Last Sunday's Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame dinner-dance at State Fair Park drew a crowd estimated at 500 to celebrate the induction of seven new members into the hall.
Among the new inductees are owners Gary and Mary West of Omaha. Longtime horseman J. D. Taylor, who died in 1993, was honored posthumously.
Horses Vale of Tears and Dazzling Falls were enshrined, along with active jockey R. D. Williams, a career winner of more than 4,000 races, and longtime trainer and former outrider L. E. Hall.
Jansen Melancon, the son of veteran rider Gerard Melancon, has been riding for just over a month but has made an impact during the Delta Downs meet for Quarter Horses that closes on Sunday. The young Melancon guided a pair of 20-1 shots to victory at the Vinton, La., track on July 6, then came back with a $26 winner on Sunday.
"The meet's going real good," said Melancon, 19, who has won nine races at Delta.
Jansen Melancon launched his career on May 26. He won with his first mount, Cash to Charlie.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Tom Voss made the right call last week, avoiding some of the heavy hitters in the turf division in the United Nations Stakes by sending Always First to Arlington Park for the Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap.
Voss was tempted by the $750,000 purse and the prospect of a small field at Monmouth Park for the United Nations on July 7. In the end, the decision panned out as Always First won by a nose at Arlington July 4 while English Channel torched the track record in the United Nations.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - In the modern age of Thoroughbred racing it's rare that a top handicap horse is assigned a serious weight. The reason for that is there are so many opportunities for good horses in North America that racing secretaries don't want to discourage a top horse from running at their track.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Pop quiz: Besides Curlin, who's the one horse to beat Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense this year?
Here's another one: Who will be the favorite in the Round Table Stakes on Saturday at Arlington?
Both questions have the same answer, and it is Dominican.
Dominican still hasn't shown he's among the best 3-year-olds of 2007 in dirt races, but that fact has no bearing on Dominican's presence in the Round Table, which is run at 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack, which Dominican loves.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - All the talk was about Jiggs Coz heading into the June 24 Queen's Plate here at Woodbine, but the colt seemed curiously flat while finishing third as the favorite.
It turns out there may have been a valid excuse for that effort, and Jiggs Coz will be out to redeem himself in Sunday's Prince of Wales at Fort Erie.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Silent Name's streak of misfortune continued Saturday when he finished last at 9-5 in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap. For the second straight race, he had an excuse. Trainer Gary Mandella said a post-race exam indicated Silent Name "bled badly" in the Triple Bend. Further tests showed he was compromised by an unspecified allergic reaction.
It was the second time this spring Silent Name had bad luck. In the Grade 1 Met Mile at Belmont Park on May 28, he lost his chance when he stumbled badly at the start.
AUBURN, Wash. - The defending Longacres Mile champion, Flamethrowintexan, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds on Sunday and is on track to prep for this year's $400,000 Mile in the 6 1/2-furlong Governor's Handicap on July 29, according to trainer Jim Penney.
The score so far this year stands at one apiece. Asi Siempre finished second to Indian Vale's fourth on May 4 in the Louisville Handicap. Six weeks later, it was Indian Vale first, Asi Siempre second in the Fleur de Lis Handicap.
On Sunday, these two top-class mares take their rivalry to Delaware Park, where they figure to dominate the wagering - and quite possibly the race itself - in the $1 million Delaware Handicap.