Mike Burgess won his first stakes race as a trainer last weekend at Louisiana Downs with Love to Tell, but she was far from his first stakes winner. Burgess rode Quarter Horses for 12 years, and during that time won his fair share of stakes, among his mounts such class runners as Strawfly Special and Gamblin on Sin.
"She's the first stakes winner I haven't sat on," said Burgess.
Trainer Steve Sherman finally gets a pace scenario to his liking when he sends out Overland in Sundays $50,000 Everett Nevin Stakes at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif.
Hes had a lot of bad luck in his races because theres either been lone speed or no speed, Sherman said. Hes never had a good pace scenario.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Heatseeker, who was declared from Saturday's $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on Friday after developing swelling in an ankle, will undergo further diagnostic tests before resuming training, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
Heatseeker was found to have swelling in his left front ankle on Thursday morning. When the swelling did not immediately subside, Hollendorfer and owner William de Burgh withdrew the 5-year-old from the Gold Cup that evening.
The leading older horse in California this year, Heatseeker would have been heavily favored in the Gold Cup.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Einstein is expected to return to familiar turf Friday when he preps for the Aug. 9 Arlington Million in the $200,000 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Helen Pitts acknowledged that the one-mile distance of the Grade 2 Firecracker "isn't the best" for Einstein, "but I want to get a race in him and point for the big one."
EDMONTON, Alberta Sundays featured seventh race, a classified allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs offering a $20,200 purse, attracted a strong field of eight including stakes winners Banjo Babe, Braetta, and Minimus, plus the stakes-placed Debie Ginsburg.
For those fillies and mares, the race provides a nice alternative to knocking heads with the likes of Tanika, Shes Italian, and R Lucinda, who were scheduled to battle it out in the Wild Rose at the same distance 24 hours earlier.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia Grayross Gal could have a slight edge in a competitive field of nine fillies and mares running for a top claiming price of $15,000 in the seventh race at Hastings Sunday. Yourejustlikeme, Badgetts Star, Include the Grand, and Kokeeno also appear to be razor sharp coming into the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, which will serve as the feature race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. The absence of Heatseeker from Saturday's $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup has turned a race with a heavy favorite into one that has become a more intriguing betting race.
Heatseeker, who was declared on Friday after developing swelling in an ankle, would have been heavily favored in the Gold Cup. Without him, the Gold Cup has several logical contenders among its nine remaining entrants.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Heatseeker, the leading older horse in California, was withdrawn from Saturdays $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on Friday after developing swelling in his left front ankle, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
The injury is not believed to be serious, Hollendorfer said.
He said that Heatseeker should resume training in coming days, pending further diagnostic tests.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Glitter City could not have looked any better than she did winning a five-furlong maiden race on June 15. She dueled for the lead and won by two lengths in track-record time of 56.74 seconds, leaving trainer Jeff Mullins elated.
Glitter City followed that performance with a half-mile workout on Tuesday in company under jockey Martin Garcia, leaving Mullins more confident of her ability when she makes her stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park.
ALTOONA Iowa Prairie Meadowss signature race, the Grade 2, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap, will close out the Iowa Festival of Racing on Saturday night, and while this years field may not have a horse with the potential of the 2004 winner, Roses in May, it does have the makings of a great betting race.
