ALBANY, Calif. There are bigger things on the horizon for the Bobby Frankel-trained Sudan, but on Saturday the Grade 3, $100,000 Golden Gate Fields Turf is the target.
A 5-year-old Irish-bred horse, Sudan is looking for his first win in the United States. The 1 3/8-mile turf stakes should provide an ideal distance for the horse, and a jumping-off point for turf marathons this summer in Southern California.
Lovesablumin is the one to beat when five fillies and mares meet in the $15,000 Bluegrass Stakes going six furlongs at Lincoln.
Lovesablumin has made four starts this year, all at Fonner Park, and has won two stakes for trainer Terrell Hemmer. She won the Orphan Kist Stakes against statebreds and the Runza Stakes going six furlongs, the same distance as the Bluegrass. She tuned up for this race last Monday prior to the first race, breezing three furlongs in 36 seconds with rider Beth Butler aboard.
The first-level allowance feature here is just the type of race you would expect in the early part of a meeting - a wide-open affair without a clear-cut favorite. The 7 1/2-furlong grass race will have the maximum number of nine runners with the rail out 20 feet.
Possible favorites include Justlike Skip and Lac Valentine, two lightly raced 3-year-olds making their turf debuts.
Marble Cliff will try to extend his unbeaten streak to four when he faces nine other 3-year-old Ohio-breds in the $50,000 Green Carpet at River Downs. The 1 1/16-mile Green Carpet will be the first try at two turns for the Doug Cowans-trained Marble Cliff, as well as his first attempt over turf.
Marble Cliff has been impressive thus far, winning his first three starts by a combined 26 1/4 lengths, including the $50,000 H.B. Noonan at Beulah Park in his last start on April 26. Luis Martinez Jr. retains the mount.
Fielding shippers from all parts of the Midwest, the $50,000 Hoist Her Flag Stakes at Canterbury Park attracted seven fillies and mares.
Sole of the City might prove the favorite in this wide-open six-furlong contest. An impressive winner of two consecutive races at Hawthorne, Sole of the City made the trip to Prairie Meadows earlier this month to capture the Prairie Rose Stakes in convincing fashion. Inez Karlsson has been aboard the 7-year-old mare in her three most recent starts and will be making her first visit to Canterbury Park. Roger Brueggemann trains Sole of the City.
With the last three Saturdays having been devoted to statebred stakes, Prairie Meadows will offer two open stakes on Saturday night. First up is the $50,000 Wild Rose for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Heading the way is the Dallas Stewart-trained Over and Under, who was the beaten favorite in her last start, an allowance at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day.
Prior to that the WinStar Farm homebred had finished third in the $100,000 Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park. Terry Thompson will ride Over and Under for the first time.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Cool Gator, who had been scheduled to use Sunday's $150,000 Plate Trial as a stepping-stone to the $1 million Queen's Plate, will not be in the line-up and is doubtful for the Plate itself.
"The horse is injured," said Danny Vella, who trains Cool Gator for owner/breeder Garland Williamson.
"We don't know how serious it is. It's not a simple injury; it's not something we totally understand. He's here now, and we're still doing tests. We're finding more information each day."
The River Downs announcer's booth has graduated nationally known race-callers Mike Battaglia, Terry Wallace, and Kevin Goemmer. Beginning Tuesday it will be the new home of Pete Aiello.
A graduate of the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program, the 22-year-old Aiello is currently the assistant racing secretary at Prairie Meadows.
Aiello has hosted track selection shows, and has been an odds-maker and backup announcer from Canada to Arizona, with assignments at Finger Lakes in New York; Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie, Alberta; and five tracks in Arizona.
Retama Park near San Antonio has scheduled 13 stakes worth a cumulative $1 million for its 35-date Thoroughbred meet, which opens on Aug. 29. The season will run through Nov. 15.
Retama's stakes schedule is strong on turf opportunities, with eight stakes to be run on the grass. The chief offerings include the $100,000 El Joven and $100,000 La Senorita. The races are for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf and will share the Nov.o1 card. The La Senorita is restricted to fillies. Nominations for both races close June 13.
Jockey Carlos Montalvo was handed a two-week suspension by Prairie Meadows stewards after he pulled up Spring Training in the shadow of the wire in the fourth race on Memorial Day. Spring Training appeared to be comfortably on his way to his third straight victory when Montalvo began to ease his mount four strides before the wire. Lusk, who was closing on the outside, was up to win by a nose as Montalvo continued to apply the brakes.