ARCADIA, Calif. - Roman Ruler, a two-time stakes winner this summer, will start in Saturday's $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita and will not be sent to New York for the Jockey Club Gold Cup on the same day, trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday.
Baffert said the competition in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and concern about traveling were the principal reasons for the change in plans.
PHOENIX - Turf Paradise opens for its 50th season Friday, and for management here there is as much reason to look ahead as there is to look back.
"We're coming off a successful season and looking forward to celebrating our historic 50th year of racing," said track owner Jerry Simms.
MIAMI - Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. is in a nip-and-tuck battle for the training title with Tim Ritvo, but he has several other important matters on his mind. Along with the imminent return of B. B. Best and the two-turn debut of his 2-year-old filly prospect Stolen Prayers in the upcoming My Dear Girl Stakes, Plesa is awaiting the return of Magic Mecke in Saturday's $100,000 Flying Pidgeon Handicap.
Trainer Wayne Lukas said he plans to be at Retama Park on Saturday afternoon, when he will be inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He is one of four individuals who will enter the Hall, and following the ceremonies the richest card of the meet will be held, with six restricted stakes worth $470,000.
Josephine Abercrombie, Herbert Graham, and the sprinter Miss Princess will also be inducted, while a special industry service award will go to Jim Helzer.
New York Gold, a well-beaten second behind Ruby's Rocket in the Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes two weeks earlier, turned the tables when she drew clear by a length in the final yards to win Monday's $20,800 Fall Handicap, an overnight race for fillies and mares, at Finger Lakes.
New York Gold, 5, trained by Michael Lecesse, finished 5 1/4 lengths behind Ruby's Rocket at 1 1/16 miles on a fast track Sept. 10.
New York Gold ($10) ran a mile and 70 yards on a sloppy track in 1:42.75.
On Tuesday night, the record for five furlongs on turf fell for the third time since the meet opened in August when Calling Randy wired the field in a $10,000 claiming sprint in 55.14 seconds. The old mark of 55.62 was set by Orphan Brigade on Aug. 30, and before that, Daring Child set a record of 55.70 on Aug. 20.
Heading into the meet, Otro Mambo held the record - 55.85, set four years earlier.
Quincy Hamilton rode Calling Randy, who set fractions of 21.21 seconds and 43.58 seconds and drew off to more than a three-length win. He is trained by Frederico Villafranco.
Trainer Denny Ekins sends out his stable's top stakes winners, Ocean Runaway and Finding Nemo, in stakes at Los Alamitos on Friday and Saturday.
Ocean Runaway will be a strong favorite in Friday's Grade 2, $119,000 PCQHRA Breeders' Derby, while Finding Nemo will run in Saturday's Grade 1, $387,000 PCQHRA Breeders' Futurity.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Commingling, by which Canadian horseplayers bet directly into the pools at U.S. tracks, will take a major step forward beginning with the start of the Keeneland meeting on Oct. 7.
The first Thoroughbred track to offer commingled pools with Woodbine was Arlington, on Aug. 10, making the Canadian payoffs the same as those at the track.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Jerry Bailey and Bill Mott never truly broke up, it's just that they weren't seeing as much of each other as they had when they were dominating Thoroughbred racing in the mid- to late 1990's.
But the dynamic duo are back to their dominant ways, at least through the first three weeks of Belmont's fall meet. Mott is leading the trainer standings with 11 wins from 25 starters, while Bailey is a gaudy 20 for 40 through the first 13 racing days of this meet. Together, Mott and Bailey are 10 for 17.
