OCEANPORT, N.J. - Joe Bravo hardly missed a beat, picking right up where he left off.
Bravo returned Sept. 4 after missing almost seven weeks with a broken collarbone and posted 11 wins in his first 23 starts back at Monmouth Park.
Bravo reunites with Comacina on Sunday in the $60,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.
Comacina, trained by Patrick Biancone, was Bravo's last winning mount before the July 21 spill that sent him to the sidelines.
MIAMI - The local contingent of 2-year-olds for next Saturday's $150,000 Foolish Pleasure Breeders' Cup Stakes at Calder is a good one, but the field could become even stronger if trainer Robert Barbara decides to send Winning Minister down from New York.
Winning Minister is coming off a fifth-place finish behind division leaders First Samurai and Henny Hughes in the Grade 1 Hopeful. A son of Deputy Minister, Winning Minister won his maiden two weeks earlier by three-quarters of a length going six furlongs at Saratoga.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The king of animals is in the house and will be looking to impose his majesty over eight rivals in Sunday's $1 million Atto Mile here at Woodbine.
Leroidesanimaux - "the king of animals" in French - arrived here early Friday morning following an eight-hour van ride from Belmont Park. But rather than being greeted by the fanfare deserving of a horse of his stature, Leroidesanimaux checked in unheralded on a dull and very raining Friday morning.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The $283,500 Summer, a one-mile grass stakes for 2-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine, is an intriguing handicapping puzzle. There are six shippers in the nine-horse field, the best of whom might be English invader Santiago Star.
Santiago Star is trained by Andrew Balding, who captured two Woodbine turf stakes earlier this summer, the Grade 2 Play the King with Atto Mile contestant Vanderlin, and the Wonder Where with Silver Highlight.
AUBURN, Wash. - Itstufftobegood has just about run out of competition in the Harley H. Hoppe and Associates Marathon Series, so it may be just as well that the popular series will conclude with Sunday's 1 3/4-mile finale at Emerald Downs.
Only three intrepid rivals will challenge Itstufftobegood, who will be shooting for his sixth straight win, all under regular rider Kevin Krigger, at a steadying 128 pounds.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Steve Henson is winning races at the meet at a very good 31 percent. Henson also tends to move a horse up when he takes over their training.
A case in point is He's So Regal. When He's So Regal was purchased privately and moved to Henson's barn in early summer, he improved dramatically and he came very close to winning a stakes.
Apprehension about the future of the state's tracks, added to the lure of richer pots in neighboring states, have many Maryland breeders considering options other than staying home. But if there is one silver lining for the future of Maryland's breeding industry, it is the strength of the state's stallion base.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Nessarose looks like she has found a soft spot in Sunday's featured optional $32,000 claimer, which has attracted a field of six 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Greg Tracy and owned by Donver Stable, Nessarose will be in action for the first time since winning the Northlands Oaks in mid-July at Sunday's one-mile distance. Stephan Heiler has the return mount.