EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The virus that attacked many of the 2-year-olds in trainer Jim Ryerson's barn in August also claimed Park Avenue Ball. After running a slight temperature, Park Avenue Ball had to skip the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on Sept. 5. Ryerson also felt the Pegasus Stakes on Sept. 30, another major fall objective, came too soon for a return.
"He had been sick and we needed another week," Ryerson said. "It was just too tight."
Owner Michael Gill and trainer Scott Lake each has a potent entry for one of the two $50,000 sprint stakes on Friday night's card at Charles Town.
Thermal Ablasion and City Fire, a pair of mares owned by Gill with 21 lifetime victories between them, are both serious contenders in the seven-furlong HBPA City of Ranson Handicap, which goes as race 9.
Lake is scheduled to ship in Outcashem, unbeaten in seven starts since he was claimed for $25,000 in March, and 7-year-old millionaire Shake You Down for the 4 1/2-furlong HBPA City of Charles Town Handicap (race 4).
Mighty Invictus is the top 3-year-old colt in the country who does not have a stakes win. He will try taking a step toward rectifying that when he starts in the trials to the Grade 1, $150,000-estimated Dash for Cash Derby on Friday night at Lone Star Park.
On Saturday night, Grade 1 Sam Houston Futurity winner All American Winner heads a deep group of juveniles in the trials to the Grade 1, $450,000 Dash for Cash Futurity.
Opening weekend played to rave reviews at the windows, as Turf Paradise posted its finest three-day opening in seven years. The overall handle hit over $3,834,438 for last Friday through Sunday, besting last year's total of $3,355,952. Ontrack attendance for the three days was 11,912, besting last year's total by nearly 3,000.
"This mirrors the trend of what we've seen all year at the OTB's," said new general manager Eugene Joyce. "Our in-state handle continues to grow. This isn't a bad start. We're happy about it."
The 2005 Randall Meet, the third of four meetings held here each year, ended last Saturday with jockey Scott Spieth and trainer Rodney Faulkner taking titles in their respective categories for the second meet in a row.
Spieth concluded the meet with 55 wins from 224 starts, beating Luis Gonzalez, who had 42 wins. The Randall meet is Spieth's eighth local meet title.
"It's been a good meet. Everything fell into place," said Spieth.
Jockey Luis Martinez, 56, who was off for most of September with a shoulder injury suffered in a Great Lakes Downs paddock mishap, is back in a big way, winning four races on Monday evening's card.
Martinez, a native of Panama, won the second race aboard Pass Bye ($8.40) and the third aboard Dat's Ma Loot ($4.60). He then won the seventh aboard Neent ($40.40) before winning with Reasonable Code ($3.60) in the ninth.
All of his winners except Neent are trained by his brother, Pedro Martinez. Neent is trained by Jamaican native Trevor Bundy.
An evacuee from New Orleans won a $1,636,427 jackpot playing a quarter slot machine at Evangeline Downs's casino in Opelousas, La., on Tuesday night. The winner, Jacquelyn Sherman, was forced to leave her home because of Hurricane Katrina and has been living near Lafayette.
"This is the most exciting thing that could happen for Ms. Sherman and for us," said Mike Howard, general manager of Evangeline Downs. "To be part of changing someone's fortune during these trying times is a dream come true for all of us."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Silver Highlight made a good first impression here July 31, winning the Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf for trainer Andrew Balding in her North American debut.
On Saturday, Silver Highlight looks to duplicate that success for her new trainer, Edward Freeman, in the $163,200 Carotene Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race here for Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies.
"She's doing very well," said Freeman, who had Silver Highlight shipped to his Fort Erie base the day after the Wonder Where. "She's very straightforward, and in very good order."
AUBURN, Wash. - It's no secret that racing produces some of the highest peaks and lowest valleys in all of sport, but they rarely occur as close together as they did for trainer Bonnie Jenne on Sunday's Washington Cup Day program.
Jenne watched in horror as her undefeated 2-year-old Whosboyareyou was humanely destroyed after fracturing a sesamoid bone in the Captain Condo Stakes, which went as the sixth race. An hour and a half later, she saw her entry of Mr. Makah and Best Game in Town finish one-two in the featured Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.