LEXINGTON, Ky. - In the aftermath of Saturday's Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Greg Fox played it cool, just as a racetrack veteran of nearly 20 years tends to do. Fox was noncommittal about whether Slew's Tizzy, the Lexington winner at 40-1, would run back in the Kentucky Derby.
"Our philosophy is we don't run horses back in two weeks," said Fox, referring to himself and Joe LaCombe, the owner-breeder of Slew's Tizzy.
Average daily all-sources handle for Gulfstream Park's races dropped by 9.7 percent this year compared with last year's meet, according to figures supplied by Gulfstream on Monday. Average all-sources wagering during the 88-day meet was $6,450,900, compared with $7,141,181 during last year's 88-day meet.
The meet, which ended Sunday, was the first the track has operated with slot machines.
The future looks much brighter for Atlantic City Race Course.
Left for dead several times in the past, Atlantic City opens Wednesday for four days of all-turf racing.
Atlantic City will run Wednesday and Thursday this week and May 2 and 3. Post time is 3 p.m. Eastern.
It's a far cry from the glory days when the track was one of the leaders on East Coast, offering a full summer schedule while attracting grass champions to its lush course for the United Nations Handicap.
DEL MAR, Calif. - If ever a track seemingly did not need to have something labeled "all weather," it would be Del Mar, which has 43 straight days of fast tracks every summer. Its oft-criticized dirt main track was removed last year, though, following several years of complaints over its safety.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Nobiz Like Shobiz was all business bright and early Monday morning, working a sharp five furlongs in 59.59 seconds over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the Kentucky Derby on May 5.
Jockey Cornelio Velasquez was aboard for the work, which was conducted shortly after the training track opened at 6 a.m. Belmont clockers caught Nobiz in fractions of 11.76 seconds, 23.35, and 35.56 and caught him galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.09, seven furlongs in 1:27.24, and one mile in 1:42.42.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park's synthetic track has proven popular with owners and trainers since it was installed last summer. The track has a full barn area and had a successful seven-week meeting last fall.
What Hollywood Park needs is an audience.
Increasing attendance is a priority at the spring-summer meeting that begins on Wednesday, track president Jack Liebau said.
For the 37th consecutive summer, hope will spring eternal at Calder Racecourse where the 2-year-old is king and many of the nation's fastest horses will once again have an opportunity to reach the "Summit" long before they begin thinking about the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Calder opens the doors on its 37th season Wednesday with the first of 112 programs to be presented through Oct. 14. The meet will be followed by the 60-day Tropical at Calder session, which runs from Oct. 15 through Jan. 2.
Biglie Smallworld ($10.60) broke sharply and captured Saturday's $50,000 Golden Circle for 3-year-olds at Prairie Meadows by 1 1/2 lengths in a quick 1:09.41 for six furlongs. Crimson King Cat rallied for second, a neck ahead of even-money favorite Sir Five Star.
Trained by Dick Clark and ridden by Glenn Corbett, Biglie Smallworld has now won three in a row.
* On Friday night's season-opening card, Irish Party ($11.40) ran down favored Sea the Joy to win the $50,000 Goldfinch for 3-year-old fillies.
Sweet Ambition stalked the pace, took over in midstretch, and coasted home an easy three-length winner in Saturday's $45,000 Cactus Flower Handicap at Turf Paradise.
The six-furlong event for fillies and mares was decimated by scratches as the original field of eight was whittled down to three.
Sweet Ambition, owned by Chris Closson and trained by Peter Miller, paid $8.80. There was no place or show wagering. She covered the distance in 1:09.04 under Wilson Dieguez, and the winner's share of $27,000 pushed her career record to 4 wins in 23 starts for $153,675.
High Strike Zone ($9.40) stalked the previously unbeaten and race favorite Fass Feat under clever handling by Steve Bourque before lodging a bid along the rail into the far turn to capture Saturday night's $50,000 John Henry Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
Recognition also turned in an inside rally to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner. More Than Regal was third with an even effort while Fass Feat faltered in the stretch run to finish fifth. The final time for the mile was 1:37.81 over a fast track.