Trainer Ricardo Perez is happy to be returning to the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa. He's even happier that he's bringing Loyal Bounty with him.
Perez had a great meeting here in 2005 with two wins, a pair of seconds, and a third from eight starters. His return on investment was a hefty $6.75.
Loyal Bounty, claimed by Perez for $8,000 on May 7, drew the outside post in a full field of 10 fillies and mares in Thursday's feature, a $40,000 starter race at one mile on the turf.
AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Howard Belvoir kept a remarkable streak alive on Saturday when he saddled Immigration to win the six-furlong Emerald Express Stakes, the first stakes of the season for 2-year-old males.
It was the fourth straight year that Belvoir had sent out the winner of the Emerald Express. He won the race with Sundance Circle in 2003, with Seattles Best Joe in 2004, and with Tusko T last year, when he also saddled runner-up Courting Seattle.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Welcome to Santa Rosa!
You might feel that way on Thursday at Del Mar. With Jeff Bonde, Greg Gilchrist, Jerry Hollendorfer, and Terry Knight all represented in the day's featured seventh race, Del Mar is being invaded by northern California-based trainers.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Overseeing 4,500 slot machines at Aqueduct may be the primary reason there are as many as 16 entities formulating bids for the franchise to run Thoroughbred racing in New York. For the rest of the story, pay attention to the next six weeks.
Saratoga, the premier meet on the Thoroughbred racing calendar, opens the gates on Wednesday for its 138th season. From the backstretch, to the jockeys' quarters to the owner's boxes to the betting windows, Saratoga is the place where the elite meet to race, gamble, and party.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Starlite Strike and jockey Richard Hamel enjoyed a triumphant reunion Saturday in the $100,000 Northlands Oaks, one of the two major offerings here for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.
Pedestrian fractions up front in 35-degree temperatures proved to be no detriment for the late-running Starlite Strike, who in her only other start under Hamel was nipped by a nose in the Sadie Diamond Futurity last year in Vancouver.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The names and faces have changed, but the competitive nature of the Saratoga jockey colony remains the same. In fact, despite the retirements of Hall of Fame riders Jerry Bailey and Gary Stevens, this year's colony may be the deepest it has ever been.
While John Velazquez and Edgar Prado are the deserving favorites to win the Saratoga riding title, their competition will be brutally tough. Garrett Gomez, Kent Desormeaux, and former Saratoga riding champion Mike Smith are here after spending last summer at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Last year, horsemen had so many gripes with the setup of Saratoga's race-day security barn that they nearly threatened not to run their horses on opening day.
After finally admitting they had erred by not consulting with horsemen beforehand, New York Racing Association officials promised a better situation for the 2006 meet. It looks like they have delivered on that promise.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Time off over the winter helped Park Avenue Ball grow and mature. The fruits of that rest have been impressive so far this season at Monmouth Park.
The 4-year-old Park Avenue Ball is 2 for 3 in stakes this meet, with the lone loss a rallying second behind Flower Alley, the Travers winner and Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up, in the Salvator Mile.
