Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

My Typhoon can give Mott a fitting win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Mrs. Revere and Mr. Day will be the objects of close scrutiny and high praise, respectively, when Churchill Downs fans file into the track Saturday.

The Grade 2 is the highlight of a 10-race program that has been designed as a means for Churchill to honor Pat Day as the track's all-time leading jockey. A busy itinerary of "Pat's Day" activities surround the $150,000 Mrs. Revere, a 1 1/16-mile turf race that concludes the 2005 graded stakes schedule for 3-year-old fillies in North America.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Speedy turf horse Becrux moves to dirt

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It's often a guess as to whether a horse who races on turf will take to the main track. There are some handicappers and trainers who ascribe to the theory that horses with speed on turf can better make the adjustment. That was one reason Bobby Frankel cited for giving Peace Rules a chance on the dirt.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Unbridled Sidney has spot reserved this time

Four-Footed Fotos
Isla Cozzene, winning the Hawthorne Oaks, is favored in the Mrs. Revere.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The last time Ronny Werner tried to run Unbridled Sidney, the filly never made it off an also-eligibles list. That was last month in the Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland, a 5 1/2-furlong turf race that drew an overflow of horses and left Werner frustrated to no end.

But when the $70,800 Pent Up Kiss is run on the Mrs. Revere undercard Saturday at Churchill Downs, Unbridled Sidney will be there with bells on.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Bluesthestandard now a millionaire

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - One of the most popular and durable performers on this circuit, Bluesthestandard, went over the $1 million mark in earnings on Wednesday with a three-length victory in the fifth race, a $40,000 claimer.

Bluesthestandard, 8, was making the 44th start of his career. He dipped into cheap claiming races midway through his career, improved enough under the care of trainer Ted H. West to finish second in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint, and has competed in high-priced claiming races this year.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Springer has strong hand on rich statebred day

Four-Footed Fotos
Wiggins (above) will try to turn the tables on Home of Stars on Saturday.

STICKNEY, Ill. - The trainer Bobby Springer, every crotchety inch of him, was himself stabled in Kentucky this week, but it is in Chicago on Saturday that Springer figures to make a mark. While his perennially high-percentage barn has gone winless from 12 starts so far this Hawthorne meet, Springer is set up for a big day Saturday, when Hawthorne hosts six $100,000-added stakes for Illinois-bred horses.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Just 3, Humor at Last might be sprint division's best

STICKNEY, Ill. - The aging tigers in the Illinois-bred sprint division appear to have been declawed. Silver Bid has lost six in a row, looking little like his former self in two recent defeats. Shandy is winless in 2005, and Out of My Way has raced only once in 19 months. At least those guys made it into the Lightning Jet Handicap, one of six $100,000-added Illinois-bred stakes on Saturday at Hawthorne. Take Achance on Me, the Maryland-based sprinter who has won the last two Illinois-bred sprint stakes in Chicago, has been on the shelf since mid-summer.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Thinking Out Loud scores upset

Michael Burns
Thinking Out Loud, Todd Kabel up, wins the Coronation Futurity at 10-1.

Thinking Out Loud benefited from a dream trip under jockey Todd Kabel to win the $254,370 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine on Thursday, the most important race of the year for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds.

The 102nd Coronation Futurity, at 1 1/8 miles, was originally scheduled for Nov. 6 but high winds led to the postponement of the latter part of that afternoon's card.

Owned by D. Morgan Firestone and trained by David Bell, Thinking Out Loud broke sharply and then stalked the speed of longshot Ashlee's Cat through soft fractions of 24.23 seconds, 48.72, and 1:13.69.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Two Laurel stakes get boost

Laurel Park in Maryland will offer 19 stakes races during its 2006 winter meeting worth a total of $1,990,000, including the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Stakes and the Grade 2 General George Breeders' Cup Stakes.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Raylene takes another shot at Maple Leaf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Raylene, a venerable 5-year-old who has competed at every major track in Canada, will likely be favored in Saturday's $198,800 Maple Leaf Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares at Woodbine.

Raylene, a multiple Grade 3 stakes winner in western Canada, finished third to the recently retired One for Rose in last year's Maple Leaf, and was a distant fifth behind that one in the 2003 renewal.

Thu, 11/10/2005 - 00:00

Streaking 3-year-old faces older

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - After the Knight will try to win her fourth straight race when she tackles older horses for the first time at Hastings on Saturday. Avalanche Bay looks like the main threat in the 1 1/16-mile allowance race for fillies and mares that haven't won a stakes race in 2005.