ARCADIA, Calif. - The campaigns of Behaving Badly and Leave Me Alone seem intertwined this year.
Two of the leading female sprinters in the country, they finished first and third in the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap in late January. Friday at Santa Anita, they meet in the $83,000 Bug Brush Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. The race could be a prep to the $350,000 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 6 for both of them.
The Bug Brush is the second race on a program that begins at 3 p.m.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hollywood Park is proceeding with plans to install a synthetic surface for its fall meeting, and is in the process of completing studies on drainage issues and the ideal mix of materials needed to create the surface, track president Jack Liebau said on Wednesday. The fall meeting at the Inglewood, Calif., track runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 18.
STICKNEY, Ill - Sweetnorthernsaint will be one of the top betting choices Saturday in the $500,000 Illinois Derby, but just a few months ago he would have seemed like a longshot to make any kind of stakes race. As of mid-December, his form showed one race, which came during the summer of his 2-year-old season - if one can really call it a race. Sweetnorthernsaint made his debut in a one-mile turf race at Colonial Downs, and his major accomplishment was passing two horses in the stretch to finish 12th, beaten 24 lengths.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The decision to raise Buzzards Bay in class for Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park was an easy one for his connections. Buzzards Bay has made sure of it.
"He's just trained magnificently," said Ron Ellis, who trains Buzzards Bay. "He's pretty much been getting best-of-the-mornings just with breezings, as easy as he can."
Buzzards Bay comes into the Oaklawn Handicap off a four-length score in the Grade 3, $150,000 All American Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 20.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - A clean trip might be all Star Parade needs to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. On top of her game right now, the mare has had anything but smooth sailing in this race the past two years, picking up second money in both 2004 and 2005.
"She's been kind of star-crossed there, so we're hoping that maybe the third time's the charm," said Darrell Vienna, who trains the Southern California-based Star Parade for Gary Tanaka.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez pretty much sewed up the trainer and jockey titles when they combined for seven winners during the opening three days of the meet. Pletcher, who won eight races during that period, is coasting to his third straight local training crown. But Velazquez, Pletcher's first-call rider, while still the heavy favorite to win his second jockey championship in the last three years, could face a late challenge for the honor from Cornelio Velasquez.
ALBANY, Calif. - Billy Morey, like most trainers, is a man with a plan. So, too, is Angelo Tekos Jr.
Their plans collide in Friday's Golden Gate Fields feature when the Morey-trained Stone Rain and the Tekos-trained Megabyte meet in an $80,000 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles.
Coming out of sprints, Stone Rain will likely be on the lead, but Shadow Raider and Cinematic are also front-runners. That could help to set up things for Megabyte, who is quite content to sit close to the pace and fire late.
Steve Asmussen and Cole Norman, whose rivalry has spanned the Mid-South region from Lone Star Park to Louisiana Downs to the current hotly contested battle for top trainer at Oaklawn Park, take their act under the lights Friday night as they send out the top two contenders in the $75,000 Hallowed Dreams Stakes at Evangeline Downs. There are seven 3-year-old fillies in the field for 5 1/2-furlong headliner.
The hottest trainer at Fairmount this past week was Tom Trione Jr., who catapulted into third place in the standings after saddling six winners in a three-day span. Trione, who was 2 for 24 to start the meet, won four races last Friday and notched two more victories on Tuesday.
When Finger Lakes opens its season next Friday, Jeff LaRue will be operating the starting gate.
LaRue, a son of Kentucky-based trainer Bobby LaRue, is replacing Art "Duke" Green, who died at age 69 in January after serving as the track's head starter since 1987.
LaRue has 19 years of racetrack experience in various roles, including assistant starter at Beulah Park, The Woodlands, Keeneland, Louisiana Downs, Fair Grounds, and, since 1997, Finger Lakes.
