AUBURN, Wash. - Fans of Queenledo, who are legion at Emerald Downs, have been eagerly awaiting her return to action in Sunday's $45,000 Hastings Park Handicap at six furlongs.
Unfortunately, they'll have to wait at least a little longer.
"She came up with a little soft-tissue issue," said trainer Tim McCanna. "She hyper-extended something, and she's just not right. It's a bummer. She had been training really well, and I was looking forward to running her."
The $300,000 Canadian Derby, Western Canada's richest race, once again tops a 34-race stakes schedule worth a record total of $2,345,000 at the upcoming meeting at Northlands Park.
But there are several changes of note on this year's stakes program, including a boost of $25,000 for five stakes.
The City of Edmonton Distaff, for fillies and mares, has been upped to $100,000 from $75,000 and has been moved onto the Aug. 25 Canadian Derby card.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Spring at Last, winner of the $1 million Godolphin Mile in Dubai on March 31, will miss the $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on May 28 because of a bone chip in an ankle, trainer Doug O'Neill said.
Spring at Last, 4, is scheduled to undergo surgery to have the chip removed Monday. An assessment on how long he will be sidelined will be made following the operation, O'Neill said.
A lengthy layoff could eliminate long-range plans to start Spring at Last in the newly created $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Granted, the 2007 meet was only eight days old through Thursday, but Arlington Park, with Polytrack and good weather on its side, continues to post some staggering gains over last season's disappointing meet.
MIAMI - Rgirldoesn'tbluff has a new trainer and a new rider but will be running over the same old Calder racing surface that produced four straight first-place finishes for her late last season, a factor that could make the speedy filly the one to beat in Sunday's $50,000 Kimscountrydiamond Stakes.
The Kimscountrydiamond shares top billing on the card with the $50,000 Lulu's Ransom Stakes, scheduled to be run at a mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Thanks to long shot winners Il Posto's Bambina ($115.50), Limoncella ($19.40) and Pangburn ($48.80), there is a two-day pick six carryover of $123,631 into Saturday's card at Belmont Park.
There were 11 consolation pick fives on Friday, each worth $2,006.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Just 5,225 to go.
That is how many trips to the winner's circle remain in order for apprentice Lyndie Wade to catch his agent and all-time Louisiana Downs leading rider Ronald Ardoin after the 16-year-old won his first career race on Thursday.
"He might just be all right," Ardoin said Friday morning. "He's kind of a tall kid but he sits well on a horse. The most important thing is that he is intelligent and he listens. We get together every night to go over films of the day's races."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It has been a while since Palladio has been seen around these parts, with his last Woodbine appearance being a victory in the Ontario Derby in fall 2005.
But Palladio could put his name back on the marquee as he faces some crack opposition in Monday's Grade 3, $150,000 Eclipse at 1 1/16 miles.
"He's sitting on a big race," said Roger Attfield, who trains Palladio.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Reade Baker watched Bear Character finish a disappointing third as the odds-on choice in last year's Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine.
Baker will be looking for an upset with a bear of a different color in this year's $250,000 Marine on Saturday - with Kuma, who will be making just his second career start in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds.
Kuma, which is the Japanese word for bear, races for Danny Dion's Bear Stable and was purchased privately after being a buyback at Keeneland's 2-year-olds in training sale.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Usually, the fastest qualifier to a Quarter Horse futurity is the most sought-after mount in the jockeys' room, a horse certain to be among the top contenders for a lucrative final.
Trainer Hector Hernandez wishes he could have that loyalty after his filly Miss Kittys Bar Bet set the fastest qualifying time in the May 5 trials for Saturday's $366,100 Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos.