Less than a week into the Keeneland meet, the track's Breeders' Cup preps are essentially over, but its preps for other major races have merely begun.
Thursday's one-mile Bryan Station Stakes, for example, provides an opportunity for 3-year-old turf horses to run their way into a race like the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 27.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - When Keeneland starts bringing back all sorts of warm and fuzzy memories Thursday for Pat Day, the recently retired jockey believes "it could be an emotional time for me."
Still, don't look for anything remotely resembling a comeback.
"I'm sure it will be sweet, going back and reliving all those fond memories we built up over the years at Keeneland," said Day. "But it's not going to make me want to put those white pants back on and climb back into the saddle."
ARCADIA, Calif. - The effects of racing six days a week and a pesky respiratory virus that has struck the stable areas at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita have led to an eight-race program with short fields on Thursday at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.
The program comprises just 57 horses, or about 15 to 20 fewer than track officials would prefer.
The word "sick" has been mentioned frequently by trainers when asked if they have horses available for races, according to racing secretary Rick Hammerle.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Sending three-time stakes winner Willow O Wisp to the Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 29 was only a passing thought in trainer Vladimir Cerin's mind.
Despite Willow O Wisp's improving form, Cerin said he has decided that Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Oak Tree Derby, and possibly the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby next month at Hollywood Park, are better spots for Willow O Wisp.
FRESNO, Calif. - Trainer William E. Morey has no illusions about Don Jaun Con. The 2-year-old gelding is a sprinter, one who has yet to need 22 seconds to get his opening quarter-mile.
Morey is not tempted to try stretching Don Jaun Con out, so Thursday's $40,000-added Harvest Festival Futurity at six furlongs has long been on his radar.
"He's a sprinter," said Morey, who claimed the California-bred son of Suggest for $32,000 from his winning debut May 13. "This comes up perfectly for him. It's the only sprint for 2-year-olds in this time frame."
CHICAGO - Jockey Seth Martinez, a longtime denizen of Canterbury Park and Turf Paradise, has dabbled in Chicago racing the last couple of seasons. If he stays out the Hawthorne meet, he has a strong chance to finish in the top five in the jockey standings, perhaps even make a run at leading rider.
Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., experienced a small drop in average daily handle on its races during the 91-date meet that ended Sunday. All-sources betting on the track's races averaged $1,985,467 a card, down 1.5 percent from $2,016,575 in 2004.
Louisiana Downs's ontrack handle of $199,835 a day on its races was about the same as last year, while offtrack betting on the track's races slipped 1.6 percent to a daily average of $1,785,631.
MIAMI - Trainer Barry Rose's decision of whether to pass Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes with his homebred Mia's Reflection to await the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies two weeks later simply came down to a matter of economics. And in the end, it proved to be no decision at all.
Rose entered Mia's Reflection on Monday along with 10 other 2-year-old fillies for the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl. The race shares top billing with the $400,000 In Reality Stakes on Calder's marquee event, the $1.6 million Festival of the Sun.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Jockeys Joe Castro and Sunny Ho suffered minor injuries in spills at Bay Meadows on Monday.
Castro suffered contusions to the left ankle, knee, thigh wrist and elbow when Woody Two Shoes broke down in the fourth race, a 1 1/16-mile turf race. Woody Two Shoes was euthanized.
Ho suffered possible fractured left ribs when dropped by Dayton's Delivery in the post parade for the sixth race, a 2-year-old maiden filly race.
Both went to US Healthworks in Berkeley for X-rays, Castro for a possible fracture of his left forearm and Ho for his ribs.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Just in time for the California Cup next month, Uncle Denny returns from a seven-month break in a $50,000 allowance race for statebreds at Santa Anita on Wednesday.
A two-time stakes winner, Uncle Denny has not started since winning the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows in March. He emerged from that race with a bone chip in an ankle, according to trainer Rafael Becerra.
