First it was the stewards who threw a wet blanket on jockey Dyn Panell's milestone party. Now it's the record keepers.
As a result, a celebration by the second-leading rider at Suffolk Downs has been put on hold as he seeks his 1,000th career victory.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Any alphabetical listing of candidates for this year's Atto Mile has to start with A to the Z.
But Paula Capestro, who trains A to the Z, is less concerned with the start than the end of the Grade 1, $1 million Atto Mile, which will be run at Woodbine on Sept. 18.
"He's been sort of a rags-to-riches story," said Capestro, who checked in with A to the Z from California last Thursday and is visiting Woodbine for the first time.
"A friend of mine mentioned this race, and said I should consider it. It could be right up his alley."
FORT ERIE, Ontario - On Monday morning the jockeys tested the turf course here at Fort Erie and gave the green light for the afternoon's two Cup races, the Centre Stage Anne and the Puss N Boots.
Because of soggy conditions, turf races the previous two days had been switched to the dirt.
"I would have just died if they took the races off the turf," said trainer Robert Williams. "All three of my runners are just turf, with big, flat feet. I'd been aiming for the Centre Stage Anne since last year."
DEL MAR, Calif. - Stevie Wonderboy moved to the head of the West Coast 2-year-old division on Wednesday with a powerful, five-length victory in the Grade 2, $250,000 on Del Mar's closing day.
Stevie Wonderboy ($7) was ninth in the 11-horse field as the field moved down the backstretch, but he unleashed a devastating kick while wide to roar past his rivals and win going away. The Pharaoh was second, a half-length in front of Jealous Profit. Both the second- and third-place finishers were recent imports from Calder.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - An often tense and heated two-hour meeting Wednesday at Churchill Downs between officials from the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority and about 100 horsemen and veterinarians failed to break the stalemate regarding new race-day medication rules in Kentucky, resulting in two more programs at Turfway Park noticeably lacking in quality and depth.
POMONA, Calif. - One year after breaking the single-season record by winning 16 races at the 2 1/2-half week Los Angeles County Fair meet, trainer Doug O'Neill offered an optimistic forecast for the 16-day 2005 meet, which begins Friday.
"I think we'll be pretty active," O'Neill said.
It is nothing new - O'Neill is always loaded for Fairplex Park. He has led or tied the standings the last three years, and this season tries to become the first trainer in 67 years of racing at the fair to win four straight titles.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Little Bentley will test his ability on the grass for the first time Friday at Woodbine in the fourth race, a one-mile allowance for Ontario-sired runners who have not won three races.
Little Bentley, trained by David Bell for Melnyk Racing Stable, went on the sidelines after running third behind A Bit O'Gold and Niigon in the 2004 Plate Trial Stakes. He reappeared
June 10, finishing third in an allowance sprint, and then won 1 1/16-mile allowance for nonwinners of two on June 30.
