Sky Valley Road, an easy winner of his first two starts, attempts to stretch out his speed to seven furlongs while returning from a two-month layoff and facing stakes company for the first time in Saturday's $50,000 Pennsylvania Nursery at Philadelphia Park.
The stakes, restricted to Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old colts and geldings, drew a field of 13 runners. All except Sky Valley Road and Mieszko, whose two wins came for a claiming tag, have no more than a maiden victory to their credit.
The connections of the local 3-year-olds who entered Saturday's $40,000 Paradise Valley Handicap at Turf Paradise got a rude surprise when they found out the Southern California 3-year-old Chinese Dragon was in the race.
Owned by Mike Carter and trained by Bob Hess Jr., the stakes-winning Chinese Dragon will be an overwhelming favorite against nine others in Saturday's 7 1/2-furlong turf event.
MIAMI - With most of the stronger members of the local 3-year-old division having competed last weekend on Florida Millions Day and the majority of the recently arrived northern invaders still settling into their winter homes, Saturday's $40,000 Blazing Sword Stakes at Calder has come up a wide-open event.
Ashado's $9 million price at Keeneland's November auction last week grabbed the big headlines, but New Englanders' attention was caught by a different mare in the sale that weekend. Satin Sunrise, a former $4,500 claimer at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, left the Fasig-Tipton ring as an $800,000 broodmare in foal to 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Organ Grinder was a going concern last season, winning 4 of 8 starts and $414,813 en route to being a Sovereign Award finalist in the 3-year-old male balloting.
But this year has been unkind to Organ Grinder, who will be making his first start of 2005 in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Woodbine Slots Cup.
Organ Grinder, owned by Sue and Bill McClellan and trained by Sid Attard, has not raced since Oct. 10, 2004, when he finished second to subsequent divisional champion A Bit O'Gold here in the 1 1/8-mile Ontario Derby.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Randy Soth became president of Fair Grounds Race Course a little more than a year ago, when Churchill Downs Inc. took over the historic track. He did not realize he was signing on to become an evacuee, driven out of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. And he did not expect to be readying for the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City instead of Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be here," said Soth.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park has completed the installation of new sod for its beleaguered turf course, which is not being used during the current meeting after the course installed this summer failed to take root.
The new course is a Bermuda grass known as GN-1, according to racing secretary Martin Panza, and was developed by professional golfer Greg Norman. A similar Bermuda grass is used on the turf course at Del Mar.
The installation of the new sod was completed last weekend. "It was ripped and replaced within a week," Panza said.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Royal Flush did not begin her career until the middle of August, more than halfway through her 4-year-old season. She has quickly made up for lost time.
Trained by John Sadler, Royal Flush followed a second-place finish in her debut with a victory in a maiden race at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting in September.
Friday night at Hollywood Park, Royal Flush faces winners for the first time and stretches out to 1 1/16 miles in a $44,000 allowance race for fillies and mares.
Santa Anita has made minimal changes to the stakes schedule for its winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 through April 23.
The list of 74 stakes is highlighted by 10 Grade 1 events, including the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on March 4. The only other seven-figure race at the meeting is the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic on Jan. 28, one of four stakes that day for California-breds and Florida-breds. The Sunshine Millions Classic alternates between Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park in Florida each year.
