SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Showing Up, arguably the leading 3-year-old turf horse in the country, will take on older horses for the first time in next Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park, trainer Barclay Tagg said.
Following Showing Up's front-running victory in the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington Park on Aug. 12, Tagg said he was torn between the Man o' War and the $300,000 Sky Classic at Woodbine on Sept. 17 for the colt's next start.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A $400,000 turf race for 3-year-olds is an unusual place of refuge for Union Avenue and Point Determined, two leading contenders Sunday in the Grade 2 .
Union Avenue fled Kentucky for California, and can you blame him? It is a lot easier out West for a 3-year-old turf runner.
"We've got two or three here [in the East], so we thought we'd give it a try," trainer Bill Mott said.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Moscow Burning's reputation, combined with the lack of accomplished rivals and an ideal pace scenario, will make her a short-priced favorite to win Sunday's $125,000 Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar - and pad her already history-making record.
Moscow Burning, 6, has won 11 of 30 starts and $1,385,000. She became the richest California-bred female money earner with her second-place finish in the Grade 1 John Mabee Handicap here on July 22, squeaking past 1980's star Fran's Valentine's $1,375,465.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The material that will form the new synthetic surface on Hollywood Park's main track arrived via boat from England at the Port of Los Angeles early Friday and was expected to be sent to the racetrack that afternoon, according to Hollywood general manager Eual Wyatt.
Installation of the new surface, a composition known as Cushion Track, is expected to begin this weekend. With workers covering 12-hour shifts, Wyatt is hoping the material can be installed by Friday or Saturday, with main track training tentatively scheduled to begin Sept. 11.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Fernando Po helped end a meet-long case of seconditis for trainer Mike Hushion by holding off a troubled Admiral Bird to win the $72,700 With Anticipation Stakes by a nose before a crowd of 17,993 on a twilight Friday card at Saratoga.
It was another nose back to favored Giant Chieftain, who edged out Twilight Meteor by one-half length for third.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Becrux, who finished second to Le Cinquieme Essai in the Play the King here at Woodbine last Saturday, remains in town to run the $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 17.
A 4-year-old gelding who has been based with trainer Neil Drysdale in California, Becrux arrived at Woodbine on Aug. 21 for the Play the King, a Grade 2, seven-furlong turf race which is the major local prep for the Woodbine Mile.
MIAMI - Mia's Reflection is a very versatile but somewhat inconsistent filly, and one who has also proven to be an expert at making the most out of her better performances.
A homebred daughter of Halo's Image owned by the Rose Family Stable and trained by Barry Rose, Mia's Reflection has won 5 of 16 career starts. Four of those victories, including her maiden win, came in stakes races. She will seek to add to her already-impressive resume as the likely favorite in Sunday's $45,000 Ravolia Stakes at Calder, a one-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies.
Eight Michigan-bred juvenile colts and geldings have been entered for the $50,000 Little Ones Stakes, which tops a special Sunday card at Great Lakes Downs.
Armored Truck is one of three runners, all winners, entered by trainer Gerald Bennett in the six-furlong Little Ones. Armored Truck, owned by Raymond Rech, dueled for the lead before drawing off two weeks ago in his lone start. Terry Houghton, the meet's top rider, will again be in the irons.
Burning Memories returns in defense of her title as she headlines a field of eight fillies and mares in the $15,000-added Bill Callihan Stakes at Columbus.
An 8-year-old daughter of Verzy out of Envy Me Fool, Burning Memories is the class of this field and showed she can still get around on the Columbus surface with a strong 1 1/4-length win over open allowance company on Aug. 21. She sports a 3-for-3 record at Columbus and brings earnings of more than $236,000 into the 6 1/2-furlong Callihan. R.D. Williams will ride for owner-trainer Jim Cranwell.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - The next stop for the rapidly developing Louisborg will be Super Derby XXVII as he received an all-fees-paid berth into the meeting's marquee event with a win in Friday's $100,000 Prelude Stakes. Almost Certain proved stubborn in the drive after taking control turning for home but had to settle for second followed by His Eyes and Rain On Monday.
