Sat, 05/19/2007 - 00:00

Panty Raid scores in Black-Eyed Susan

BALTIMORE - Under a confident ride from Edgar Prado, Panty Raid surged past the front-running favorite Baroness Thatcher inside the eighth pole, then was kept to steady pressure to defeat Winning Point in the Grade 2, $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Friday.

Sat, 05/19/2007 - 00:00

Street Sense early 9-5 favorite

BALTIMORE - As of 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Street Sense was the 9-5 favorite after advance wagering on the 132nd Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. Here follow the advance odds for the Preakness:

1, Mint Slewlep, 31-1

2, Xchanger, 13-1

3, Circular Quay, 6-1

4, Curlin, 3-1

5, King of the Roxy, 18-1

6, Flying First Class, 14-1

7, Hard Spun, 3-1

8, Street Sense, 9-5

9, C P West, 17-1

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Woodbine Oaks start on the line for Suva

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Steve Henson and owner Jeff Sengara will certainly be paying close attention when Suva runs in the Emerald Downs Stakes at Hastings Sunday. They will also be taking a good look at the Grade 3, $250,000 Selene Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine, also on Sunday.

The Selene is considered the major prep for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks. If Suva runs a big race in the Emerald Downs, they are considering sending her east to take on the best Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies in Canada in the June 10 Oaks, run at 1 1/8 miles.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Lemons Forever headed for grass

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2006 Kentucky Oaks winner, Lemons Forever, appears ready for a switch in racing surfaces.

Thursday she breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:01 around the dogs over a good Churchill Downs turf course, and afterward trainer Dallas Stewart said he would like to run Lemons Forever next in an allowance or stakes race on grass.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Rolling Sea proves she fits at top

BALTIMORE – Trainer Steve Asmussen considered Friday’s Grade 2 Allaire duPont Breeders’ Cup Handicap a defining moment in the career of his Illinois-bred mare Rolling Sea.

“Either she’s going to compete at this level or go to the listed statebred races,” Asmussen said.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Injury knocks Queenledo out of handicap

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."

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Five stakes receive $25,000 purse boost

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.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Bone chip sidelines Spring at Last

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.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

More bettors, bigger fields drive handle up

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.

Fri, 05/18/2007 - 00:00

Rgirldoesn'tbluff back on favorite track

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.