A total of 166 horses have been nominated to the July 4 Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs. An additional 24 2-year-olds have qualified through the trial process for the two divisions of the D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity, which will anchor the million-dollar night of 11 stakes races for Louisiana-breds.
"Response has been strong," says Evangeline stakes coordinator Anthony Martin. "We should have some large fields and plenty of quality racing."
Steward Hank Mills was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on June 16. The presiding judge on Canterbury Park's board of stewards, Mills was originally taken to St. Francis Hospital but has since been transferred to Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.
Minnesota Racing Commission Director Richard Krueger reports that Mills is responding to therapy but is not seeing visitors. During his absence, Thomas Davis has been retained by the Minnesota Racing Commission as an alternate steward.
Heading to the midway point of this 36-day stand, the usual combatants are on top in the trainer and jockey standings. Jon Arnett has saddled 27 winners and has a big lead over his nearest challenger, Kenneth Gleason, who has 9 winners. Jockey Travis Wales has 24 wins and holds a solid lead over his nearest rival, Mike Ziegler, who has 13.
The top-two finishers in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity, Jess Significant and Misty Blue Mercedes, will pass the trials to the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity on July 3 at Ruidoso Downs and point to the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity, according to their trainer, Carl Draper.
It means that the $4 million All American Triple Crown bonus will not be paid. It would be awarded to the connections of any horse that wins the Ruidoso, Rainbow, and All American futurities. The bonus never has been been won.
This Snow Is Cold looks too keep her impressive streak going in the Grade 1 Bank of America Texas Challenge Championship by qualifying for the July 12 finals from the trials at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night.
The 5-year-old mare won the Texas Challenge Championship at 3 and was a close second in it last year. She is returning from a 10-month layoff Saturday, but had a best-of-27 work - 220 yards in 12.27 - at Delta Downs on June 13.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Gottcha Gold and Hey Byrn, two of trainer Eddie Plesa's top runners, remain on target for their upcoming races at Monmouth Park as both try to bounce back from Grade 1 loses at Pimlico.
Gottcha Gold, a heart-breaking second by a neck in the mud to Student Council in the Pimlico Special, is heading to the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on July 5.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jockey Jamie Theriot is riding his recent hot streak at Churchill Downs all the way to Saratoga.
Theriot, who at one point during the current Churchill meet won with 9 of 10 mounts, including 6 in a row, "wants to give Saratoga a try," said agent Fred Aime. "We feel like we've built quite a bit of momentum and business, and this looks like a good time for Jamie to go up there and see what he can do."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It's a good thing that Go Between is a good shipper. Trainer Bill Mott has been most willing to send him across the country for lucrative stakes on synthetic tracks.
On Saturday, the New York-based Go Between will make his third start of the year in California for the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park.
FARMINGTON, N.M. - It was nearly a five-horse sweep for trainer Wes Giles in the $96,800 Four Corners Futurity. Go Southern Special ($11), with Russ Vicchrilli aboard, raced 350 yards in 17.28 seconds for a head win over Unbridled Jet. Giles' other four charges were less than a length apart, finishing third through sixth.
* Goodbye Norma Jean ($6.20) led all the way under jockey Joe Martinez for a length and a half victory over the late charging Snowdrop in the $50,000 O.G. Fischer Memorial Handicap at SunRay Park on Sunday.