Ruidoso Futurity winner Heartswideopen recorded the fastest 440 yards ever by a filly or mare when she set the fastest qualifying time of 20.921 seconds in the All American Futurity trials on Thursday at Ruidoso Downs.
Her time was also the all-time fastest qualifying time to the All American Futurity, eclipsing the 20.993-second qualifying time of AB What a Runner in 2002. AB What a Runner went on to win that year's All American Futurity.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It has been a while since Wait a While has flashed the form that made her last year's 3-year-old filly champion. Trainer Todd Pletcher hopes the wait comes to an end in Thursday's $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap.
On Friday, Wait a While completed her preparations for the race by working a half-mile in 48.29 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course. Jockey Garrett Gomez was up for the work, one in which Wait a While was prompted by a horse working right behind her.
Raspberry Wine is part of a select club. She is one of a limited number of horses who have won five stakes already this year, her latest the $100,000 Matchmaker at Louisiana Downs on July 21. All her the stakes wins came in races restricted to Louisiana-breds, beginning with the $50,000 Camelia at Delta Downs in January.
"She's fun and we love her," said Al Stall Jr., who trains Raspberry Wine for Sport of Kings Racing.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Business is starting to pick up for jockey Keveh Nicholls. After a slow start at the meet, Nicholls has won 8 races from his last 45 mounts and he gave a flawless ride on B R Remark to win the B.C. Cup Sprint on Aug. 6.
MIAMI - Kristali is coming off an easy victory in the King George's Wrong Way Stakes. But because the King George's Wrong Way was decided under starter allowance conditions, the 5-year-old remains eligible for Sunday's $32,000 main event at Calder, a first-level optional claimer at a mile.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - With 2 wins and 2 seconds from 4 starts, and a good second last out in the Grade 3 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs, You Go West Girl looks very much like the horse to beat in the $45,000 Hatoof Stakes on Sunday at Arlington. And that's just on paper.
Behind You Go West Girl's past performances lurks still more positive information. First, a two-month gap between races should have You Go West Girl primed for a strong effort, since trainer Tom Proctor said You Go West Girl is on the delicate side and benefits from time between starts.
DEL MAR, Calif. - With a win at the 2006 Royal Ascot meeting to her credit, Gilded is the most accomplished filly in Sunday's $85,000 Viejas Casino Handicap at Del Mar. But trainer Paddy Gallagher is far from convinced that Gilded can win the one-mile turf race in her first start in nearly 13 months.
"She's not real impressive" in the mornings, Gallagher said. "I'm not sure if she wants to go this far."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Roving Angel came up with perhaps the biggest race of her career when she won the $100,000 Belle Mahone here at Woodbine last year.
Roving Angel will be looking to duplicate that result in this year's Belle Mahone, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares on Sunday. But the circumstances will be decidedly different this time around.
Last year's Belle Mahone was run on the inner seven-furlong Standardbred oval, which was used for Thoroughbred racing while today's Polytrack surface was under construction.
DEL MAR, Calif.- Despite four winning favorites on Thursday, there is a pick six carryover of $138,250 for Fridays program at Del Mar.
The pick six on Thursday proved to be tricky because one of the winners was the sixth and longest choice in the betting and another winner was the eighth choice.
Fridays pick six covers the third through eighth races on a program that begins at 3:30 p.m. Pacific. The first pick six race is scheduled to start at 4:33 p.m.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As much experience as Kodiak Kowboy had winning three of his first four starts, he had never been down on the inside before or had to come through horses.
In Thursday's Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special, Kodiak Kowboy showed his trainer Steve Asmussen that those obstacles were no problem. Kodiak Kowboy overcame his rail draw and split horses sweetly in upper stretch en route to a three-length victory over the late-running The Roundhouse. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Riley Tucker in third.