BOSSIER CITY, La. - Miriam L., upset winner of the $100,000 Sarah Lane's Oates Stakes at Fair Grounds this spring and a close second here in the Chapel Belle Stakes in her most recent start, will likely find herself in the unusual role of favorite in Friday's optional-claiming feature at Louisiana Downs.
Trained by James Hodges, Miriam L. will square off against seven other Louisiana-bred fillies and mares at a mile on the turf.
Bow River made a big impression in his career bow Friday in a statebred maiden special weight race at Canterbury Park.
Trained by Mike Stidham, Bow River found himself trapped behind a wall of horses racing into the turn but demonstrated talent not typically found in a 2-year-old, coming inside rivals leaving the turn and pulling clear impressively, completing the five furlongs in 59.99 seconds.
Bow River, owned by Frances Genter Williams, was the $37,000 sales-topper at last year's Minnesota Thoroughbred Association's yearling sale.
Trainer Bill Conyers has had a lock on Nebraska's 2-year-old division this year, winning all three of the juvenile races run at the Lincoln meet, including a pair last weekend.
Conyers sent out first-time starter Silver Angel ($5.40) to win the opening race on Saturday. A gray daughter of Miesque's Son, Silver Angel was purchased from the 2004 Keeneland September sales for $3,000.
River Downs will honor Rafael Bejarano former leading rider at the track, and host the Peruvian All-Star Competition on Monday, July 11. A two-race series showcasing the talents of the top Peruvian-born jockeys riding in the United States, the event will raise funds for the Jockey School of Peru.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The $40,000 Fresa will be twice as fun Friday night. Lone Star Park has split the 1 1/16-mile overnight turf stakes - for fillies and mares who have not won a stakes in 2005 - into two divisions, with the first going as the seventh race. It features a strong matchup between Voz de Colegiala and Janeian.
The second division has been carded as the ninth, and the strong choice is Chitchat Chitchat, who has placed in turf stakes in her last two starts, both at Louisiana Downs.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It took Blowin in the Wind 26 races before he won a stakes race. He's got the hang of it now, though. In his last three starts, he won the Grade 3 Premiers at 1 3/8 miles and the 6 1/2-furlong George Royal Stakes here at Hastings, and the 1 1/16-mile Teeworth Gold Plate at Stampede Park.
And Blowin in the Wind figures to be among the favorites in the $125,000 Lieutenant Governors' at Hastings Friday.
AUBURN, Wash. - Thirsty Guy's just ducked into Emerald Downs for a quick withdrawal on Sunday, picking up the $31,900 winner's prize for the Tacoma Handicap and then heading straight home to trainer Phil Oviedo's barn at Bay Meadows.
He'll be back, however.
"We'll bring him back for the Emerald Derby on Labor Day if he is still doing well," said Oviedo. "What he does between now and then depends on how knocked out he is from this race."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Eddington, who appeared poised to make a run at the leadership of the handicap division, has been retired from racing due to a soft tissue tear in his right foreleg, trainer Mark Hennig said Wednesday.
Hennig said the injury was detected shortly after Eddington worked five furlongs in 1:00.24 last Friday over Belmont Park's main track. Eddington was pointing to Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Suburban Handicap, for which he would have been favored.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Fearless on horseback, Eibar Coa was fearful when dealing with horsemen. Overcoming that apprehension has enabled Coa's talent to come to the fore this summer at Belmont Park, where he has recorded the second most wins while riding against the toughest jockey colony in the nation.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Limehouse, the winner of consecutive stakes at Churchill Downs and Belmont Park this year, is a likely starter in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park on July 9, trainer Todd Pletcher said on Tuesday.
Limehouse, who races for Dogwood Stable, will be making his first start in California. He has won 7 of 17 starts and $1,062,433.
