ARCADIA, Calif. - Even the short stretch at Fairplex Park could not help Bengal Lore lead throughout the Barretts Juvenile Stakes last month.
"We just got nailed at the wire," trainer Ted H. West said of the colt's runner-up finish after leading by two lengths with a furlong remaining.
The Barretts Juvenile was Bengal Lore's stakes debut. Saturday, Bengal Lore returns as a top contender in the $75,000 Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Eric Kruljac had his stable star Leave Me Alone flown from Southern California to Keeneland earlier this week. The intent was to run Saturday in the $300,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes, but after entries were drawn, Kruljac was having second thoughts.
"I don't know if we'll run," Kruljac said Thursday from Arizona. "I'm just leery about how slow that track has been there. Unless it tightens up some, I'm going to have to really think about it."
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Spruce Run hit the road to find his best form of the season.
The 7-year-old carries a two-stakes winning streak into the Grade 3, $150,000 Cliff Hanger at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Saturday night at The Meadowlands Racetrack.
The Cliff Hanger, the final graded stakes of the meet, was originally scheduled for Oct. 14. It was postponed when a severe rainstorm wiped out the week of racing at the Big M.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Electrocutionist, who looms the favorite and the horse to beat in Sunday's Grade 1 , will face nine rivals in the richest running of Woodbine's 1 1/2-mile turf showpiece.
The Canadian International, increased in value by $500,000 to $2 million this year, attracted a field of 10, announced at a ceremonial draw here Thursday.
Electrocutionist, who is trained by Valfredo Valiani and will be ridden by Mick Kinane, will begin from post 3 in a race where starting position figures to be of little import.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Championship implications will be on the line when Langara Lass, Miss Me Not, and No Ka Oi meet in Saturday's $75,000-added Fantasy Stakes at Hastings. If all seven of the 2-year-old fillies entered in the 1 1/16-mile feature start, the total purse will be $107,000.
Portland Meadows in Portland, Ore., ushers in its 80-day 2005-06 meeting Saturday with a nine-race card headed by the $10,000 Inaugural Handicap, a six-furlong test for older sprinters that has drawn a field of five. The meeting ends on May 7, 2006, Kentucky Derby Day.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Maryland invader Bright Gold notched her fifth straight victory when she overcame early trouble and proved clearly best Thursday in the $113,300 at Keeneland.
Owned by Hazel Marsh and trained by Mary Eppler, Bright Gold drew clear in the final furlong to prevail by two lengths over Tara's Touch. Bright Gold paid $5.80 as the favorite in a field of 10 fillies mares and finished 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.53 over a firm turf course.
Horacio Karamanos was aboard Bright Gold, a 5-year-old Virginia-bred by Hold for Gold.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Patrick Valenzuela provided Santa Anita stewards with documentation from a doctor on Thursday stating he could not ride through Sunday because of an ailing foot, according to stewards and Valenzuela's agent, Ron Ebanks.
Valenzuela was removed from his mounts prior to the first race on Wednesday when he did not appear at the track or contact the stewardsbefore the card began. According to the terms of his conditional license, Valenzuela must notify stewards if he does not appear to ride.
Construction at Gulfstream Park has encountered cost overruns that have increased the budget for the project by $26.5 million, the owner of Gulfstream, Magna Entertainment Corp., said late Wednesday.
The overruns will not have a significant impact on the timetable for the reconstruction of the track, according to Scott Savin, Gulfstream's president. Gulfstream is scheduled to start its 2006 meet on Jan. 4.
ALBANY, Calif. - Nine runners will be asked to cover an increasingly rare distance in Saturday's $100,000 Tanforan Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
This is the first 1 3/8-mile turf stakes in northern California since the 2002 Yerba Buena at Bay Meadows.
The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained entry of Shadow Raider and Adreamisborn looms the favorite.
