HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Shug McGaughey didn't get the rain he was hoping for Saturday and as a result will have to go to plan B with Happy Hunting - although at the moment he's not exactly certain what plan B is.
McGaughey entered Happy Hunting for dirt only in Saturday's Grade 3 Appleton Handicap, hoping the race might come off the grass. When it did not, he scratched Happy Hunting to await another day.
OLDSMAR Fla. - When turf racing was canceled here Feb. 4 following record rainfall, the comeback of million-dollar-earner Mystery Giver, who was entered in an optional claiming race, was delayed. But Mystery Giver's trainer, Chris Block, took the setback in stride.
"We've waited this long, so I guess a little more time won't hurt," he said.
With as much as a foot of snow in the forecast, Aqueduct canceled Sunday's nine-race card, New York Racing Association officials announced Saturday.
Sunday's entire card will be brought back on Thursday as drawn. Races in the condition book for Thursday, including the $60,000 Ave's Flag Stakes, will be brought back as extra races for next Friday's card, which will be drawn on Wednesday.
It is the third cancellation of the inner-track meet. Previous cards scrapped were Jan. 15 and Dec. 9.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Pussycat Doll commands such minimal respect that several of her rivals Sunday in the Grade 2, $200,000 La Canada Stakes have no business in the race.
is a turf specialist who is trying dirt largely because the La Canada field is modest. Seafree is a sprinter who is trying two turns mainly because the field is short on speed. As for Sharp Lisa, her current form hardly qualifies her to win an allowance race, much less a graded stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Too Much Bling, the flashy winner of the San Miguel Stakes last month, will be tested when he tries for his second stakes win in Sunday's $150,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.
Most of Too Much Bling's rivals from the six-furlong San Miguel are not starting in the seven-furlong San Vicente and have been replaced by a new group of challengers.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita will raise overnight purses 5 percent on Wednesday and make the increase retroactive to the start of the winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26, track officials said Friday.
The increase is a result of strong business through the first seven weeks of the meeting, according to track president Ron Charles.
Ontrack attendance is up 25 percent and handle has grown 20 percent when compared with a rain-plagued 2004-05 meeting, Charles said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Nobody was happier to see Barbaro win the Holy Bull Stakes here last weekend than the connections of the 3-year-old turf horses stabled in south Florida this winter. Perhaps the most relieved among them were the connections of Wise River, Lewis Michael, and Mr. Silver, who all chased the undefeated Barbaro to no avail in Calder's Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby on New Year's Day.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There are 24 horses nominated to Saturday's $100,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes, but the one the other 23 are most worried about is trainer James Jerkens's Smokey Glacken, who dominated the Grade 3 First Lady Handicap here on Jan. 21.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Private Vow, a two-time Grade 2 winner last year and a leading candidate for the Kentucky Derby, is being considered for the Grade 3, $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 18, his trainer, Steve Asmussen, said Friday.
The Rebel is run over 1 1/16 miles and serves as a prep for the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 15.
"It might be the perfect spot to start him back in," said Asmussen.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Speedy Wheatie, a sensational winner at the maiden special weight level in his Jan. 28 debut, attempts to make it two in a row when he takes on six allowance rivals in Sunday's 4 1/2-furlong feature at Portland Meadows.
Speedy Wheatie, a 4-year-old son of Wheaton from the barn of trainer Dan Tanory, went directly to the lead and drew off to score by 11 1/4 lengths in his unveiling, getting six furlongs in 1:11.60 under Tim Neal. Neal rides again at 122 pounds.
