BOSSIER CITY, La. - Trainer Al Stall Jr. has a problem many in his line of work would love to have following Raspberry Wine's win in Saturday's Seven Stars Stakes at Louisiana Downs.
The victory was the mare's fourth consecutive stakes triumph, two on the main track and two on turf.
So where does her future lie, turf or dirt?
"I don't think the surface matters at all," Stall said. "That kind of versatility gives us all kinds of options regarding her future races."
MIAMI - Ask retired Daily Racing Form columnist Joe Hirsch who he was rooting for prior to any important race and his answer would always be the same.
"The best story," Hirsch would reply with a twinkle in his eye.
Well, if Hirsch were around Calder for Sunday's $50,000 Cool Air Stakes on the turf, there is little doubt he would have been pulling for Charlie Papa. And as so often was the case during his remarkable career, he would have found himself rooting home another winner.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Returning from a layoff of over five months in an April 18 allowance race at Keeneland, Arlington Classic winner Kingship had a right to get tired, and he did. After advancing into third with a sixteenth of a mile remaining, he weakened late to finish fifth.
On Thursday at Churchill Downs in the eighth race, a $55,000 third-level allowance at a mile on turf, fitness is no longer an issue for Kingship. He has the benefit of a recent start and seems primed for a return to peak form.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The connections of Slew's Tizzy will be watching the Preakness closely on Saturday as they try to determine whether their Lone Star Derby winner should advance to the Belmont Stakes on June 9, or point for the Grade 2, $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 2.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the blink of an eye, Rush Bay went from cruising to an apparent victory in his season debut to never being able to race again.
Rush Bay, a 5-year-old horse who finished a respectable fourth last fall in the Breeders' Cup Turf in his most recent start, suffered a badly torn suspensory ligament in his left foreleg when surrendering the lead in deep stretch in the sixth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday, losing by a nose to Junior College. Galloping out, Rush Bay fell in the clubhouse turn, and trainer Tom Amoss feared the worst.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Discreet Cat, who suffered his first career loss when he finished last in the Dubai World Cup in March, is expected to return to the United States by the weekend, assistant trainer Rick Mettee said Monday.
The winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct last fall, Discreet Cat was scheduled to be flown here from Dubai along with the talented 3-year-old Day Pass, who won the Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct last October before being sent to Dubai, where he ran poorly in two stakes.
ALBANY, Calif. - Two community groups, the Sierra Club and Citizens for East Shore Parks, are requesting that the city of Albany more closely study Golden Gate Fields's plans to install a synthetic race surface this summer. Their chief concerns focus on environmental issues, specifically the toxicity of the new synthetic surface on bird, animal, and marine life in the area, and how water quality will be affected by drainage from the synthetic track.
Plaer's Trump ran her career record to 4 wins from 5 starts with a determined half-length victory in the $16,500 Princess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Lincoln under R.D. Williams.
As the front-running Dazzling Seville began to drift out on the far turn, Williams eased up inside for the victory, covering the six furlongs in 1:14.20 over a fast track.
The front-running Call on Carson repelled a bid from heavily favored Immigration turning into the stretch and drew away to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $45,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Call on Carson, a son of Lord Carson, ran the six furlongs in 1:08 to set a stakes record for the Auburn under a strong ride from Kevin Radke. Immigration held second by three lengths over Jamaica Bound.
There was no suspense in the $75,000 Work the Crowd at Golden Gate Fields as heavily favored Somethinaboutlaura ($2.20) cantered along on the lead and was never challenged.
Under jockey Russell Baze, Somethinaboutlaura scored a two-length victory over Gentle Charmer in the 1 1/16-mile turf race. The winning time was 1:43.50 after fractions of 24.59 seconds, 49.00, and 1:13.00.