VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Feu Express, second in the British Columbia Cup Nursery Stakes Aug. 1, figures to be a slight favorite over Regal Request, third in the Nursery, in the eighth race at Hastings Saturday. The $50,000 optional race at 6 1/2 furlongs drew six horses.
Feu Express and Regal Request were separated by a neck in the B.C. Cup Nursery. There are two schools of thought regarding their performances.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Speedy Gone Sally will attempt to break out of an attack of "seconditis" that has plagued her in three successive stakes when she faces five opponents in Saturday's $100,000 Alberta Centennial at Northlands Park.
The Alberta Centennial, formerly called the Sonoma, was renamed to honor the province's 100th anniversary celebrations and will revert back to its former name for its 2006 running.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The brilliant Lemon Maid returns from a freshening in Saturday's Grade 3, $162,150 Duchess Stakes at Woodbine.
The Duchess has also lured Hatpin, who figures to provide some speed in the seven-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - No Dilettante certainly was serious enough in his debut, trouncing Ontario-sired maidens by five lengths.
Now Bev Buck, who is the owner, trainer, and breeder of the 2-year-old colt, will be looking to move to the next level when she saddles No Dilettante for Sunday's $159,900 Vandal Stakes.
"I can't wait. I'm like a kid at Christmas," said Buck, who was one of the first in line when entries for the Vandal were taken Thursday morning.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - It appears that Nick Gonzalez has become the go-to guy when the Stronach Stable runs at Fort Erie.
Gonzalez, the Fort's leading trainer, got an infusion of six runners from the Stronach operation in late June. Previously, either Justin Nixon or Sean Smullen were named trainer for the Stronach runners here.
On Tuesday, with the filly Sundown Delight making her second lifetime start, Gonzalez got his eighth winner for the high-profile Stronach outfit. Gonzalez now has 24 winners, six more than second-place Lyle Morden.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A 45-1 upset by Healthy Addiction in Wednesday's Osunitas Handicap has led to a pick six carryover of $147,463 for Thursday's eight-race program at Del Mar.
The pick six covers the third through eighth races on a program that starts at 2 p.m.
There is one turf race and five sprints in Thursday's pick six.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Chantal Sutherland is getting noticed for more than her good looks this summer at Saratoga.
A two-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's leading apprentice, Sutherland has demonstrated the ability to compete with the best journeymen riders in the country at Saratoga. Through the first two weeks of the meet, Sutherland has 5 wins from 19 mounts. Only six riders have more wins, and those riders have at least twice as many mounts.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - There are years when the comes around in August and one wonders where all the top-class grass horses have gone.
This is not one of those years.
Ten names, including that of the 6-5 morning-line favorite, Kitten's Joy, were drawn when entries for the Million were taken during an elaborate ceremony Wednesday at Arlington. Eight horses, headed by English Channel, were entered in the Secretariat, and a star-studded field of 10, led by the Bobby Frankel-trained duo of Melhor Ainda and Megahertz, went into the Beverly D.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - English Channel, one of a handful of horses to pull through the stable gate Wednesday afternoon following a charter flight from upstate New York, was assigned post 1 as the likely favorite for the third and final Grade 1 turf race Saturday at Arlington Park, the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes.
