INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The losses have been mounting for Lady of Venice since she won the $750,000 CashCall Mile at Hollywood Park last July, but trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is not worried.
Considering the way Lady of Venice has performed in two starts this year, McLaughlin sent the 5-year-old mare to California earlier this week convinced that she can defend her title.
"Her last two races have been her best for us," McLaughlin said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Tom Amoss might well be hearing footsteps. In recent days, Amoss has been fighting and scraping to maintain a tenuous lead atop the trainer standings at the Churchill Downs spring meet, but a rival trainer with far greater resources is right on his heels.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Kevin Attard always has maintained that Nicki Knew's forte would be route racing.
On Sunday, Nicki Knew rewarded Attard's faith when she rallied to win the $250,800 Bison City, the 1 1/16-mile race that is the second leg of the triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
"She'd trained well as a juvenile, and I was looking forward to stretching her out," said Attard, who trains Nicki Knew for Sally Stavro and family's Knob Hill Stable. "Today, everything came to fruition. She proved she was capable; she showed that quality."
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Monmouth Park is heading into one of the biggest weekends of the season with seven stakes on tap, including the Grade 1 United Nations.
It starts Friday, July 4, with the Grade 3, $150,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.
Silver Edition, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, will be one of the top contenders in the Independence Day feature.
During the first week of the fair racing season, the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., had a case of buzzard's luck.
A proposal that would have allowed an additional 1 percent takeout to finance major improvements at Pleasanton was deferred by the California Horse Racing Board at its Friday meeting at the Alameda County Fair satellite facility.
ELMONT, N.Y. - By most trainer's standards, being ranked third nationally in purse money won and tied for fifth in races won would be considered a pretty good six months' work.
By Todd Pletcher's standards, the first half of 2008 was pretty mediocre. Through the first six months of the year - and including the results of Dubai World Cup Night - Pletcher has won 114 races and his horses have earned $7,227,546 in purses.
Part Girlie Girl bested 10 other Ohio-accredited 3-year-old fillies in the $55,000 Cincinnatian at River Downs. Trained by Kris Nemann, Part Girlie Girl was kept just off the pace to upper stretch where jockey Nathan Solomon asked her for run and Part Girlie Girl responded to win by three-quarters of a length. The Cincinnatian was originally carded for the turf course, but was moved to the main track because of heavy rain.
Gallon, the even-money favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds, got up in the final strides to post a neck decision over 18-1 shot Fear No Evil in Sunday's $50,000 Tacoma Handicap at a mile. Margo's Gift, the 5-2 second choice, finished 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third.
Squallcreek ($37) pulled off a surprise in more ways than one as he won his stakes debut, capturing the $53,200 Everett Nevin Stakes on Sunday at the Alameda County Fair.
Squallcreek seemed destined to finish second in the one mile and 70-yard stakes race for 3-year-olds. He stalked Thiscatsgotcharm, who made the lead easily.
Devil House responded to the switch from turf to dirt with a 10 1/4-length win in the $70,000 Lighthouse Stakes for fillies and mares Sunday at Monmouth Park.
Daniel Centeno was aboard for leading trainer Bruce Levine as the 4-year-old ran the one mile and 70 yards in 1:42.04 on the fast track.
Devil House ($30.80) led at every call and was well in command turning for home with a four-length lead. For Kisses came on to get second, with Prop Me Up third.
