Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Edge to Sweet Talker in Diana

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes lost two of its major players this week, but it didn't lose its competitiveness as a solid field of seven was entered in the Grade 1 race for fillies and mares at Saratoga.

Gorella and Karen's Caper were held out of the race by trainers Patrick Biancone and Bobby Frankel, respectively, but the two horsemen have entered others who they believe are equally as capable. Biancone will run Lady of Venice. Bobby Frankel put in Argentina.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Corinthian taking allowance-to-Travers route

Horsephotos
Songster, with Simon Harris up at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday, will use Monday's Amsterdam Stakes as a prep for the Grade 1 King's Bishop on Aug. 26.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The Jim Dandy won't be the only race on Saturday's card that will be used as a prep for the $1 million Travers on Aug. 26.

A second-level allowance race earlier in the day at Saratoga includes Corinthian, a 3-year-old who is making his first start since being disqualified from first place and placed third in the Fountain of Youth on March 4.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Canani willing to forgive Attima's flop

Horsephotos
Attima, who will break from post 9 under Victor Espinoza, is a threat to get loose on the lead in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Attima's last-place finish in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 2 left trainer Julio Canani stunned. It was a performance too poor to be true after Attima had won her first two starts in the United States, including the Grade 2 Honeymoon Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Tougher competition this year for Perfect Drift

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - About 100 yards from the finish of the Stephen Foster Handicap, you could see who was going to win Kentucky's richest, most prestigious annual race for older dirt route horses. Perfect Drift, at age 7 was on the brink of earning his second victory in the Foster, having beaten Mineshaft in 2003.

"I guess I was thinking how I could spend the money," said trainer Murray Johnson, asked his thoughts when Perfect Drift was a half-furlong from the Foster finish, clear of eight opponents.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Several try to rebound in Wickerr

DEL MAR, Calif. - The $85,000 Wickerr Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday might as well be known as the Regrouping Stakes. Several leading contenders are seeking to rebound from recent losses in the one-mile turf stakes.

Captain Squire, the 119-pound topweight, finished a game second in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 10, his first start since finishing fourth in the Golden Shaheen Stakes in Dubai in March.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Vet staff to expand to three

Horsephotos
Spot the Diplomat, Victor Espinoza riding, wins the Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds.

DEL MAR, Calif. - A day after two horses were euthanized as a result of injuries suffered during races at Del Mar, bringing to seven the number of fatalities at the meeting, track officials on Thursday moved forward with a plan to add a third veterinarian to the prerace inspection team.

Del Mar vice-president Craig Fravel said racing officials were scheduled to meet on Thursday to complete staffing plans. Fravel said the third inspector could be in place by the weekend.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Scat Daddy comes on late for victory in Sanford at Spa

Horsephotos
Scat Daddy (4) runs down Teuflesberg before the wire to win the Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on Thursday.

Scat Daddy showed he has some guts to go along with his talent.

Seemingly beaten at the sixteenth pole, Scat Daddy somehow was able to run down the pacesetting Teuflesberg to win the Grade 2, $150,000 at Saratoga. It was 5 1/2 lengths back to War Wolf in third. Trip to the Bank and Bagger Vance completed the order of finish.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Santa Anita reopens a renovated main track

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 the track's 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 needed to be fixed."

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Kimchi goes for the sweep

Michael Burns Photo Ltd.
Kimchi, winning the Bison City Stakes on July 2, will make her first start on turf Saturday in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kimchi will try to become the first to sweep the Canadian filly triple crown when she makes her turf debut in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.

Before this year, only Catch the Ring in 2000 had won the first two legs of the Canadian filly triple, a series that began in 1999. After taking the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks at Woodbine and the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, Catch the Ring ran second to her stablemate Misty Mission in the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where, missing out on a $350,000 bonus.

Thu, 07/27/2006 - 00:00

Greater Good off to fast start in new role

For much of the past two years, Greater Good has been a route horse, and a late-running one at that. In some of his biggest victories, he won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile in 2004 after trailing by 19 lengths, the 2004 Kentucky Jockey Club after trailing by 10 lengths, and the 2005 Southwest after trailing by 11 lengths.