CHICAGO - There are many former racehorses turned saddle ponies, but not many with a following as large as that of Chindi, a foal of 1994 who raced into 2005, his gray coat whitening year by year as his powerful late kick ebbed. Chindi's work this summer at Arlington Park is less demanding than during his racing years.
"He doesn't have to do to much," trainer Steve Hobby said. "He takes me out to the track a couple times each day, rolls in the sand pile, and eats grass. He loves it."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Archer's Dreamer might be poised for a peak effort in Wednesday's Woodbine headliner, a 6 1/2-furlong grass allowance for fillies and mares.
Trained by Roger Attfield, Archer's Dreamer capped her 2005 campaign with a victory in Ontario-sired allowance company. She made her season debut in a first-level allowance and finished third behind See the Wind, who subsequently won a minor stakes at Fort Erie.
DEL MAR, Calif. - When finished fifth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Handicap here on July 30, the loss marked the end of a five-race winning streak and left trainer Art Sherman baffled.
The loss has given Sherman an opportunity to take Carthage's career in a different direction. Wednesday, Carthage, 6, makes his turf debut in the $85,000 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs at Del Mar.
Carthage worked three furlongs on turf on Aug. 10 and Sherman was pleased with what he saw.
CHICAGO - Since pace does make the race, which race on Saturday at Arlington Park was more impressive: the Secretariat, in which Showing Up set a fast pace and turned in a final time of 2:00.09 for 1 1/4 miles on turf, or the Million, where The Tin Man set a dawdling early pace but blasted home his final quarter-mile in 22.71 seconds for a final 1 1/4-mile time of 2:01.35?
On the Beyer Speed Figure scale, the performances were judged similar: Showing Up was given a 107, one of the fastest turf figures in the country this year, while The Tin Man received a 105.
Howsitgoin looks to remain perfect in three starts this season in a 6 1/2-furlong optional $40,000 claimer, which is the feature race at Northlands Park in Edmonton on Wednesday.
Howsitgoin will face six other fillies and mares, including Papoose Dancer, who also will be seeking her third straight win.
In her first start of the season July 12 at Northlands, Howsitgoin was entered for a $17,500 price and was claimed by trainer Joan Petrowski. In her first appearance for her new barn, Howsitgoin stepped up to the $30,000 level and won at Wednesday's distance.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A few weeks ago, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. expressed some doubt about whether Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wonder Lady Anne L could make Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama because she had been coughing.
On Monday, after Wonder Lady Anne L worked six furlongs in 1:14.01 over Saratoga's main track, Dutrow declared Wonder Lady Anne L a definite starter for Saturday's $600,000 Alabama, the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies at this meet.
"Unless something goes wrong, she's definite," Dutrow said.
DEL MAR, Calif. will attempt to become the first horse to sweep the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Pacific Classic in the same year when he competes in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday at Del Mar, but there are plenty of horses ready to challenge him, including last year's Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo, who looked sensational in a six-furlong workout here Monday morning.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Foxysox will have a new jockey in the Grade 1, $400,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, when she attempts to win her fourth stakes of 2006.
Trainer Carla Gaines said on Sunday that Corey Nakatani will replace Alex Bisono on Foxysox. Bisono rode Foxysox to four wins in her first six starts. He is the only jockey to ride Foxysox since she arrived from England last fall. Foxysox finished sixth in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 2.
"We just decided to make a change," Gaines said, declining to elaborate on the switch.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Zoffinger will make a third straight appearance in the Grade 3, $250,000 Philip Iselin Breeders' Cup Stakes, Monmouth Park's top event for older main-track runners at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday.
The 6-year-old Zoffinger has hit the board in both his Iselin appearances.
The 2004 Iselin saw eventual Horse of the Year Ghostzapper romp to a 10 3/4-length win on a sloppy track. Zoffinger, in an all-out drive in the lane, nosed out Private Lap for third, 32 lengths behind Ghostzapper in the four-horse field