ALBANY, Calif. - In an era where anything longer than 1 1/16 miles raises questions as to a horse's ability to negotiate the distance, trainers John Martin and Alex Paszkeicz are looking forward to Sunday's feature at Golden Gate Fields.
The $25,000 optional claimer is at 1 1/2 miles. The marathon drew seven entrants, including three shipping up from Southern California. Paszkeicz sends Steppin Charlie and Martin saddles Native Approval.
Paszkeicz likes to have his horses run long distances.
MIAMI - Bandini, idle since beating only one horse in the Kentucky Derby, took his first step on the comeback trail Thursday when he worked three furlongs in 39.80 seconds at the Palm Meadows training center.
Bandini won 3 of his 4 starts during the winter and spring, including the Grade 1 Blue Grass by six lengths. His only setback leading up to the Kentucky Derby was a three-quarter-length loss to High Fly in Gulfstream Park's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Folklore, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the top contender for the 2-year-old filly championship of 2005, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 16, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Friday.
Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, Folklore arrived at Lukas's barn at Santa Anita on Thursday, having been based in the East earlier this year. She has returned to serious training in recent weeks, Lukas said.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Quarter Horses take center stage at Portland Meadows on Sunday in a pair of stakes, including the $45,000-added Far West Futurity for 2-year-olds at 400 yards.
Victorys Hope was the fastest qualifier for the Far West Futurity, with a clocking of 20.35 seconds, and he figures to be favored on that basis. A son of Red Hot Rhythm trained by James Glenn Jr., Victorys Hope won his trial heat by a length over Cpr First Feature in just his second local outing. He raced previously in California, where he never finished worse than fourth in six starts.
CHICAGO - The snow falls almost every day now, and as Chicago creeps ever deeper into winter, the end of a long racing season draws closer. Ten racing days remain in this Hawthorne season, and the pace of the meet clearly is beginning to slow.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With a potential land sale that could bring $5 million in revenue to the New York Racing Association in limbo, it is becoming "more and more likely" the New York Racing Association will file for bankruptcy by the end of the month, chairman and chief executive Charles Hayward said Friday.
Jackie Christenson earned a degree in journalism from Arizona State University but was unable to resist her true love: the backstretch.
"I couldn't be inside all the time," said Christenson. "I had to get back to the horses."
In a way, however, Christenson is doing her part to write a nice story. Through Thursday night, she was tied for the lead atop the Turfway Park trainer standings with four wins despite having just seven horses under her care at the Florence, Ky., track.
There's little doubt that In Unity is at the top of the food chain among New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds when it comes to sprinting. But in Sunday's $125,000 Red Hedeman Mile at Sunland Park, In Unity will be tested at a route for the first time, leading a field of nine in the mile race.
CashCall, a California-based consumer lending company founded by Thoroughbred owner Paul Reddam, will sponsor a $750,000 stakes over a mile on turf for fillies and mares at Hollywood Park on July 1, Reddam and the track announced on Friday.
The $750,000 CashCall Mile will be run a day before the $750,000 American Oaks, one of Hollywood Park's showcase events. The CashCall Mile was formerly known as the Royal Heroine Stakes, which carried a purse of $200,000 in 2005.
Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack plans to build a six-story, 249-room Springhill Suites hotel on the northwest corner of the Louisiana Downs property in Bossier City, La., Harrah's has announced.
The project is to be a joint venture among Harrah's, TVG Development LLC, and Wolff Urban Development, and groundbreaking is slated for May 2006.
