Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Three intriguing allowances

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Three features may not necessarily be better than one, but that's what Churchill Downs horseplayers have awaiting them Thursday. Three allowance races wind down the nine-race program, with a pair of second-level $58,000 sprints sandwiching a $54,000 first-level turf route.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Few foes for Lost in the Fog

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Champion sprinter Lost in the Fog was scheduled to arrive Wednesday in Louisville before making his second start of the year in the $150,000 Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap, one of three stakes to be run Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Harriett Lane to Honeymoon

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Through the first five weeks of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, Ted H. West is one of the few trainers with a perfect record - 2 wins from 2 starters.

"You could look at it that way, or that I've only run two horses," he said earlier this week.

West will risk his stable's unbeaten record Sunday, when Harriett Lane starts in the Grade 2, $175,000 Honeymoon Breeders' Cup Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies. Harriett Lane will be trying to win her first graded stakes.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Indy Miss back from vacation

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With only two starts in her career, Indy Miss has the least experience of the 10 3-year-old fillies in an optional claimer on Thursday at Hollywood Park.

But the way she started her career, with a victory in a one-mile turf race at Del Mar last summer, has left trainer Richard Mandella optimistic that Indy Miss can run well on Thursday in her first start since October.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Stung by DQ, Janks looks ahead

CHICAGO - Normally, one out of two ain't bad, but it was hard to put that spin on Christine Janks's weekend at Arlington. Janks saddled two horses that won Arlington stakes races, but while Chic Dancer stays in the record books as the official winner of the Reluctant Guest, an overnight turf stakes Sunday, Fifteen Rounds was disqualified to second after a gutty score in the $100,000 Hanshin on Saturday.

On the bright side, both came out of their races well, Janks said Tuesday morning, though no specific plans have been made for either horse.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Sprint may end up two-horse race

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Will the Grade 3, $125,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint on Sunday be a match race?

Nine horses were nominated, but only two trainers - Art Sherman with Carthage and Jerry Hollendorfer with Trickey Trevor - have said they definitely will run. Carthage and Trickey Trevor each earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure in his last start, winning the Golden Gate Fields Sprint and Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap, respectively.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Mountaineer: Lady Grace still tough

Lady Grace reaffirmed her status as the top older female turf runner at Mountaineer Race Track when she returned from a nearly nine-month layoff to capture the $75,000 Decoration Day Handicap.

Racing for the first time since Sept. 5, the 8-year-old Lady Grace ($7.60) edged clear entering the turn for home in the one-mile race, opened up by two lengths, and held off Solid Platinum by a half-length for her 12th win in 28 starts on grass. Nine of those victories have come at Mountaineer.

Ridden by Rex Stokes III for owner-trainer Loren Cox, Lady Grace was timed in 1:35.37.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Prairie Meadows: Wayzata Bay upsets

Wayzata Bay ($23.80) rallied under jockey Carlos Montalvo and scored a three-quarter-length victory over Courthouse in the $50,000 Jim Rasmussen Memorial at Prairie Meadows.

Wayzata Bay saved ground in midpack on the final turn before splitting horses in upper stretch on his way to covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.52 over the fast track. Courthouse, who battled from between horses to the stretch, gamely saved second, finishing a head in front of Iowa-bred champion Sur Sandpit.

The victory was Wayzata Bay's second stakes score and his fifth win in 21 starts overall.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Arlington: No Tolerance goes slow

In the Mister Gus Stakes at Arlington, No Tolerance had a lead of close to two lengths as he triggered the electronic eye set up a half-mile from the race's start. The clock read 49.48 seconds - game, set, and match.

Tue, 05/30/2006 - 00:00

Indiana: Whatsitgonnatake dominates

Whatsitgonnatake ($4.40) took command on the final turn and drew off to score a 5 1/2-length victory over Moro Traino in the $40,000 First Lady Stakes for Indiana-bred 3-year-old fillies at Indiana Downs.

Whatsitgonnatake ran the 7 1/2 furlongs over the turf course in 1:31.41 under jockey Inosencio Diego. Rebecca Maker trains Whatsitgonnatake, who is now 3 for 5 lifetime.