DEL MAR, Calif. - The $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 19 will have a large field, but two recent stakes winners on turf who were being considered for the race - Becrux and Runaway Dancer - will not run.
Becrux, the winner of the Wickerr Handicap on July 27, will be pointed for the $400,000 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 19, trainer Neil Drysdale said.
"We're leaning toward running him in the Mile," Drysdale said. "I think we're taking a conservative approach and will keep him on the grass."
Cold Trial heads a field of nine Ohio-bred 2-year-olds, including a three-horse entry trained by Tim Hamm, in the $50,000 Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes at Thistledown Friday.
Cold Trial, a son of Changeintheweather, is the strongest part of the entry. He has not been beaten in three career starts but was disqualified from a first-place finish and placed third in his debut at Mountaineer Park. In his last start, he rallied from just off the pace to post a two-length win in the 5 1/2-furlong Hoover Stakes at River Downs. Regular rider Luis Martinez will be aboard at 118 pounds.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - When Gorella surged to an eye-catching victory last year in the Beverly D., she gave her owner, Martin Schwartz, and trainer, Patrick Biancone, their second straight victory in the Arlington Park fixture, following Angara's 2005 triumph.
A local legend passed away last week. Bluegrass Warrior, former holder of three track records at Turfway Park, including one North American record, died at the age of 22. Campaigned by Joanie Cook since his 2-year-old season, Bluegrass Warrior was a true distance horse, setting track records at 1 5/8 miles, 1 3/4 miles and two miles. He was retired in 1998. The "sand and sod" distance series at River Downs is named for him.
One milestone was reached at Prairie Meadows this past week and another is soon to come.
Glenn Corbett, who became Prairie's all-time leading rider in 2004 when he surpassed Cindy Noll-Murph, chalked up his 1,000th local win this past weekend when he was aboard the 2-year-old filly Lauridiani for her maiden victory.
"I get all the glory, but lets face it, there's a lot of other people that have helped me get to this point," Corbett said following the win.
Retired jockey Jeanie Maxwell was on hand Tuesday to renew old acquaintances from her days at Detroit Race Course and Hazel Park. Maxwell rode mostly for her father, the late Pete Maxwell, at the old Michigan courses. Between 1976 and 1989, she won 629 races, including four stakes.
After spending nearly two years out of the saddle, jockey Damon Leeds is back and riding on a regular basis, splitting time in Nebraska and at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.
A native of Argyle, Iowa, Leeds began his riding career on the Kentucky circuit in fall 1989. He has ridden in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and at the now closed Birmingham Race Course in Alabama. He spent some time in Saudi Arabia in 2004, where he won four races.
The Canterbury Park jockey colony slipped a ringer into last Saturday's annual 5K run that the track hosts during the city of Shakopee's Derby Days Festival. Jockey Jennifer Schmidt captured the women's division of the run and finished 20th overall, completing the run in 20 minutes, 42 seconds. The race begins in the Canterbury Park starting gate on the turf course, winds around the Canterbury Park grounds, and concludes at the track finish line, with Canterbury Park media relations director Jeff Maday describing the finish of the event on the track's public address system.
Saturday night's $200,000 Evangeline Mile at Evangeline Downs will bring together the region's best in the handicap division, led by 119-pound starting highweight Super Frolic. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Super Frolic will spot his nine foes from two to six pounds. The 7-year-old is coming off a second-place finish in the $125,000 Tiznow Breeders' Cup at Louisiana Downs last month.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It will be all Funny Cide all the time Friday at Saratoga as the New York Racing Association hosts a no-holds-barred retirement party for the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.
The connections of Funny Cide elected to retire the gelding following his victory in the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes on July 4. Funny Cide won 11 of 38 starts, earned $3,529,412 and was the champion 3-year-old of 2003.
