Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Paz Ciudadana looks for a repeat

Paz Ciudadana has won races over five different turf courses in the past year, and on Saturday will return to her most productive course when she shoots for a second straight win in the $50,000 Honeymoon at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.

is 2 for 2 over the local course, her other win here coming in the $40,000 Cornucopia last October. She will face 10 other fillies and mares in the Honeymoon, a one-mile race that also drew Rue des Reves, who won races over four different courses last year, and the promising Stela.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

'She Devil' gets first stakes try

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - White She Devil has spent the past few months establishing herself as one of the region's more promising 3-year-old fillies. Saturday, she will get her first crack at stakes competition in the $50,000 Richland Hills Farm at Lone Star Park.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies is one of two stakes on the program. The other is the $40,000 Gold Nugget for Texas-breds at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf, and it drew stakes winners Rare Cure and Agrivating General.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Sprinting 'Fifteen' gives mile a spin

The 2006 race meet had not even started, and the new Arlington Park racing secretary, Kevin Greely, already was working overtime Wednesday night. A dearth of entries for the Saturday program caused the entry box to stay open past 8 p.m., a time of day when many horsemen start to get very yawny.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

'Jaybird' switches to turf

When Jerry Hollendorfer is away, the rest of the trainer colony comes to play. With Hollendorfer, the perennial kingpin of the northern California circuit, off to Kentucky to saddle Cause to Believe in the Kentucky Derby, a field of 10 turf sprinters will assemble for Saturday's feature at Golden Gate, an entry-level allowance with a claiming option of $25,000.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

From Buffalo Raceway to the Fort

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Tom Agosti got off to a fast start with a win and a third with the only two runners he saddled on the opening weekend here at Fort Erie.

"I had a slow winter with the Thoroughbreds," said Agosti, who in 2004 ended the six-year reign of Layne Giliforte as the leading trainer at Fort Erie.

"We didn't go to Florida. Instead, we are just training here. We started in the middle of February."

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

$3,000 new bottom claiming level

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - There are several changes to the claiming levels for the 2006 Assiniboia Downs meet, which begins Saturday with a special 1 p.m. post time to accommodate the Kentucky Derby.

Gone are the open claiming levels at $4,000, $5,000, and $6,250. They have been replaced with claiming races for $3,000, $4,500, and $6,000 tags, to go along with races for $8,000, $10,000, $12,500-$14,000, $16,000, and $20,000.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Last-out losers look the best in LaBelle

Five of the 3-year-old sprinters entered in Saturday's $75,000 Francis "Jock" LaBelle Memorial at Delaware Park come into the six-furlong stakes off a win. But it's a pair of colts who lost last time out who might be most dangerous.

Laptop Computer, second as the 4-5 favorite in the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland, and Urban Guy, victimized by a poor break in the Hansel at Turfway Park, both appear formidable in the LaBelle.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Pimlico: 'Chris' out for third in row

Winless in his first seven career starts on dirt, Sir Classic Chris shoots for his third straight victory since he was switched to the turf in the $75,000 Woodlawn Stakes at Pimlico.

Trained by King Leatherbury, Sir Classic Chris is the only two-time grass winner in the field of nine 3-year-olds. He defeated 13 rivals to win his maiden and came back to overcome a wide trip and a bumping incident to defeat 11 other first-level allowance runners.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Mountaineer: Lake entry formidable

Trainer Scott Lake will ship in the razor-sharp entry of Outcashem and The Student for Mountaineer's first stakes of the season, the $75,000 Panhandle Handicap at five furlongs.

Outcashem owns a 5-for-6 record in short sprints and has won all three of his starts this season, including a 13 1/4-length romp worth a career-best 113 Beyer last time out at Charles Town.

The Student has posted triple-digit Beyers in his last three races and comes out of a win in the six-furlong Hoover Stakes at Pimlico two weeks ago.

Thu, 05/04/2006 - 00:00

Charles Town: Two sharp mares clash

Miss Hamma, a two-time stakes winner last season, and Rain Song, who closed out last year by winning three consecutive races by a combined 25 1/4 lengths, head a field of 10 fillies and mares for the $50,000 West Virginia Distaff.

The 4 1/2-furlong race is the first stakes of the season at Charles Town.