Felipe Santos has won many races since moving to the United States from the Domincan Republic in 1983, but last Saturday he won his first as a citizen of this country.
Santos, who is eighth in the Great Lakes standings, took his oath of citizenship on Aug. 4 in Ohio and returned to ride here the next day. He guided Importantbusiness around the field on the final turn in the six-furlong race and was up late to win by a head while wearing red, white, and blue silks.
Sam Houston has set Sept. 23 as the date for its seventh annual qualifying tournament for the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association Handicapping Championship. The qualifier is open to 200 entrants, and the first three finishers will win a trip to the finals in Las Vegas in January 2007.
The cost to enter the Sam Houston qualifier is $200.
"This year's first prize award has been increased to $10,000, in addition to the qualifying spot to the finals, so I expect a full field of 200," said Troy Lawrence, director of player services for Sam Houston.
Entries for the first Oaklawn Park qualifying tournament for the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship close at 5 p.m. Central on Friday. More than 125 handicappers are already set to compete in the tournament, which will be held at the track on Saturday and Sunday.
The first three finishers win trips to the finals in Las Vegas in January 2007.
The entry fee is $300, with $120 of that amount to be used as the player's bankroll. The first-place finisher in the tournament will earn $12,000.
Catlaunch, who won two stakes earlier this year, returned to his best form in winning Saturday's featured $19,200 open allowance at a mile and 70 yards by nine lengths. The win was his fifth of the season, and his first since taking the six-furlong Rowland Memorial at Thistledown in June. Catlaunch also won the six-furlong Babst Memorial at Beulah in May, equalling his career-best Beyer figure of 98.
Twinpost had little trouble validating her status as the 2-1 favorite in Sunday's $15,000 Helen Anthony Memorial. Trained by F.C. Frazier, Twinpost was coming off a disappointing run in the July 10 Monrow Stakes. That day, going a mile as the 4-5 favorite, the 3-year-old daughter of Wild Deputy set the pace, opened up, but was erratic through the lane and ended up third behind Along Came Jones and Brighton Book.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Although the timing may not be ideal, Love Locket tops the likely lineup for the Grade 3, $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday.
Love Locket won the Serena's Song Stakes on July 22, Monmouth's prep for the Oaks. The filly, trained by Todd Pletcher, improved her career mark to 4 for 7 with a rally in the mud to beat Zooming By by three-quarters of a length.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - All of the seven older horses entered in the seventh race at Hastings on Friday appear to have a legitimate shot at winning the $25,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles. It's difficult to predict which horse will be the favorite, but Afternoon Express and Streak of Light will likely receive plenty of support.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Spaghetti Mouse won the biggest race of the day in the $108,408 B.C. Cup Classic on British Columbia Day at Hastings. Notis Otis, however, captured the hearts of the estimated 10,000-plus fans in attendance on Monday with a game win in the Sprint.
The rousing win by Notis Otis over Lord Nelson in the Sprint, which went as the second race, set the tone for the day as most of the seven stake races on the card were fiercely fought and weren't decided until the final few strides.
Four MBNA America Racing Challenge stakes spread over two nights provide stakes doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at Prairie Meadows.
On Friday, juveniles compete in the $56,970 Ford Central Juvenile Challenge, and fillies and mares race in the $30,060 John Deere Central Distaff Challenge.
On Saturday, older horses run in the $70,920 MBNA America Central Challenge, and 3-year-olds race in the $46,440 Bayer Legend Central Derby Challenge.
Jockey Jean-Luc Samyn suffered a broken collarbone and a fractured pelvis after he was thrown from a horse he was breezing during training hours on Tuesday.
Samyn, who at 49 is the oldest active member of the Saratoga jockey colony, is expected to be out several months.
As of Wednesday morning, Samyn remained in Saratoga hospital, awaiting the results of X-rays and other tests that doctors on Long Island are examining.