Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Ouija Board gets finishing touches

It is difficult enough to keep track of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf contenders stabled in New York, Maryland, Kentucky, and California, but for U.S. fans, the progress of the likely race favorite, Ouija Board, is unfolding far, far from the public eye.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Transplant looking for big flourish

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Tom Amoss and his wife, Colleen, moved 12 years ago with their two young daughters from New Orleans to Louisville, and rarely have they taken a peek back. "We fell in love with the place," said Amoss.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Rye on the Rocks a capable substitute

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tusayan has been a going concern for trainer Laurie Silvera in the last three editions of Woodbine's Bunty Lawless, sandwiching a pair of wins around a second-place finish in 2004.

But when the nominations came out for this year's $125,000 Bunty Lawless, a one-mile turf race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward that will be run here Sunday, Tusayan was among the missing.

"He went wrong on me; I had to turn him out," said Silvera, who expects the gelding to return next year at age 7.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Daddy Warbucks ships in from Texas

Daddy Warbucks leads an invasion of 2-year-olds from Texas to take on the undefeated Topper Power in the $60,000 Governor's at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., on Sunday. The six-furlong race is one of two stakes on the card. The $60,000 Cap Rock for 3-year-old fillies drew recent stakes winner Dancing Squall.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Las Palmas caps meeting

ARCADIA, Calif. - Two nice little grass stakes Sunday, closing day of the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita, provide a smooth transition into the Hollywood Park fall meet that begins Wednesday.

The Grade 2 Las Palmas Handicap for fillies and mares and the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap for sprinters lead to the Autumn Turf Festival at Hollywood. Grass, grass, and more grass. This fall, there is no shortage of that.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Day Pass steps up - but not too far

ELMONT, N.Y. - Kiaran McLaughlin preferred to run his talented 2-year-old debut winner Day Pass in an allowance race rather than Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 at Aqueduct. But with the Nashua the equivalent of a first-level allowance race, McLaughlin altered course and entered Day Pass in the one-mile race.

The Nashua, which drew a field of six, shares billing on the card with the Grade 3, $100,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies, which drew a field of five.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Five Star Daydream stretches out

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Thus far, trainer Shug McGaughey has been in no hurry to run his talented juvenile filly Five Star Daydream beyond six furlongs or in a graded stakes.

Sunday, in her fifth career start, Five Star Daydream will stretch out to a mile and make her graded-stakes debut in the Grade 3, $100,000 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct. Five Star Daydream, a daughter of Five Star Day, brings a three-race winning streak into the Tempted, where she'll face four rivals. The Tempted will go as race 3 on the card.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Twilight Meteor upsets Marcavelly

Turf or dirt it apparently doesn't matter to Twilight Meteor, who rallied from off the pace of 3-5 favorite Marcavelly to register a 2 1/4-length victory in Friday's $125,000 Bourbon Stakes at soggy Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds was originally carded on the turf but was switched to the Polytrack after two days of steady rain.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Cohiba Miss in tough either way

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bernie Flint was unsure Friday whether he wanted to make Cohiba Miss leap from the frying pan into the fire, but whatever the case, he knows the competition is hot.

"The last time I saw an easy race was never," said Flint, the veteran trainer who has won more than 3,000 races.

Fri, 10/27/2006 - 00:00

Fernandeses' meet ends with four awards

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Owner and trainer Vern Fernandes and his wife, Pat, lived their dream Thursday night at the Fort Erie Awards banquet held at Leisure Place in downtown Fort Erie.

Before a crowd of 250, Vern and Pat Fernandes picked up four awards, including horse of the year honors for Cold War, a winner of 10 races this year.