INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After Two Step Salsa roared down the stretch to win last Sunday's Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park, trainer Dan McFarlane was delighted that he had left Ez Dreamer in the barn.
"I don't think we would have beaten the winner," he said.
Instead of starting in the Grade 3 Affirmed, Ez Dreamer is part of a five-horse field in Saturday's $150,000 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap, a race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
It's another weekend at Los Alamitos when it is good to be Paul Jones.
The six-time defending national champion trainer has two horses, including fastest qualifier Frankie Shoots, in Friday's Grade 1, $150,000 Vessels Maturity - and he could have a financial bonanza in Saturday's Grade 1, $1,155,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity.
In the 350-yard futurity, Jones has five qualifiers, and four of them could end up the four shortest-priced horses on the tote board, with the Jones-trained fastest qualifier Fantastic Corona Jr and Foose vying for favoritism.
OCEANPORT. N.J. - The man always respectfully addressed as "Mister Croll" was remembered fondly at a memorial service Wednesday morning in the Monmouth Park clubhouse.
About 200 family members, friends, and colleagues of the Monmouth racing community turned out to honor Warren A. "Jimmy" Croll.
The Hall of Fame trainer, who developed four champions, died Juneo6 of an infection at age 88. He moved to New Jersey in 1946 for the opening of Monmouth and remained a beloved part of the scene until his passing.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The recent sailing has not been smooth for the two leading 3-year-olds based at Arlington Park. Recapturetheglory traveled to Churchill Downs and finished a disappointing fourth in the Northern Dancer Stakes on Saturday, just one spot higher than his fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Recapturetheglory is now back at Arlington, where Smooth Air, 11th in the Kentucky Derby but a sharp winner last month of the Ohio Derby, has resumed regular training after having his regular exercise pattern interrupted by tender feet.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Gold Coyote, in the absence of a sidelined Mystery Classic, established himself as the top Texas-bred sprinter in training last Saturday with his authoritative win over older horses in the $50,000 Carter McGregor Jr. Memorial at Lone Star Park.
He won the Texas-bred sprint by 4 1/2 lengths and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96. With the win, Gold Coyote also kicked off what is an important week for trainer Bret Calhoun's arsenal of sprinters.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Not Bourbon, following the same pattern that led to victory in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 1, breezed four furlongs in 46.60 seconds here Wednesday morning.
Regular rider Jono Jones was aboard for Not Bourbon's drill, in which he was caught in 22.40 seconds for his opening quarter and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.40.
Not Bourbon had breezed four furlongs in 46.20 four days prior to his Plate Trial success.
MIAMI - Orinoquia was the only horse to win a stakes race at Calder last Saturday not trained by a guy named Wolfson.
Orinoquia, a 3-year-old filly by Whywhywhy, rallied from far back to an easy victory in the $100,000 Leave Me Alone Stakes for trainer Rudolfo Garcia. The win was the second stakes victory in a row for the improving Orinoquia, who now moves on to the Grade 3 Azalea Stakes on July 12.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mike Keogh was squarely in the Queen's Plate spotlight in 2003, when he sent out the top two choices and one-two finishers in Wando and Mobil.
On Sunday, Keogh returns to the Queen's Plate for the first time since then, and he will be operating well beneath the radar. Whereas Wando and Mobil were proven stakes winners, coming into the Queen's Plate off successes in major preps, D. Flutie is a maiden after four starts.
However, Keogh isn't shy when it comes to evaluating his chances.
Credit assistant starter Rowland Darjean with an assist in Wanna Try Me's win on Sunday.
Darjean was handling the 3-year-old filly Wanna Try Me when she lunged through the gate and threw him to the ground. Darjean held on to the fractious filly, who was finally loaded in the gate after delaying the start for almost five minutes. She went on to win by 2o1/2 lengths as the even-money favorite.
The Quarter Horse Smith and West established a track record of 19.250 seconds for 400 yards in the Grade 3, $75,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders' Handicap at SunRay Park last Saturday. A 3-year-old ridden by jockey Nancy Summers, he bettered the old record of 19.304 while winning by 1 1/4 lengths.
In a race with a lot of trouble at the start, Smith and West got a clean break and made the best of it, breaking a four-race losing streak. He paid $25 and earned $45,000. He has now won five races and earned $110,675 for owner Cervando Molinar and trainer Jose Gonzalez Jr.