INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Through injury and poor performances, Dixie Chatter and Shore Do did not merit an appearance in the Triple Crown races this fall. But that does not mean they cannot play a role in the 3-year-old division this year.
Dixie Chatter, the winner of the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes last October at Santa Anita, is nearing his 3-year-old debut in the $100,000 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 18.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Strike a Deal had both a fruitful and frustrating 3-year-old campaign. He won just once from five starts, but came within a nose and a head from capturing two graded stakes.
"You're telling me," trainer Alan Goldberg said. "He's a half a length away from [making] another $600,000 or $700,000. I hope he comes back like he was. He was pretty good last year."
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Favorites dominated the first live card of the season at Fort Erie, winning six of the eight races last Saturday.
One of the rare exceptions came in the finale when the 4-year-old Tethra's Dream, one of two winners on the card for apprentice Richard Morrow, scored at $78 in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race.
Morrow, whose agent is Scotty Lane, ended the two-day weekend with three wins, bringing his career total to five and thus losing his 10-pound apprentice allowance.
AUBURN, Wash. - Gallon and Margo's Gift engaged in a lively rivalry last year as 2-year-olds. Gallon actually outfinished Margo's Gift in all three of their meetings, but he was disqualified for causing crowding in the six- furlong Premio Esmeralda Stakes and Margo's Gift was awarded the win.
Gallon then won the one-mile WTBA Lads while Margo's Gift was pulled up, and he finished second to Margo's Gift's third in the 1 1/16- mile Gottstein Futurity, which was won by the superior filly Smarty Deb.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer Bret Calhoun is in the midst of drawing up plans for Mr. Nightlinger, Orphan Brigade, and Sumfun, all of whom won significant races for the barn in the span of two days earlier this month. Mr. Nightlinger captured the Grade 3 Aegon Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 2. A day later, Orphan Brigade won a $35,000 turf sprint allowance feature at Lone Star Park and Sumfun took the $50,000 Route 66 Stakes at six furlongs on dirt at Will Rogers Downs.
CALGARY, Alberta The inclement weather that has hounded this spring session returned Thursday morning. Hopefully, the upcoming holiday weekend, when two stakes races will be run, will have more favorable conditions.
Saturdays $50,000 Teeworth Plate is coming up strong with Albertas 2007 horse of the year, Footprint, pointing for the one-mile race for older horses.
Owner, breeder, and trainer Sparky Mullins could be sitting on a big Sunday night at Remington Park with contenders in the Grade 1, $102,960 Bank of America Oklahoma Challenge and the Grade 3, $42,930 Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge, two of three Challenge stakes on the card.
Also on the program is the Gradeo3, $43,560 Red Cell Distance Challenge at 870 yards.
LINCOLN Neb. - Three-year-old fillies will open up the stakes schedule at the Lincoln State Fair on Sunday when a field of six goes postward in the $15,000 Princess Stakes.
Preciousville was claimed by owner Craig Wulf and trainer Dan Coughlin at Fair Grounds on Feb. 10 for $12,500 and quickly returned a good portion of her purchase price by rallying to win the Pepsi Stakes at Fonner Park on April 5, her first start for her new connections. She should be favored to continue her three-race win streak in this six-furlong stakes. Luis Ranilla has a return ride.
Prominent out-of-town riders Joe Bravo and Anna Napravnik scored victories on front-runners in Thursday night's co-featured $75,000 stakes for 3-year-old Pennsylvania-breds at Penn National Race Course.
Bravo was aboard Reata's Quik Punch ($4.20), who cruised to a 4 1/2-length win over Extra Sexy Psychic in the Wonders Delight for fillies.