything felt just about right in the Hawthorne universe.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia Right Honorable looks like the one to beat in a 6 1/2-furlong first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds that will serve as the feature race at Hastings on Sunday. There is a $50,000 claiming option on the race and Right Honorable, who wasnt eligible to be claimed when he won a similar race on Sept. 13, has been entered for the price.
ELMONT, N.Y. - With two inches of rain having fallen overnight and with at least that much more forecasted for Friday along with high winds, Belmont Park canceled Friday's nine-race program. The cancellation comes one day before Saturday's five Grade 1 stakes, led by the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup featuring Curlin's bid to become North America's all-time leading money earner.
ARCADIA, Calif.-For the second consecutive day, the pick six at Santa Anita was too tough for bettors, resulting in a carryover of $349,176 for Fridays eight-race program.
An upset by Dr. Zaentz ($33.80) in Thursdays seventh race helped produced the carryover.
Fridays eight-race program begins at 1 p.m. Pacific. The pick six covers the third through eighth races, with the third race scheduled off at 2:03 p.m.
The stallion Deerhound was among 12 horses who died in an early-morning barn fire at Benton Training Center in Benton, La., on Thursday morning. There was no loss of human life, according to J.T. Wallace, the fire chief in Benton.
The training center, which is also home to various stallions and breeding stock, is located about 20 minutes from Louisiana Downs.