DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar set records on Wednesday for opening day all-sources handle and attendance, and came close to setting an all-time track attendance record.
On a warm, muggy afternoon, Del Mar drew a crowd of 42,005, the second-highest in track history. The record of 44,181 was set on Pacific Classic Day in 1996 when Dare and Go upset Cigar.
Charles Town Races in West Virginia has canceled all its open stakes races scheduled for later this year in the face of tightening revenue from the track's slot machines, the president of the Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said Thursday.
Happy Ticket, winner of the Grade 2, $300,000 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs most recently and one of the top mares in the country, breezed five furlongs at her Louisiana Downs base Thursday as she continues preparation for her next start, which will come at either Saratoga Race Course or Del Mar, said her trainer, Andrew Leggio Jr.
She worked in 1:01.60.
"It was easy, just enough to keep her fit," said Leggio.
HENDERSON, Ky. - The paradox might be as old as racing itself. A horse that habitually makes a strong late move in one-turn races logically figures to fare even better at longer distances, but seasoned horseplayers know it just doesn't always work that way.
OCEANPORT, N.J - Love Locket should be sharper and fitter than she was in her 2006 debut for Saturday's $65,000 Serena's Song Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.
The Serena's Song is the mile and 70-yard prep for Monmouth's Grade 3, $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks on Aug. 13, and , trained by Todd Pletcher, seems right on target for that goal.
She has made one start this season, a fourth-place finish in Monmouth's Dearly Precious Stakes on June 17. The race was at six furlongs, and that's not Love Locket's game.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The last two winners of the $125,000 Colin Stakes, Edenwold and Wholelottabourbon, were both eventually voted the Sovereign Award for champion 2-year-old.
This year's Colin, to be run Saturday at Woodbine, might not contain any future Canadian champions, but the eight-horse field has a pair of rapid American shippers, Datrick and Gonetoground.
Datrick is only a nose away from being unbeaten in four starts, all for trainer Steve Asmussen. He romped in his debut at Keeneland, then captured the Grade 3 Kentucky Breeders' Cup Stakes at Churchill.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Pellegrino's bandwagon may be losing momentum heading into Sunday's first running of the $700,000 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf here at Woodbine.
But Pellegrino is undoubtedly talented, and if he's in the mood, then the 1 1/2-mile turf race could be his for the taking.
Pellegrino, a 7-year-old horse, is an Argentine transplant who displayed steady improvement in North America and won the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup in December of 2004 for trainer Don Burke.
Strawkins, a stakes winner on four different tracks, has an excellent opportunity to gain his first Grade 1 victory in the $268,000 Rainbow Derby on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs.
Strawkins is one of five horses that four-time defending national training champion Paul Jones has in the Rainbow Derby. His other entrants are fastest-qualifier Separate Tac, Ketel Won, Rousing Encore, and Checkher a Firstdown.
The well-traveled Strawkins, winner of 9 of 12 starts, has won stakes races at Sun Downs in Washington, Whoop-Up Downs in Alberta, Canada, Los Alamitos, and Ruidoso Downs.
Diabolical and Rock Lobster, two colts who have taken far different paths since running in last fall's Laurel Futurity, will meet again in Saturday's $50,000 Stanton Stakes at Delaware Park.
The 1 1/16-mile turf race drew a field of 11 3-year-olds.
Diabolical was second, three lengths in front of fourth-place Rock Lobster but eight lengths behind future Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in the 1 1/16-mile Laurel Futurity last November.
Turf sprint specialist Bright Gold dominated last year's Somethingroyal at 9-5 odds, and she figures to be an even shorter price when she defends her title in the $60,000, 5 1/2-furlong stakes for Virginia-bred fillies and mares at Colonial Downs.
The 6-year-old Bright Gold, trained by Mary Eppler, has won four turf sprints since the 2005 Somethingroyal, including a 1 1/2-length score as the even-money favorite in the June 25 Buckland at Colonial. She will carry 124 pounds, the same assignment as last year.
