United is a two-time stakes winner on dirt and winless in six starts on grass. Contrary to that evidence, trainer George Weaver thinks turf is United's preferred surface.
"He acts like a dirt horse in the morning, but I think he's a better runner on grass," Weaver said. "He hasn't won a race on the surface yet, but he has run well behind some tough turf horses, like English Channel and Purim."
Rainbow Inthestorm, an easy winner in wire-to-wire fashion of his last two starts, looks like a standout in the $50,000 Tri-State Futurity at Charles Town.
The two-turn seven-furlong race is restricted to 2-year-olds foaled in Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia.
Rainbow Inthestorm, coupled with the maiden Demi Is Smooth for trainer Dale Capuano, has steadily raised his Beyer Speed Figures from 53 in his career debut to 73 in his fourth start, a 2 3/4-length win over first-level allowance runners at Delaware Park.
In his bid to capture the Finger Lakes Juvenile for the third consecutive year, trainer Anthony Ferraro will send out a fast filly against colts in the six-furlong stakes worth $50,000.
Fly to Me, most recently second in the Joseph Gimma Stakes at Belmont Park, appears capable of beating males in this spot. Two starts ago, Fly to Me took on colts for the first time in the New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes and proved competitive, finishing second to Classic Pack.
Ferraro won last year's Juvenile with Boston Raider and the 2003 running with Mr. Fixed Income.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Stylish Sultana will try to duplicate the stakes double achieved last year by top Massachusetts-bred Ask Queenie when she runs in Saturday's $40,000 John Kirby Stakes at Suffolk Downs.
The Kirby, run at a mile and 70 yards last year, will be run at a mile Saturday.
Last year, Ask Queenie scored a 14 3/4-length victory in the Louise Kimball Distaff Stakes before scoring her second stakes win of the year in the Kirby. Stylish Sultana enters Saturday's race off a neck victory in the Kimball on Oct. 8.
AUBURN, Wash. - Jonathan Nance and Jim Fergason have had the battle for leading trainer at Portland Meadows pretty much to themselves the last five seasons, with Nance winning the title at the 2000-01 and 2004-05 meetings and Fergason winning the other three. Both trainers are back this season with large and powerful stables, but they may have company this year.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Monashee wrapped up the local 3-year-old filly championship with a powerful 4 3/4-length win in the Grade 3 Breeders' Cup Ballerina at Hastings last Saturday. Considering there hasn't been a dominating horse in any of the handicap divisions, there's a good chance she will also be named the local horse of the year.
Trained by Tracy McCarthy, Monashee became only the second filly to complete the Oaks-Ballerina double in the same year. Delta Colleen achieved the feat in 1988.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Aidan O'Brien will have a representative in the Grade 1 for the fourth straight year Sunday, with Yeats set to do battle in the $2 million turf race over 1 1/2 miles.
O'Brien, based in Ireland, sent over Ballingarry to win the 2002 Canadian International and Brian Boru to register back-to-back third-place finishes in the last two editions.
Assistant trainer T.J. Comerford, who has accompanied all of the stable's International entrants, expects another competitive effort from Yeats.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Bar shoe and all, New Kid in Town became the only five-time winner at the current Fort Erie meet when he won a $5,000 starter allowance on Tuesday.
Trainer John Simms claimed New Kid in Town for $5,000 during the winter at Tampa Bay Downs and has now raced the 5-year-gelding here 11 times.
"He's a bad-footed horse," said Simms, who has 22 wins at the meet. "Just before we left Tampa we put a bar shoe on his right fore. He accepted it and I think it made him comfortable. He's got confidence; a lot of it is mental."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stronach Stable and trainer Bobby Frankel will be looking to kick off Canadian International weekend in a big way at Woodbine on Saturday, when they run Sugar Swirl in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile test for 2-year-old fillies.
Sugar Swirl closed along the inside after getting away slowly and finished third in her debut in a six-furlong maiden special Aug. 27. With the addition of Lasix, she graduated at seven furlongs in her next appearance Sept. 24.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Sparhawk looks for his sixth victory of the year, and second straight, here at Northlands Park on Friday when he takes on seven other 3-year-olds in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at the $17,500 claiming level.
Sparhawk, trained by Monica Russell, retains Shannon Beauregard as his pilot. With Beauregard at the controls, Sparhawk has won three times in his last four starts, with his latest win against $25,000 claimers.