Dance Away Capote, an easy winner of her last two races, and Isola Piu Bella, a two-time graded stakes winner already this season, are the star attractions on Saturday's program at Delaware Park.
Unfortunately for fans who would be thrilled to see the 3-year-old filly Dance Away Capote challenge the 5-year-old Isola Piu Bella, the two standout female distance runners are entered in separate stakes.
MIAMI - Anybody handicapping Saturday's $40,000 Band Is Passing Stakes at Calder must start by trying to decide which Final Prophecy will show up for the race.
Will it be the one who rallied from last to score a three-quarter-length victory over He's Crafty and Miesque's Approval in the Carterista Handicap earlier in the meet? Or will it be the horse who had dropped his previous five starts, including two under allowance conditions, since upsetting the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup here last fall?
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Waupaca has broadened his horizons. Once a horse that pretty much ran his races one way, on the lead, he recently has developed a new dimension - and it might serve him well as he tries to win beyond 1 1/16 miles for the first time Saturday in the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star Park.
Waupaca is one of 11 older horses in the 1 1/8-mile turf race, which also attracted top contenders Crowned King, the 118-pound starting highweight; Major Rhythm, who invades from Arlington Park; and Fullbridled, an allowance winner from Hollywood Park.
If ever there was a race to draw a line through, it is High Strike Zone's trip in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap on May 30. His bridle broke during the race, and he and his jockey, Ricky Faul, were fortunate to get home safely, let alone finish fifth after dueling through fast fractions.
Saturday, will be back in action, this time at Louisiana Downs, as the 119-pound highweight in the $50,000 Ark-La-Tex Handicap.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bobby Frankel, who has a division at Woodbine for Stronach Stable, will be the trainer of record for Wild Desert in next Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.
Wild Desert currently is at Monmouth Park with assistant trainer Larry Walters, who is overseeing a string there for Richard Dutrow Jr. Dutrow is serving a 60-day suspension, which began June 1, for medication violations in New York.
"He's going to get the horse back when his days are up," said Frankel.
Wild Wild West will be the 124-pound highweight where he faces 10 other Iowa-breds in Saturday's $70,000 Cyclones Handicap at Prairie Meadows.
Wild Wild West seized the lead among the statebreds here with an easy gate-to-wire victory in the six-furlong John Wayne on May 21. Wild Wild West, who goes for his fourth straight win Saturday, is the likely pacesetter as he stretches out to 1 1/16 miles in the Cyclones. In his only start at 1 1/16 miles last year Wild Wild West ran second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in the $65,000 Iowa Breeders' Derby here in August.
Ten 3-year old colts and geldings were entered in the $50,000 Come Summer Stakes, a one-mile race on the turf.
The favorite might be Stormy Business, who pulled a memorable upset when beating odds-on favorite Smoke Smoke Smoke in the St. Paul Stakes last month. A son of Storm Creek produced by the Colonial Affair mare Promising Affair, Stormy Business has yet to race on grass but has a pedigree that suggests he will handle the switch in surfaces at first asking. Derek Bell will ride Stormy Business for Double Bogey Stable and trainer Larry Donlin.
The entry of Born to Dance, the 2001 Michigan horse of the year, and past champion Sweetwater Promise was installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the $45,000 Larkspur Handicap at Great Lakes Downs. The six-furlong Larkspur is for Michigan-bred females.
Indiana Downs runs two $40,000 turf stakes Saturday, the Oliver for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and the A.J. Foyt for Indiana-breds at 1 1/16 miles.
Ayla Bella squares off against Flexible Princess in the Oliver. Ayla Bella began the year as a maiden for trainer Joan Scott but has since won 4 of 6 starts and comes into the Oliver on a three-race win streak.
Up 'N Blumin will stretch out to a mile for the first time when she carries high weight of 122 pounds in the $20,000-added Matchmaker Handicap at a mile for older Nebraska-bred mares.
Kelly Von Hemel claimed Up 'N Blumin out of a $40,000 optional claiming race at Prairie Meadows on May 17 after her strong season at Fonner Park. Up 'N Blumin won the Orphan Kist and Al Swihart Memorial handicaps there and was second in the Runza Handicap. The Swihart, at 6 1/2 furlongs, was her longest race to date, but the stretch-out to one mile here should be within her range.
