OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Bettors who specialize in allowance races for New York-bred females - if such bettors exist - will be delighted with Thursday's ersatz "Showcase Day" card at Aqueduct.
All three of the allowance races are for New York-bred females. The fifth race is an optional claimer for two-other-than fillies and mares at six furlongs, and the same conditions apply to the eighth race, which will be run at a mile and 70 yards. Each race drew a field of 10.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - A snow flurry or two after the track renovation break on Tuesday morning did little to curtail morning activities at Oaklawn Park, where horses are preparing for the track's 56-date meet that will open Friday.
Among the 90 horses on the work tab were promising 3-year-olds Catonight, the Sugar Bowl Stakes winner who went four furlongs in 49.80 seconds for trainer Steve Asmussen, and Music School, a close relative of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft who went six furlongs in 1:16.60.
An entire barn of quarantined horses at Turfway Park tested negative for the equine herpes virus last week, while the 11 horses that tested positive in a second quarantined barn are not showing clinical signs of infection, Turfway's president, Bob Elliston, said Tuesday.
RCADIA, Calif. - Last weekend was a rough stretch for 2005 Breeders' Cup winners making comebacks at Santa Anita.
Saturday, BC Juvenile winner in the $150,000 San Rafael Stakes.
Monday, , the winner of the BC Juvenile Fillies, faded late to finish third behind entrymate Dance Daily in the Grade 2, $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. - makes her 2006 debut a week later than expected in Thursday's $75,000 Paseana Handicap at Santa Anita, a race in which she will be heavily favored.
The Paseana Handicap was originally scheduled for Jan. 13, but was postponed after drawing insufficient entries.
Winner of the Grade 2 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap here Oct. 2, Healthy Addiction is making her first start since finishing last of 13 in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Belmont Park on Oct. 29. Trainer John Sadler dismissed that result, saying, "She's not a traveler."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Michael Matz ended any further speculation as to if and when the undefeated Barbaro might try the main track by naming the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes here on Feb. 4 as the 3-year-old's next objective.
Barbaro is unbeaten and untested in three starts, all of which have come on grass. His most recent triumph came in his 3-year-old debut, an easy 3 3/4-length victory in Calder's Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby on New Years Day.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The Bay Meadows jockey race may have been decided on Jan. 11, when apprentice Martin Garcia received a three-day suspension in the morning and committed an infraction that cost him an additional five days in the afternoon.
His eight days of suspensions begin Thursday. By the time he returns, on Jan. 29, there will be only six days left of the holiday meeting, and Russell Baze will likely have clinched another Bay Meadows riding title.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Dance Daily pulled an upset in Monday's $150,000 at Santa Anita, but her surprising win over stablemate Folklore was not reflected on the tote board.
Dance Daily and Folklore were coupled in the betting; Dance Daily returned $2.40.
Winning her first graded stakes, Dance Daily finished a nose in front of Talullah Lula, who was three-quarters of a length in front of Folklore in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.
Dance Daily ran seven furlongs in 1:23.34.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Taking advantage of a slow start by heavily favored One Way Flight, Strummer was able to set modest fractions and cruise to a four-length, gate-to-wire victory in Monday's $70,135 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes before 3,296 at Aqueduct.
Johnny Utah rallied for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of One Way Flight. Mid Town, The Village Vicar, and Gameboye completed the order of finish.
Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa., plans to reopen on Wednesday night for its first live racing card in more than a week, officials of the track and the local horsemen's group said on Monday.
Penn National canceled four racing days last week because of concerns from horsemen and riders about the consistency of the track's dirt racing surface. Before that, the track had lost at least parts of seven live racing days over the past two months because of wet weather and complaints by horsemen and riders.