ALBANY, Calif. - For every Lost in the Fog, there are dozens of Vicentes, talented horses kept from living up to their full potential for any number of reasons.
As a 2-year-old, Vicente ran second in a two-furlong race in his debut in April. Owned by Harry Aleo and trained by Greg Gilchrist - the connections of Lost in the Fog - Vicente won his next start, by four lengths at Pleasanton in July 2004.
Cliff Goodrich is leaving his post as president of Arlington Park, just three years after relocating to Chicago from his longtime home in California.
Goodrich's tenure will conclude in early January, leaving Arlington and its parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., to seek a replacement.
The Arlington racing season begins in May, but Illinois racetracks are locked in a legislative battle to bring additional revenue, perhaps in the form of ontrack slots, into the racing industry.
Ocean Runaway, the champion 2-year-old of 2004, ran a flawless race to win Saturday's $500,000 Champion of Champions for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos, nearly eclipsing Dash for Cash's 1976 track record.
Ocean Runaway finished 440 yards in 21.20 seconds, missing Dash for Cash's mark by .003 of a second. Ridden by Alex Bautista, Ocean Runaway ($5.80) led throughout, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of 55-1 Like Frankie and Me. Apollitical Time finished third, a half-length in front of LDS Dash for Dylan.
Jockey Roman Chapa, the leading rider at the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs, did not ride on Sunday and was recuperating Monday after being kicked by a horse during training hours on Sunday morning. He was kicked in the lower back near his kidney and was taken to a local hospital for tests and observation, according to his agent, Bobby Kelly.
"He was diagnosed with a bruised left kidney and was resting at home on Monday," Kelly said.
Chapa, 34, has just one kidney. In 1999, the other was removed after it ruptured as the result of a serious spill at Retama Park.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Owner Edward Evans, whose main trainer on the East Coast for years has been Mark Hennig, is adding a couple of high-profile trainers to his roster. Hennig confirmed that Evans has recently given horses to Todd Pletcher and Richard Dutrow Jr.,
the two leading trainers on the New York Racing Association circuit.
MIAMI - Silver Wagon has been based at Calder with trainer Ralph Ziadie throughout most of his career but has made only three of his 15 career starts over his home course. He will make his fourth local appearance on Saturday as the highweight and likely favorite in the $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap.
Silver Wagon returned to Calder earlier this month after spending the summer and fall in New York and got a chance to really stretch his legs over his home track for the first time in five months when he worked five furlongs in 1:02 on Monday morning.
For the second straight week, a longshot trained by Joe Lostritto and ridden by Jose Espinoza won a stakes race for New York-breds at Aqueduct.
One week after Home and Away ($22.20) upset the East View for statebred juvenile fillies, Platinum Couple charged down the center of Aqueduct's inner track to run past favored Building New Era and win the $85,250 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred juvenile colts and geldings by one length. Platinum Couple ($35), a son of Tale of the Cat owned by four of Lostritto's children who race as Team Tristar Stable, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.70.
Ninety Nine Jack, dismissed at 16-1, won the $125,000 Johnie L. Jamison, but couldn't keep runner-up Rocky Gulch from setting history in the 6 1/2-furlong event for New Mexico-breds.
Trained by Michael Welch, Ninety Nine Jack stalked the pace set by Rocky Gulch, moved to engage him into the lane, and finally got the best of a stretch-long duel to win by a neck.
Ridden by Brian Theriot, Ninety Nine Jack paid $34, getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.15.
ALBANY, Calif. - The second- and third-place finishers in Saturday's Larkspur Stakes at Golden Gate Fields will likely meet again in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
Seattles Best Joe and Wilko, who finished in a three-way photo behind Loyalton, both came out of the six-furlong race in good shape and now will point to the Malibu, a seven-furlong race that starts Santa Anita's Strub Series.