LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Einstein, the highly accomplished turf specialist who gained some notoriety when he dumped jockey Robby Albarado on Preakness Day at Pimlico, might make a surface switch for his next race.
Trainer Helen Pitts said Einstein could make his next start in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap, a 1o1/8-mile dirt race that anchors a six-stakes program June 16 at Churchill Downs.
With Albarado aboard, Einstein breezed five furlongs in 59.40 seconds on Sunday.
ELMONT, N.Y. - When Bill Badgett quit training at the end of 2004, he left the door ajar to someday returning. He has now busted that door down.
Badgett, best known as being the trainer of the Hall of Fame filly Go for Wand, has returned to training and will start his first horse, Out of Gwedda, in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Paddy Gallagher's stable is in an enviable position this weekend at Hollywood Park.
In the two graded stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Gallagher starts leading contenders - Valbenny in Saturday's $175,000 Honeymoon Breeders' Cup Handicap on turf and Hucking Hot in Sunday's $150,000 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks on the synthetic track.
At one point earlier in their careers, both Hucking Hot and Valbenny seemed ideally suited to the Honeymoon, but their careers have taken divergent paths in recent months.
Trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to win the $100,000 fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity for the eighth time in nine years Saturday at Lone Star Park. He has qualified four fillies to this year's finale: Soar Above, Swamp Gator, Valid Lilly, and Value System.
Asmussen also qualified four horses for the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the TTA Sales Futurity, which will be part of the same card. Both restricted races are at five furlongs.
CHICAGO - If a short stretch and a long stride are incompatible, there's good reason to like Mr. Soul in the co-featured ninth race Friday at Arlington Park.
Race 9 is for 3-year-old entry-level allowance horses or $50,000 claimers, and its 1 1/8-mile distance provides a prime justification for backing Mr. Soul. Co-featured on the 10-race card is the sixth, for female third-level turf allowance horses.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The defection of multiple graded stakes winner On the Acorn will make it easier for Lava Man to win his comeback Saturday in the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park.
On the Acorn emerged as California's top long-distance turf runner this spring, winning the Grade 2, 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano and Grade 2, 1 1/2-mile Jim Murray Memorial. But when weight assignments were released for the 1 1/4-mile Whittingham Handicap, On the Acorn's trainer, Mike Mitchell, said no thanks.
Plans to begin installing a Tapeta synthetic racetrack at Golden Gate Fields next Monday have been put on hold. The Albany, Calif., planning department was expected to decide whether to issue Golden Gate a permit to install the track during a Monday meeting, but the decision has been tabled until an unspecified date.
Costa Rising, away since February, is launching a comeback with the long-term goal being the $100,000 Shiskabob on turf at Louisiana Downs on July 21. His first start back will be in the $100,000 Pola Benoit Memorial at Evangeline Downs on June 30.
Costa Rising, a 4-year-old colt who has won 10 of 16 starts and $544,949, last raced on Feb. 3 when he won the $194,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs by 5o1/4 lengths. Shortly after the race he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from his left knee.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher's decision to run the filly Rags to Riches certainly created a much-needed buzz to this year's Belmont Stakes. It will also create myriad opinions whether she is good enough to beat the boys, including Preakness winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun.