ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Skipped Bail and Nottawasaga both could be in line for solid campaigns this year in their respective turf divisions for Chiefswood Farm and trainer Eric Coatrieux.
Skipped Bail, an Ontario-bred 5-year-old gelding, and Nottawasaga, a Kentucky-bred 5-year-old mare, run in the first turf stakes races of the meeting.
Jockey Jack Lauzon, whose career highlights included Queen's Plate wins with Regal Intention in 1988 and Basqueian in 1994, will be this year's recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.
The Gomez Award honors a jockey who is Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or has competed regularly in the country for more than five years and who has made significant contributions to the sport.
The honor is in memory of Avelino Gomez, a Woodbine institution who died of complications after a three-horse spill in the 1980 Canadian Oaks.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - To an extent, Get Funky is living in the past.
He was a top 3-year-old turf male at Del Mar in 2006, finishing third in the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap and winning the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby. Racing as an older horse has proven more difficult. Since he turned 4 last year, Get Funky has won 2 of 7 starts and one stakes - the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap last fall. One other bright spot was a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park in May 2007.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Stronach Stables and trainer Bobby Frankel won the richest race in Lone Star Park history back in 2004, when Ghostzapper took down the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Saturday, the team has a rare starter here for the co-richest race of the meet. Giant Gizmo is in town for the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap on Monday, and the size of the purse is one reason why.
"It's $400,000," Frankel said. "[And] I think he's getting better."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Horseplayers often prove quite resilient. Even in times of war, outrageous gas prices, purse cuts, and prolonged contractual squabbles, they still can be relatively content in their own little world if only the ontrack product remains satisfactory.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The complexion of Monday's $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap changed dramatically on Thursday when trainer Craig Dollase said the speedy Monterey Jazz would not be coming to Belmont for the Grade 1 race.
Dollase said that Monterey Jazz came out of a Wednesday workout at Hollywood Park with some tightness in his hind end. He said Monterey Jazz would be sent to the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in Los Olivos, Calif., to undergo tests.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Eddie Plesa Jr. is a member of the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame and still maintains a substantial stable at the south Florida track.
But after Calder has been hit with recent purse reductions and a reduced stakes program, Plesa will spend more time this summer at Monmouth Park.
Plesa has run a New Jersey division the past several seasons. This year, Plesa beefed up the Monmouth operation with 40 horses in the conveniently located barn that once housed D. Wayne Lukas's string.
CALGARY, Alberta Ballintoy takes his next step on the Alberta Derby trail when he faces six other 3-year-olds in the one-mile Hoofprint on My Heart here Saturday.
Ballintoy shares high weight of 122 pounds with Star Prospector, whom he defeated by a half-length in the six-furlong Presidents here May 3. After stalking the pacesetting Star Prospector down the backstretch, Ballintoy swung out turning for home under Stephan Heiler to wear down his rival in deep stretch. Star Prospector finished second but was disqualified for interfering with other horses on the first turn.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Troy Taylor admitted that he might have been taking a bit of a chance when he ran Peaceful Turzia in a $25,000 claiming race at Hastings on April 27. Peaceful Turzia easily won the race and Taylor brought him back to score an upset in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province Stakes at six furlongs last Sunday.
Taylor had haltered Peaceful Turzia for Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella out of a $25,000 claiming race at Golden Gate Fields in early January.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Last year, trainer Earl Barnett orchestrated a productive campaign for You Will Love Me that included a victory in the Lady Angela. This year, Barnett is hoping for similar success with Anne's Purse, who will make her second start in Saturday's $125,000 Lady Angela for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.