Santa Anita reopened its main track earlier this week after 10 days of renovation to reconstruct the base.
During the reconstruction, the track conducted two inspections of the base and found "a lack of consistency," said track president Ron Charles.
"There were a couple of areas there were concern," he said. "Was it areas you would see? No. But there were a couple of areas we felt we needed to be fixed."
Saratoga's 2006 racing season began on July 26 with a stakes race scheduled for every one of its 36 racing days through Labor Day, Sept. 4.
The $10.3 million program features 32 graded stakes, including the $1 million Travers on Aug. 26 and 14 other Grade 1's. But what really distinguishes the Spa from all other race meets in this country is that several dozen races will be run for the best bred 2-year-olds in the land.
The good news from opening day is that both plays met their minimum odds requirement; the bad news is that both Judy Soda and Pulpiteer were soundly beaten.
Judy Soda might rate the benefit of the doubt, because the track seemed to favor inside speed types and she managed to hold third after chasing front-running Samsincharge in the Rogues Walk, an overnight stake for statebred fillies and mares.
No excuse, however, for Pulpiteer, who had dead aim on the leaders turning for home in the nightcap and backed out of contention.
The challenge in finding low-odds overlays was evident Wednesday at Del Mar. Both plays started at underlay odds, and resulted in a day with no action.
In race 3, Mr. Splash was 4-1 on the morning line, and could have been backed at 5-2. However, the lone speed in the turf marathon was hammered to a starting price of 1.30-1. Mr. Splash raced gate to wire, as expected, and won by six and one-half lengths. No play.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher wasn't surprised when colleague Patrick Biancone announced Tuesday that Lady of Venice would be running in Saturday's Grade 1 Diana rather than Friday's Grade 3 Lake George. But he was very happy nonetheless.
Without Lady of Venice, the Pletcher-trained may be the right horse among the eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the $100,000 Lake George, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon Turf.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - There are two second-level allowance races on the Friday program at Arlington Park - but only one of them has Lewis Michael in it.
That makes race 3, rather than race 8, the most interesting of the nine on the Friday card, and though owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano have a coupled entry in the third, Catalano said it is Lewis Michael rather than the recently claimed Cat and a Half who will make the start.
"He's going to run," Catalano said.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Something did not seem right to trainer Mike Machowsky when Sandra's Rose finished fourth in the Great Lady M. Stakes at Hollywood Park on June 3. Second with a furlong remaining, failed to show her typical stretch run, losing by 2 1/2 lengths.
A postrace examination revealed a throat abscess, which led to a brief layoff. Friday at Del Mar, Sandra's Rose returns in the $85,000 Daisycutter Handicap for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Seasonal King looks like he will be tough to catch in the seventh race at Hastings Friday, a 6 1/2-furlong claiming race for older horses running for a top claiming price of $11,000.
Seasonal King is shooting for his fourth straight win and is coming off of an impressive win in an $11,000 claiming race July 15. Leading every step of the way, Seasonal King set extremely fast fractions of 21.86 and 44.88 and was still able to hold off a late charge by Red Jock Jewel.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Justcallmecasper bids for his third victory in his last four starts when he heads a field of seven 3-year-olds entered for a claiming price of $25,000 in Friday's 6 1/2-furlong feature here at Northlands Park.
Justcallmecasper is dropping from a fourth-place finish in a $32,000 optional claimer to a level at which he went wire to wire on June 18. Trained by Ernie Keller, Justcallmecasper also won over the $17,500 kind on June 7. Owned by K6 Ranches and Robert Morgan, Justcallmecasper will have Perry Winters as his new rider.
