SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - On the Bus will make the final start of her successful career in Saturday's $100,000 Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga. But there are a couple of familiar rivals who will look to spoil her retirement party.
Sabellina, who beat On the Bus by a nose in the 2004 Yaddo, and Finlandia, whom On the Bus beat by a head in a division of this race last year, are the primary challengers in the field of 11 New York-bred fillies and mares set to run 1 1/8 miles on the Mellon Turf Course.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Without Wait a While in the field, things will be easier for the 3-year-old turf fillies in Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Del Mar Oaks.
With Wait a While, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park last month, remaining in New York, the field for the Del Mar Oaks is dominated by locally based fillies, with a few accomplished visitors added to the field of 10.
DEL MAR, Calif. - To stretch his winning streak to six, Lava Man may find himself having to make all the running in Sunday's $1 million at Del Mar. Lava Man on Wednesday drew post 2, one spot to the inside of Preachinatthebar, the runner-up in the San Diego Handicap on July 22, who is also expected to be part of the pace.
Those two are the only horses with front-running experience in the field of eight.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The enigmatic Spellbinder makes his sprint stakes debut in Sunday's $300,000 Pat O'Brien Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar, a race that has drawn a strong field of eight.
The Pat O'Brien is one of three stakes on Sunday's card, which is highlighted by the $1 million Pacific Classic.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Lake Belmar will make his grass debut Saturday in the $65,000 Continental Mile, the first 2-year-old turf race of the season at Monmouth Park.
The race attracted a full-field of 10, with The River Mon on the also-eligible list.
The Continental Mile and the $70,000 Miss Woodford for 3-year-old fillies are the supporting stakes on the Iselin Day undercard.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - With slots revenue down some 25 percent this year, Fort Erie racing for 2007 is in for a revamp.
Approximately 75 percent of the purse account is bankrolled by the 1,200 slot machines in the adjoining casino.
In 2005, the $13 million in the purse account translated to a daily purse distribution of just under $130,000. This year, with approximately $9.5 million slated for purses, the daily distribution has dropped to $120,000.
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Excessively Sweet headlines Saturday's Heritage Day card at Marquis Downs and should rate as the heaviest favorite in the day's stakes races, which are restricted to Saskatchewan-breds, here.
There are four $10,000 stakes races in all - one for each gender at ages 2 and 3 - and Excessively Sweet headlines the Parkland Heritage for 3-year-old fillies.
The baby races will be run over 6 1/2 furlongs, while the 3-year olds will compete over 1 1/16 miles.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Stablemates Resurgent and Brinello will battle each other in Saturday's $40,000 Agassiz Stakes, the feature race here at Assiniboia Downs.
The Agassiz, a one-mile race for Manitoba-bred 3-year-olds and up, has a field of only five.
Trained by Carl Anderson, Resurgent and Brinello have faced each other five times in their careers.
Resurgent won three of their four meetings last year, including victories in restricted two stakes.
