MIAMI - The innovative folks at Calder Race Course, the ones who already have given us the wildly successful Summit of Speed and the off-the-wall Extreme Day, also hit upon the idea several years ago of running an entire program of 2-year-old races.
It was another unique concept and one which in its relatively short history has also proven to be popular among fans and horsemen alike.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Genre, the winner of the Grade 3 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park in June, will miss Sunday's $400,000 Del Mar Derby because of a reaction to numerous mosquito bites, trainer Ben Cecil said on Wednesday.
It is the latest setback for the promising 3-year-old, who has won 4 of 13 starts and $198,009 for owners David and Paula Mueller. Genre missed the Virginia Derby in July after becoming ill following his arrival at Colonial Downs.
ALBANY, Calif. - What was almost a move of desperation has paid off well for trainer Gil Matos and his horse Ferndale Sal.
"Basically, it was let's give him a shot," Matos said of the decision to try the 3-year-old colt on the turf.
Ferndale Sal is now a bona fide turf specialist, and has made four of his past five starts on the grass.
Matos keeps him on the turf for Friday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a $32,000 claimer for 3-year-olds at a mile. Ferndale Sal drew the No. 3 post in the field of seven.
CHICAGO - About five years ago, the phrase "optional claiming" still was swaddled in obscurity, calling to mind financial analysts or economics professors. But the optional claimer, one among many condition-book innovations in an era of short fields, took firm root in the industry, and it now is a staple of tracks across the country.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine will not conduct any seven-furlong races over its new Polytrack surface until the finishing touches are put on the chute, according to Chris Evans, Woodbine's vice president of Thoroughbred racing.
Two races carded for seven furlongs on Friday were switched to 6 1/2 furlongs.
The Muskoka and the Simcoe, two of the six $125,000 yearling sales stakes to be run here on Monday's Labor Day program, will be shortened from seven to 6 1/2 furlongs, as will the Grade 3, $150,000 Seaway for fillies and mares here on Sept. 9.
As usual, the $100,000 El Joven and $100,000 La Senorita should have full fields when they are run Saturday night at Retama Park. The El Joven and La Senorita, both for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf, are two of Retama's richest stakes.
Going Ballistic, who was a 5 1/4-length maiden winner in his two-turn and turf debut in July, is being pointed for the El Joven, said trainer Donnie Von Hemel. He will be a $10,000 supplement to the race, which had 11 probables by Wednesday.
"I'm hoping for a full field," said Retama racing secretary James Leatherman.
is more than just a hunch play Friday at Saratoga. He could very well be the horse to beat in the $70,000 With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-old colts at 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon Turf Course.
The With Anticipation is the featured event on a twilight racing card at Saratoga that begins at 3p.m. Post time for the nightcap is slated for 7:17 p.m.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Entries picked up sharply for the second Polytrack card here at Woodbine on Friday, with a total of 59 horses entered in the six races on the new surface and another 40 in three turf races.
Wednesday's opening-night Polytrack program consisted of just seven races, with a total of 63 entrants, including 14 for the one turf race.
Friday's feature, a $66,800 second-level allowance with a $62,500 optional claiming clause, attracted a field of 10.
The proven stakes form of Catch My Fancy, Getback Time, Quiet Kim, and River's Prayer may not be enough to win Friday's $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar. They may need to run better than they have in recent starts to beat the up-and-coming fillies , whose presence in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies makes the Torrey Pines an outstanding betting race.
Suffolk Downs has canceled the Massachusetts Breeders' Cup Handicap again in 2006 because of poor business this season and stalled simulcasting and gaming legislation that would help the troubled East Boston track.
It is the second straight year the Massachusetts Handicap - long the premier national racing event in New England - will be shelved and puts the 62-year-old race in danger of losing its Grade 2 status. The race was also canceled in 2003 and from 1990 through 1994.
