Racing returns to Wine Country on Wednesday with the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, traditionally the top meet on the summer fair tour.
But will the Sonoma County Fair 2008 feel the same decline in both field size and quality that the first two fair meets did?
AUBURN, Wash. - Gallant Son ($19.60) forged to the front in the upper stretch and held off the closing bid of Zagreus to win Saturday's $50,000 Premio Esmeralda Stakes at Emerald Downs by three-quarters of a length. Snake Attack held third after setting the early pace in the field of seven 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Gallant Son, a Malabar Gold colt trained by Frank Lucarelli for owners Chris and Diana Randall, ran six furlongs in 1:10.40 under rider Leslie Mawing.
OMAHA Neb. - Show My Dancer ($15,40) picked up the biggest win of his career with a 1 3/4-length triumph over seven others in the $29,250 Who Doctor Who Handicap for older Nebraska-breds at Horsemen's Park.
An estimated crowd of 9,500 watched as Show My Dancer and rider Perry Compton rallied from just off the pace to upset 9-5 favorite Mike's Pet for trainer Paula Thomsen.
Show My Dancer covered the mile in 1:39.20 over a fast track. Buffalo Road set the pace to midstretch before fading to third.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Sonoma Cat ($4.80), stalking the pace under Randall Toups, wore down a stubborn Missed the Prom in the final furlong to capture Saturday night's $60,000 Oak Hall Stakes at Evangeline Downs by three-quarters of a length.
State Power finished third in the seven-furlong race. Morning line favorite Greeley's Conquest was a late scratch.
Wave Pool ($33.80) rallied from seventh under jockey Augusto Marin to upset the $50,000 Regret Stakes for Michigan-bred 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, second day of the inaugural Pinnacle Race Course meet.
Trained by Ronnie Allen and owned by the stable of Felicia Campbell, wife of track chairman Jerry Campbelll, Wave Pool coverd the six furlongs in 1:14.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Doyouwanttodance turned in another resilient performance at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, when she fought off a determined Precious Kiss to win the $75,000 Hallowed Dreams Breeders' Cup.
The race was the richest of four stakes worth a cumulative $225,000.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Abidon ($15.20), hooking up with 1-9 favorite Hesablumin midway through the final turn, prevailed by a nose in the $60,000 Iowa Stallion Stakes at Prairie Meadows.
Joel Campbell rode the winner, who covered the mile and 70 yards in 142.28. It was nine lengths back to the third- place finisher, CJ Ramrod.
The final three races on the 10-race card were not run because of a thunderstorm.
Ernesto ($21.60), who set a course record earlier in the meet at Lone Star Park, backed up that performance on Saturday with a 1 1/4-length win over favored Red Rock Creek in the $50,000 Bob Johnson Memorial. It was another two lengths back in third to Objective.
Ernestotrailed the field early, as Willow O Wisp set a pressured pace of 23.11 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.53 for the half-mile. Ernesto advanced strongly on the final turn, drifted some in midstretch, then went on to cover the distance on firm turf in 1:34.49.
VALLEJO, Calif. - Joyful Me ($21.80) uncorked a strong rally in the lane, splitting rivals late to nip Foxy Danseur by a head to win her stakes debut Saturday at the Solano County Fair in the $53,650 Fairfield Stakes.
Joyful Me led only For Sure for Sure, who stumbled badly at the start, down the backstretch and around the turn in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies. She was able to save ground into the stretch before shifting off the rail and finding her best stride.
New York Racing Association officials said Monday that two blown transformers at Belmont Park would be replaced in time to provide sufficient power and air conditioning to properly conduct simulcasting when the Saratoga meet begins on Wednesday.
Belmont offers free admission and free parking for simulcasting, which will take place in the Belmont Cafe on the first floor and the Paddock Dining Room on the second floor. The latter was closed on Saturday due to power issues.