OCEANPORT, N.J. - Better Talk Now raced in obscurity last summer at Monmouth Park.
He returns Saturday a Breeders' Cup winner and the horse to beat in a field of 10 for the Grade 1, $750,000 , New Jersey's premier grass race.
The U.N. will be part of Road to the World Thoroughbred Championships on ESPN from 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern. The show also features the Suburban Handicap, the Ohio Derby, and New York Handicap.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - In the brief history of the American Oaks, the race has proven to be friendly to horses with foreign backgrounds, even the ones who did not win.
The three winners either began their careers in Europe or invaded from Ireland, and last year a Japanese filly, Dance in the Mood, was a game second.
For Sunday's $750,000 race for 3-year-old fillies, Japan has once again sent a top contender in Cesario, that nation's leading 3-year-old filly.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Unbeaten in two starts and already a stakes winner, River's Prayer will be a short-priced favorite in Saturday's $100,000 Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park.
But the Landaluce, the championship race of the meeting for 2-year-old fillies, is not the summertime focus for River's Prayer as far as trainer and co-owner Paula Capestro is concerned. She considers the Landaluce a prep for the $250,000 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 27 and the top races in the fall.
"I really think she can go all the way," Capestro said. "Our main goal is the Debutante."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - La Belle Fleur rarely gets respect from bettors, but that could change after the Senate Appointee at Hastings on Sunday. The 1 1/8-mile feature for older fillies and mares drew five horses, and none of them has ever won at the distance.
La Belle Fleur, who is trained by Frank Barroby, paid over $60 when she won the Delta Colleen Stakes last year and was a huge overlay at 24-1 in her upset win in the Brighouse Belles June 11. With a lively pace expected in the Senate Appointee, it should set up perfectly for the late-running La Belle Fleur.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Northern Neechitoo seeks her second straight win in Saturday's $21,800 feature at Northlands, a $40,000 optional-claiming race for fillies and mares.
In her last start, in Calgary May 11, Northern Neechitoo registered her 17th career victory when facing similar at Saturday's one-mile distance. She has earned almost $375,000.
Quincy Welch rides Northern Neechitoo, who will have five rivals.
* Sixthirtyjoe, who captured the 6 1/2-furlong Journal with an impressive rally here June 25, runs in next Saturday's one-mile Spangled Jimmy.
AUBURN, Wash. - An evenly matched field of 10 older horses, each eligible to be claimed for $25,000 to $22,500, will test the skills of handicappers in Saturday's one-mile feature at Emerald Downs.
Favoritism is up for grabs, but Best Game in Town seems the most likely candidate - if bettors can forgive his last outing against $25,000 optional claimers at a mile on June 11. Best Game in Town, a 4-year-old from the barn of Bonnie Jennie, was bumped hard at the start and raced wide around both turns en route to a ninth-place finish that day.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Shaun Bridgmohan's Arlington experiment is a success. Six weeks after driving here from New York, he has opened a 19-win lead in the jockey standings and already has topped $1 million in purses. Pardon Arlington fans if they have scarcely noticed the departure of former kingpin Rene Douglas. Turning in consistently solid rides on live horses booked by ace agent Dennis Cooper - Douglas's former agent - Bridgmohan has filled Douglas's spacious shoes.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - United States invaders have certainly held their own at Woodbine this year, and the trend may continue Saturday, when Successful Romance and Honey Gold ship in to contest the $137,750 My Dear Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Successful Romance, based in New York with trainer Todd Pletcher, could be the favorite in the five-furlong dash. She took her debut at Keeneland by 8 1/2 lengths over a sloppy track and then finished third after an awkward break in the five-furlong Fashion Stakes at Belmont.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It is about this time of year, just before the start of Del Mar, that Alex Solis often allows himself a few days off to spend time with his family and take a much-needed vacation after months of nonstop riding.
"Not this year," Solis said on Thursday. "I'm just having fun. I've been working hard to get my business rolling and we're heading that way. I'm very happy with the results."
After the events of the last year, it may be awhile before Solis takes another vacation.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The retirement of leading handicap runner Eddington rippled all the way to Monmouth's $70,000 Skip Away Stakes on Saturday.
Trainer Mark Hennig had pointed Eddington for the Grade 1, $500,000 at Belmont Park on Saturday, but when Eddington suffered a career-ending injury, Hennig replaced him with Tap Day, who had been targeted for the Skip Away. Tap Day would have been formidable in the Skip Away following a career-best romp in Monmouth's Frisk Me Now Stakes.
