Trainer Terry Jordan confirmed that True Metropolitan, who won the Sovereign Award as Canada's top older horse on dirt last year, will head to Woodbine following his expected 2007 debut in the $50,000 George Royal Stakes at Hastings next Saturday.
True Metropolitan will be condidered for the Grade 3, $150,0000 Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine on May 21, and then pointed for the Grade 3, $200,000 Dominion Day at Woodbine on July 1, Jordan said.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The connections of local champion Ookashada will soon find out if he will be able to carry his excellent 2-year-old form over to his 3-year-old year.
Ookashada will make his 2007 debut in the colts and geldings division of the CTHS Sales Stakes on Sunday at Hastings. From the sensational way he has been training, it looks like Ookashada will be among the leaders of the local 3-year-old division.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's meet ended on Friday, far too soon for Ascertain. After winning a money allowance race earlier in the meet, Ascertain came back on closing day to capture the Grade 3, $200,000 Elkhorn Stakes, a 1 1/2-mile grass race in which Jazil, last year's Belmont Stakes winner, finished last of 12 in his turf debut.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Fresh off winning his first Oaklawn Park title, jockey Luis Quinonez is now riding at Lone Star Park on a regular basis for the first time in his career. He won the first and second races here Thursday night, including a 2-year-old maiden race for one of his biggest patrons, trainer Steve Asmussen.
"I'm awfully happy about him being here," said Asmussen, who won the training title at Oaklawn. "He's wonderfully consistent and horses run for him. And we've always had a lot of luck."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The 10-race California Gold Rush program at Hollywood Park on Sunday will be without several leading members of the current California-bred class.
Stakes winners such as Bordonaro, Lava Man, McCann's Mojave, Mystical Plan, River's Prayer, and Shaggy Mane are being pointed for graded stakes in California and Kentucky, while Notional, Phar to Win, and Proud Tower Too are recovering from injury.
All of them would have fit well in various stakes on the Gold Rush program.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With none of the top three finishers in the recent Maker's Mark Mile wheeling back on three weeks' rest, the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic is shaping up as a wide-open race, according to Churchill Downs racing officials.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-The first Friday night of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting features a two-day pick six carryover of $452,038 after no one hit the bet on Thursday.
But bettors nationwide will need to stay up late to follow their selections. The pick six on Friday does not begin until 8:35 p.m. Pacific, or 11:35 p.m. Eastern.
The pick six has yet to be hit at the Hollywood Park meeting, which opened Wednesday. There was a carryover of more than $101,000 after Wednesday's opening day and that grew after a few upsets on Thursday's program.
Don't bother bringing your binoculars to Delaware Park this season. You won't need them.
A giant video screen with a diagonal span of nearly 49 feet has been installed just to the right of the infield tote board as part of $6.1 million in capital improvements the track has made for the opening of the 2007 season on Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two years after Churchill Downs unveiled a $121 million renovation that provided the most sweeping physical changes in track history, major changes are still occurring. And as the 52-day spring meet gets under way Saturday with an 11-race program, the most notable change is one that will affect many people who don't even have to set foot in the sparkling new facility.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Joe Talamo's introduction to Hollywood Park came in the form of a three-win day on Wednesday and at least a temporary place at the top of the jockey standings after the first day of the spring-summer meeting.
While Talamo, a 17-year-old apprentice, will be hard-pressed to hold that position through the end of the meeting, July 15, against riders such as Victor Espinoza, David Flores, and Richard Migliore, he was enjoying the milestone on the backstretch on Thursday morning.