Full barns and full fields could be the story of the 2006 Big Fresno Fair race meeting.
Director of racing Dan White, now in his fourth year on the job, says there are "around 745 horses" residing in the barn area. The number helps explain the strong draws for the first two days of the 11-day meeting, which begins Wednesday. Five Thoroughbred races drew 58 runners, and each race has a full field. Thursday's seven Thoroughbred races attracted 79 runners, and the shortest field had eight runners.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Two graded races and four races with minimum $100,000 purses highlight the race scheduled for the Bay Meadows fall meeting, which begins Oct. 18.
Nine stakes worth $725,000 have been listed by the Bay Meadows racing secretary, Tom Doutrich.
The Grade 3, $150,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap will be run for 3-year-olds & Up on Saturday, Oct. 28. The race is a 1 1/8-mile turf affair.
The Grade 3, $100,000 Bay Meadows Derby, also at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, will be run on Nov. 5.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Less than a month after she switched barns, Cash Included earned a trip to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4 with an impressive win in Saturday's $250,000 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.
Purchased privately in early September by Paul Reddam and turned over to Craig Dollase, Cash Included ($29.40) ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:42.86, easily beating 1-2 Point Ashley, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 4. Cash Included was making her stakes debut.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Ookashada led every step of the way to win the $106,277 Jack Diamond Futurity at Hastings Sunday.
Breaking alertly under Pedro Alvarado, Ookashado carved out quick fractions of 21.92, 44.98 and then drew away in the stretch to win by a widening six-lengths. Final time for the 6 1-2 furlongs was 1:17.32. Ookashada is trained by Toni Cloutier.
"He's really progressed," said Alvarado. "He was a bit crazy when I first got on him but Toni has done a great job of bringing him along."
ARCADIA, Calif. - The battle that Healthy Addiction won over Downthedustyroad to win Sunday's $233,500 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting may serve her well in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.
Making her final start in California before being retired this winter, Healthy Addiction raced just behind Downthedustyroad to early stretch before taking the lead. She was extended to the finish, and grew a little leg weary late, according to jockey Victor Espinoza.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Shillelagh Slew stamped himself as the leader for honors as this year's Canadian champion 3-year-old with an overpowering performance in the $200,400 at Woodbine Sunday.
Shillelagh Slew won the nine-furlong event for 3-year-olds by seven and a quarter lengths over Royal Challenger, who finished a neck in front of Storm Caller. Ports N Porsches, Oh So Awesome and Stradivinsky completed the order of finish. Seaside Retreat was scratched.
Favorites swept the seven stakes on Oklahoma Classics Day on Saturday night at Remington Park, led by odds-on choice Zee Oh Six in the featured $100,000 Classic. The races were restricted to eligible Oklahoma-breds, and purses for the stakes totaled a series-best $400,000.
Nuttyboom became a stakes winner on Saturday night when he rallied for a three-length win over favorite High Strike Zone in the $40,000 J.R. Straus Memorial at Retama Park near San Antonio. It was another length back in third to Matty's Song.
Nuttyboom ($6), who had placed second or third in seven stakes prior to the Straus, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.51. Bobby Walker Jr. rode the winner for trainer Ralph Irwin.
Nuttyboom has now won 8 of 39 starts and $203,435. He races for Cary Noteboom.
FLORENCE, Ky. - In terms of big-money races, it had been a long time between proverbial drinks for trainer Glenn Wismer. The 27-year veteran enjoyed his peak season in 1992, when Luv Me Luv Me Not won the Kentucky Oaks, but his stable has pretty much been off the radar in subsequent seasons.
But when Beautiful Bets held off La Reason to win the $128,500 on Saturday, Wismer had his richest victory since Antrim Rd. won the $500,000 Illinois Derby at Sportsman's Park in 1993. Beautiful Bets, a 15-1 shot, got a perfect trip under Willie Martinez to win the Grade 3 race by a neck.