VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The farther they go the better for Crescent Remark, who may be favored in the final leg of the Pacific Customs Brokers Ltd. Endurance Series at Hastings Saturday.
The 2 1/8-mile race, for 3-year-olds and up that started for $8,000 or less in 2005-2006, drew eight horses and will go as the seventh race. The purse is a hefty $40,000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Edenwold, winner of the Queen's Plate in June, has been basking in relative anonymity in recent months.
But that could change in a big way at Woodbine on Saturday if Edenwold, who is owned by Jim and Alice Sapara and trained by Josie Carroll, can handle a strong field of older rivals in the $125,000 Woodbine Slots Cup.
"It's a tough field," Carroll said. "And it's a bit of a test for a 3-year-old against this kind of older horses.
"But at this time of year, that's what we have to do."
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Since she was bought at a dispersal sale in February, Somethinaboutlaura has done virtually everything her trainer and part-owner Jerry Hollendorfer has asked of her. The 4-year-old filly seeks her third straight stakes victory in Saturday's $55,000-added Autumn Leaves Handicap at Bay Meadows. She has five rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race.
MIAMI - There are six weeks left for 3-year-olds to compete against their own age group. That likely is the main reason Big Lover will wheel back on six days' rest to take on six other 3-year-olds in Saturday's $45,000 Gizmo's Fortune Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Calder.
Big Lover enters the Gizmo's Fortune off a fourth-place finish against his elders in the Carl G. Rose Classic for Florida-breds here last Saturday. A son of Ecton Park, Big Lover turned in an even effort, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, Rehoboth.
Wrenice was not scheduled to make her next start until Dec. 2, on Texas Champions Day at Sam Houston Race Park. But she is ready to run now and will start in Saturday night's $45,000 Houston Chronicle, the first stakes of the meet at Sam Houston.
"She's sharp right now," said trainer Randy Mayfield. "I really don't want to sit on her the other two, three weeks."
Lady Blue Sky will attempt a sweep of the leading route stakes for Indiana-bred fillies and mares when she heads a field of 12 in the $40,000 Frances Slocum at Hoosier Park.
A 1 1/16-mile race, the Frances Slocum carries the same conditions as the Richmond Stakes, which Lady Blue Sky easily won as the odds-on favorite on Oct. 6.
Lady Blue Sky is the co-highweight at 123 pounds, which is seven more than the weight she carried in the Richmond. Missy's Queen, the winner of the Merrillville Stakes, the top sprint for statebred fillies and mares, will also carry 123 pounds.
Round Lake can continue trainer Donnie Von Hemel's stakes run at Remington Park when she starts as one of the top choices in the $50,000 Cimarron, a 7 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. Von Hemel has won the last three stakes at the meet and has compiled eight stakes wins over the last six weeks of racing at Remington.
Von Hemel won last year's Cimarron with Brownie Points, who will represent him at Churchill Downs on Saturday in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Santa Anita has made few changes to the stakes schedule for its upcoming 2006-07 winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 to April 22.
There are 73 stakes on the schedule, highlighted by 10 Grade 1 races, including the $250,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds on opening day; the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on March 3; and the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby for 3-year-olds on April 7.