LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There probably is no better time for Summerly to make the final start of her career - and surely there is no better place.
En route to the breeding shed, Summerly will bid farewell to the racetrack Thursday as the highweight and likely favorite in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs, where she earned a measure of racing immortality by winning the 132nd Kentucky Oaks on May 6, 2005.
NEW ORLEANS - Boxes of flat-screen televisions and crates of new dinner plates were stacked just inside the entrance to the Fair Grounds grandstand. A surprisingly chill north wind blew up the tunnel leading from the paddock to the racetrack while workmen spread out liquid polymer that eventually would congeal into a cushiony paddock surface. Some major reconstruction was going on next to the entrance to the jockeys' quarters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dr. Greg Fox has been a licensed racetrack veterinarian since 1989 and therefore knows a little about who can and who can't train a racehorse. He does not equivocate when speaking of Ronny Werner, with whom he shares as clients Richard and Nancy Kaster.
"Ronny did an absolutely tremendous job with the care and management of Flying Glitter," said Fox.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The Thanksgiving holiday week could be a banner one at Bay Meadows, starting with a strong Wednesday card that consists of 69 runners and superfectas in all but one of the eight races. Sixty-one runners are entered on Thursday, for an 11:15 a.m. first post and eight races on the holiday card. Friday's nine-race card drew 104 entries, including also-eligibles. Only one race has fewer than 10 entrants, and it drew nine.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sealy Hill served notice that she will be a filly to follow when she romped to an impressive victory in Sunday's $166,600 Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine.
Bred in Ontario by Eugene Melnyk and competing for Melnyk Racing Stable, Sealy Hill was making her stakes debut in the seven-furlong Glorious Song and rallied from just off the pace to win by 8 1/4 lengths while being taken in hand by jockey Patrick Husbands.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Of the three Grade 1 races that will be run at Hollywood Park during this weekend's turf festival, it's hard to pick a favorite among the Citation and Matriarch, both of which are expected to have maximum 14-horse fields, and the Hollywood Derby, which will have the smallest field, but brings the most intrigue.
That's because Showing Up is shipping in from the East, Dark Islander is coming back following an impressive victory in last month's Oak Tree Derby, and Brother Derek looks poised to make his turf debut in the 1 1/4-mile race this Sunday.
The Indiana-bred star Mr. Mink had to work harder than expected to register a wire-to-wire victory in the $40,000 To Much Coffee Stakes at Hoosier Park Sunday evening. But bettors who backed Mr. Mink didn't break a sweat, however, as Mr. Mink's closest pursuer was Father Art, Mr. Mink's entrymate.
Mr. Mi
Lexi Star ($6.80), coming off a seven-week freshening, cruised to a 3 3/4-length victory in the $58.300 Justakiss Stakes, the closing-day feature at Delaware Park.
Ridden by Ryan Fogelsonger for trainer Chris Grove, the 4-year-old Justakiss is now 3 for 3 over Delaware's main track and 5 for 11 overall. She covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.61.
Queen Razyana ($88.80) won the $40,000 Chandler Stakes, a 7 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-old turf fillies at Turf Paradise, defeating even-money favorite Royal Cheer by 2 1/4 lengths.
Owned by Dancers Hill Racing Stable and trained by Ronald Chappell, Queen Razyana had finished seventh in her only previous try on turf here Oct. 30. But in the Chandler, she stalked the pace and won by more than two lengths. She ran the distance in 1:29.80 under Luis Hernandez.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cushion Track, the synthetic surface Hollywood Park installed before this year's meet, has proven, as advertised, to need little maintenance. But for the second time this meet, apparently well-intentioned but overzealous maintenance led to problems, this time on Sunday, when one horse sustained fatal injuries during training hours, and the start of the day's races was delayed while the surface was worked on.