VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Jim Penney certainly knows what kind of horse it takes to win the Grade 3 British Columbia Breeders' Cup Derby. The last horse he brought up from Emerald Downs for the B.C. Derby was Flamethrowintexan in 2004. Flamethrowintexan ran one of the best races of his career to win the derby by 8 1/2 lengths.
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DRF Past Performances
Nominations closed last week for the five-race Kentucky Cup series at Turfway Park, including the signature event, the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic, which carried with it a huge question that Carl Nafzger was supposed to answer on Saturday: Will Street Sense run?
With Street Sense, the Classic figures as a terrific race, considering that archrival Hard Spun already has been committed by trainer Larry Jones to the 1 1/8-mile event. Without him, the race is just okay, and Hard Spun will default to being a heavy favorite.
AUBURN, Wash. - Victory Script made it made it seven wins in a row here last Saturday, when she blew away four overmatched rivals by six lengths in a $20,000 starter allowance affair at 6 1/2 furlongs. She needs one more win to equal the mark of eight wins in a single Emerald Downs season set by Halonator in 2005, but trainer Roy Lumm isn't sure she will get the opportunity.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer Daryl Ezra has been working around Thoroughbreds for nearly 25 years, beginning as a hot walker, then a groom, and finally taking out his trainer's license in 1995.
On the other side of the tracks he has sold the Daily Racing Form, been a track announcer, and worked as a chart caller here at Fort Erie.
"It's my life," said Ezra. "I have enjoyed every year no matter what the role I was following, as long as it revolved around the Thoroughbred.
ERIE, Pa. - When Jp'shanna won the first 4 1/2-furlong race ever run at Presque Isle Downs last Sunday, she made it six victories in a row, at five different tracks, in five different states.
She began her win streak for a $30,000 claiming tag at Indiana Downs in June. It was after that race that owner Ronald Burch and trainer Justin Atkins bought her privately. Jp'shanna has since won five $5,000 starter allowance races. She has won twice at River Downs in Ohio, once at Mountaineer Race Track in West Virginia, once at Ellis Park in Kentucky, and now once here.
The Fair Grounds stakes schedule continues its evolution during the upcoming 2006-2007 meet, but the changes to this season's schedules are more superficial than fundamental.
Fair Grounds, in keeping with Churchill Downs Inc. practice, continues to focus on multi-stakes "event" days, and has added another to the schedule, while increasing the number of stakes on its three major graded stakes days from five to six.
Slots-rich Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., will open for its third ever meet on Saturday, with is second set of owners. Since the season ended last winter, Penn Gaming has purchased the young track for $200 million in a deal that closed in April.
With the sale, some changes have come. But the racing product will have a familiar look during the 48-date meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. The highlight of the season remains the $2 million-estimated New Mexico Cup program of 11 restricted stakes on Nov. 11 that caters to both breeds.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Malcolm Pierce had Sterwins all dressed up and ready to go for Melnyk Racing Stable should his presence have been required for last Sunday's Woodbine Mile.
But Host, a Grade 1 winner trained by Todd Pletcher, was the runner of choice for the Melnyks in the Woodbine Mile. And, when Host shipped in from New York, the participation of Sterwins was no longer deemed necessary.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The Grade 3, $125,000 British Columbia Breeders' Cup Oaks is supposedly the feature race at Hastings on Saturday. Nonetheless, the presence of Monashee in the $50,000 Delta Colleen Stakes somewhat upstages the Oaks.
Monashee, 5, will be shooting for her 10th straight stakes win. The only other horse based in British Columbia known to have had a comparable streak is George Royal. He won nine straight races at the old Exhibition Park in 1964 before he lost in the Longacres Derby.