GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer Steve Asmussen has had good success in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. He won the race in 2004 with Bwana Charlie and again in 2005 with Santana Strings. Asmussen's latest candidate for the 6o1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds might have emerged Saturday at Lone Star Park.
Asmussen said Forty Grams, who won the $100,000 Alysheba Breeders' Cup at a mile, could start next in the Amsterdam. The race will be run at Saratoga on July 30.
The California Horse Racing Board voted 5-0 in a special telephone conference call Tuesday to waive its mandate that racetracks must have a synthetic surface to operate in 2008, agreeing to a one-year exemption for Bay Meadows.
According to Jack Liebau, president of Bay Meadows Racing Association, the next step will be to reach an agreement on dates for Bay Meadows to race in 2008. Questioned after the conference call, Liebau said that the dates would play a pivotal role in whether the track would race next year, and that dates earlier in the year would be beneficial.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - On a day when betting pools reached record levels, the Hollywood Park pick six returned $576,040 to each of 13 ticket-holders on Monday.
Pick six interest was at an all-time high nationwide following a record four-day carryover of $3,274,505 from Thursday through Sunday. Bettors added a record $7,596,347 to the pool on Monday, creating an overall pool of $10,870,852, a North American record.
Jockey John Jacinto is a native of Peru, but said he feels right at home at Louisiana Downs. He is back riding at the Bossier City, La., track this meet after spending last season in Kentucky. Jacinto leads the standings here, and will soon reach a milestone of 1,000 wins in North America.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Beaten in separate races by Japan's leading male and female turf milers in recent months, Kiss to Heaven will be tried in an equally difficult spot when she makes her United States debut in Friday's $750,000 CashCall Mile at Hollywood Park.
But Japanese trainer Hirofumi Toda insists he is not wasting his time in making his first trip to the U.S. to start Kiss to Heaven. A winner of 3 of 14 starts and $1,626,209, Kiss to Heaven won the one-mile Japanese 1000 Guineas in 2006, the final race of a three-race winning streak.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Big races often don't live up to their billing, but the King Edward Gold Cup here at Woodbine exceeded all expectations.
Sky Conqueror and Jambalaya, both Grade 1 winners south of the border this year, were renewing a rivalry that began here on their home grounds last year and were expected to provide most of the fireworks on Monday's holiday program.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The years have not taken a toll on Better Talk Now.
"I know I've been quoted saying it before, and people are probably getting tired of hearing it, but I feel he is probably as good now, if not a little better, than he's ever been," trainer H. Graham Motion said. "I feel that applies going into his next race."
That next assignment is the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park, a race the 8-year-old gelding won in 2005.
Princess Composer rolled to her North American-leading eighth win this season in Monday's $45,000 Florence Henderson Stakes for Indiana-bred fillies and mares at Indiana Downs, taking the about one mile turf feature by three lengths over Easy Tee. Amature's Prize finished another 2 3/4 lengths behind in third.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Amazing Tale ($6.40) led virtually every step of the way in capturing the Prairie Gold Lassie by a comfortable 3 1/2 lengths Monday afternoon on the final day of the Iowa Festival of Racing at Prairie Meadows. Amazing Tale is trained by Anne Mitchell and was ridden by Alex Birzer. She covered the five furlongs in 57.71 seconds.
A.J. Bakes made a run at the winner entering the stretch, but could do no better than second. Rasierra finished third.
Amazing Tale is undefeated in two starts.
Candid Glen, who pulled an 84-1 upset in the Grade 2 Explosive Bid Handicap in 2003, has been retired, said his owner, Glen Warren. He last raced on March 25, and was a neck winner over Mystery Giver in a $50,000 claiming race at Fair Grounds. Candid Glen won 12 of 49 starts and $1,285,075.
"He was in training at Louisiana Downs," said Warren. "We just decided he's 10 years old and he doesn't have the enthusiasm for going out and working that he had before. He's been good to us. It's time to turn him out and let him be a horse."