ARCADIA, Calif. - The lessons have apparently been learned. Not many owners and trainers with California-bred fillies and mares capable of running in Saturday's $150,000 California Cup Distaff are anxious to take on the heavily favored Cambiocorsa.
In recent years, the Distaff, run over about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf, has drawn an oversubscribed number of entrants and had 14 starters. This year, there are only eight entrants.
Bill Perry, a leading trainer in New England for 20 years before earning national acclaim with Grade 1 winner Formal Gold and Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up North East Bound, is retiring and won't have a string at Gulfstream Park this winter.
The 59-year-old South Carolina native adopted New England as a home, winning four training titles at Suffolk Downs and scoring in the region's most important race when Let Burn took the 1983 Massachusetts Handicap.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A change in tactics and a clever ride by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. propelled Swingit to a 15-1 upset victory in the $125,000 Jessamine Stakes for 2-year-old turf fillies on Thursday at Keeneland.
Swingit ($32.80) had finished fourth behind Jessamine rivals Katerbug and Bavarian Belle in a first-level allowance race on Oct. 6. But Hernandez told trainer Hal Wiggins that the filly was uncomfortable racing near the lead and near the rail after starting from the inside.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Steve Henson is hoping to close out the 2006 Hastings stakes schedule in a big way. He has a strong chance to win the Fantasy Stakes on Saturday with Suva and thinks he has a big shot to win the $100,000-added Ascot Graduation with Long Journey on Sunday.
Henson has had a good year, with 11 wins and 18 seconds from 71 starts, and it could have been a lot better.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Flamethrowintexan, winner of the Longacres Mile, will try to go wire to wire from his outside post in his turf debut Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap. But will turf specialist Now Victory - coming off an impressive five-length victory in the Presidio for California-breds at Golden Gate Fields - let him? Now Victory has wire-to-wire speed himself, although he won the $101,000 Joseph Grace after stalking early.
Talented 3-year-old turf runners Rock Lobster and Amigoni will renew their rivalry in Saturday's $100,000 Japan Racing Association Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Laurel Park.
In their only previous meeting, in the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga on Sept. 3, Rock Lobster got up to win by a neck despite having to steady and alter course.
He will be reunited with jockey Joe Rocco Jr., who rode him to victory in the Woodlawn at Pimlico in early May.
Dont Let Down will have to buck a significant trend to win the Grade 1, $426,375 Dash for Cash Futurity for Quarter Horses at Lone Star Park. No favorite has won the race in eight runnings, and Dont Let Down figures to be the favorite Saturday following a dominant trial win for the race Oct. 14.
Dont Let Down cruised to a two-length win in his trial heat, covering 400 yards in a trials-best time of 19.80 seconds. Before the trial, he had finished third by a length in the Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 4.
Caution: Cheering for leading trainer Danny Pish's starters during Saturday night's $40,000 No Le Hace Stakes at Retama Park might leave you tongue-tied.
"I've got the Moose running against the Goose, " said Pish.
That would be Goosey Moose, who could go favored, and Moody Goose. The horses will start as separate interests in the No Le Hace, a 7 1/2-furlong turf race that drew a field of 12. Others in the race include multiple stakes winner Charming Socialite.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Chief Bearhart was the last Woodbine-based runner to win a Breeders' Cup race, capturing the 1997 BC Turf at Hollywood Park for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad.
On Saturday, Woodbine will present the fifth running of the Chief Bearhart, a $100,000 overnight stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
And while there are no Chief Bearharts in this field, the race did attract 12 horses, including one current and one former Sam-Son and Frostad performer.
Trainer Bobby Frankel doesn't see any big deal about running Badge of Silver in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile off a 307-day layoff.
"I don't think it's any tall task," Frankel said Thursday in his Belmont Park office. "He's ready to run. As long as he stays like he is right now, we're in good shape."
Badge of Silver, a 6-year-old son of Silver Deputy, has not run since he won his turf debut in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita on New Year's Day. He got away with easy fractions that day and won by 2 1/2 lengths over a turf course labeled good.