SAN MATEO, Calif. - The racing secretary at Bay Meadows, Tom Doutrich, was pleased that 25 3-year-olds were nominated to Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 El Camino Real Derby.
"Right now I'm happy with it," Doutrich said, waiting for Monday's draw. "This could be one of the deepest fields of nominees we've ever had. I don't see any 99-1 shots among the nominees. Top to bottom, I think this is as good a group as we can get."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After weighing several options, trainer Michael Matz has decided on Saturday's Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct for Visionaire's next start.
Visionaire, listed at 40-1 on Daily Racing Form's Derby Watch, finished third behind Pyro in the Risen Star Stakes after opening his 3-year-old campaign with an impressive allowance victory here. Visionaire completed preparations for the Gotham by breezing five furlongs in 1:00.60 seconds at the Palm Meadows training center on Saturday.
Beulah Park canceled its Saturday card after the second of eight scheduled races because the track had thawed unevenly when the temperature hovered in the low 40s.
Beulah is scheduled to run on Monday, but with the temperature expected in the 50s and rain forecast, there remained doubt that card would go on.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Richard Dutrow Jr. is ready for Dubai. The question is, will Dubai be ready for the colorful Dutrow?
Dutrow continues to put the finishing touches on his two Dubai-bound runners, Benny the Bull and Diamond Stripes, at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach. Both turned in key workouts on Friday, Benny the Bull going five-eighths in 1:00 and Diamond Stripes six furlongs in 1:15.
NEW ORLEANS - Proud Spell continues to prepare for the Fair Ground Oaks, which will be her third try to defeat Indian Blessing, who has dealt her the only two losses of her career.
Beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Indian Blessing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, she got closer in the Silverbulletday, finishing second, a length in back.
"We feel like we can ask her to try a little harder," said Proud Spell's trainer, Larry Jones. "Maybe we'll put the pressure on Indian Blessing a little sooner, unless someone else would like to volunteer for the job."
Trainer Bruce Levine won four races on Friday's card at Aqueduct. Rajiv Maragh rode three of the winners.
Levine, the second-leading trainer at the inner-track meet, won the second with More Than Coolin ($3.30), the sixth with Chanced ($3.50), the seventh with College Girl ($4.90), and the nightcap with Lights of Broadway ($14.40). In the seventh, Levine also finished fourth with Wildbutable.
Colonial Downs has cut the purse for the Grade 2 Virginia Derby by $250,000 and has trimmed the purse for the Grade 3 Colonial Turf Cup by $150,000, the track announced this week.
The purse for the Virginia Derby this year will be $750,000, and the Colonial Turf Cup purse will be $600,000, the track said. The two stakes are the richest held at the Virginia track. Colonial officials said the cuts were necessary in order to maintain the tracks overnight purse structure.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Even though the races were nearly 17 months apart, Zada Belle remained unbeaten after two starts with an easy win in an optional claimer at Santa Anita on Friday.
Her easy victory by 4 1/2 lengths confirmed what observers thought of the 4-year-old filly by Indian Charlie when she beat maidens in October 2006 - that Zada Belle is a stakes-caliber filly.
"It was a good comeback," trainer Eoin Harty said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Dylan Williams will lose his five-pound apprentice allowance following Sunday's races at Oaklawn Park. The 17-year-old is making the transition to journeyman following a successful first year of riding in which he won the fall title at Turfway Park. Williams had won 148 career races through Thursday and ranks fifth in the standings at Oaklawn.
Williams thinks he will benefit from being a journeyman because without his apprentice allowance he will be able to put on a little weight.
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Thursday announced an across-the-board overnight purse increase that adds $1,000 per race to allowances, optional claimers, and maiden special weights, as well as $500 per race for all claiming and starter allowance races. The increase would be retroactive to Thursday's program, said officials at Oaklawn.
The boost is accountable to an increase in handle on Oaklawn's live races and an increase in play on its Instant Racing machines and other electronic gaming.