Tue, 07/10/2007 - 00:00

Brownie Points headed back to turf

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The last time Brownie Points ran on turf, she finished second to Lady of Venice, who went on to win the $1 million CashCall Mile at Hollywood Park last Friday. Brownie Points switched to dirt after that turf try, but she will try grass again July 21 in the Grade 3, $150,000 Modesty for fillies and mares at Arlington Park, said her trainer, Donnie Von Hemel.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Small dip in Churchill's daily handle

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While average daily all-sources handle dipped 3 percent from corresponding dates last year, ontrack numbers were encouraging at the 52-day spring meet that ended Sunday at Churchill Downs.

The average daily handle from all sources on live Churchill races was $11.1 million, down from $11.4 million at the 57-day meet last year, but ontrack handle was up 6 percent and attendance was up 5 percent on daily averages of $1.86 million and 12,994.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Sky looks the limit for Nashoba's Key

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Carla Gaines sat in her office on the Hollywood Park backstretch on Sunday, contemplating the future of Nashoba's Key, the top horse in her barn.

Two months ago, Nashoba's Key did not have that distinction, but her quick rise to the top of the California older female division during the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting has led Gaines to set lofty goals.

Saturday, Nashoba's Key won her second consecutive graded stakes and remained undefeated after five starts with a victory in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Pleasanton eyes improvements

Rick Pickering, the Alameda County Fair CEO and director of racing, revealed his vision of the fair's racing future Sunday.

Speaking to fans attending a Daily Racing Form handicapping seminar, Pickering showed an artist's rendition of a reconfigured synthetic racetrack and turf course for the Pleasanton facility.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Joint effort a new plan for region

Northern California's racing landscape undergoes a significant change Wednesday with the start of the wine country race meet at the Solano County Fair at Vallejo. Previously, the Solano meet ran for two weeks, followed by the two-week Sonoma County meet in Santa Rosa. But this year Solano and Sonoma have combined their meets into one four-week meet, with the first week at Vallejo and the next three at Santa Rosa.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Brass Hat's record score stuns connections

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Buff Bradley scarcely could have hoped for a better comeback effort from Brass Hat. Not only did the venerable gelding win a stakes-caliber allowance race Sunday in his first start since recovering from a fractured sesamoid, but also he broke a 36-year-old track record for 1 1/16 miles when finishing in 1:41.27.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Hennig fillies enter allowances in strong form

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Mark Hennig sends out a pair of 3-year-old fillies with solid upside potential Wednesday at Monmouth Park.

Both won their maidens last time; both step up to $38,000 first-level allowance races for fillies and mares.

Dattts Awesome faces seven rivals in the sixth race at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. One race later, Christina Lake takes on six going one mile and 70 yards on the main track.

Of the two, Christina Lake is most precocious. This is only the third start for Peter Van Andel's homebred.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Doneraile Gem a pleasant surprise

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Doneraile Gem's score in this past Saturday's Clarendon took trainer John Cardella to Woodbine's infield stakes-winner's circle for the first time in more than five years.

It's not as if the 76-year-old Cardella has had many opportunities since Lil Personalitee captured the Eclipse more than five years ago. He had just six stakes entrants over the past three meetings, and Doneraile Gem was his first of 2007.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Rags to Riches's slow drill of little concern to Pletcher

Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches breezed five furlongs over Belmont Park's main track Sunday morning in 1:04.01 under regular exercise rider Lauren Robson.

She will likely have one more workout before her next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles July 21 at Belmont.

Distance should not be a problem for Rags to Riches, one of only three fillies to beat the boys in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.

Mon, 07/09/2007 - 00:00

Five good to go in Prince of Wales

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A field of five, including the top four finishers from the Queen's Plate, is likely for the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sunday.

The Prince of Wales, at 1 3/16 miles, follows the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate as the second leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

All five candidates for the Prince of the Wales have completed their major preps for the race. The last was Jiggs Coz, who breezed six furlongs in 1:13 under regular rider David Clark on the training track at Woodbine on Monday morning.