LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Although the chances of getting Funny Cide have apparently vanished, the prospective field for the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 18 is still shaping up to justify its Grade 1 ranking.
The list of probable starters for the Stephen Foster, a 1 1/8-mile race, is headed by Saint Liam, Badge of Silver, Perfect Drift, and Second of June. Other candidates include Congrats, M B Sea, Supah Blitz, and either of the Todd Pletcher duo of Limehouse and Pollard's Vision.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Bill Spawr's heart sank when he learned that Snatch the Cash had drawn the rail for Wednesday's fifth race at Hollywood Park.
A $25,000 claim last September, was gelded in late 2004 and has been a profitable purchase, having won 2 of 3 starts for Spawr. But Spawr said continuing that success Wednesday in a $51,000 allowance race over seven furlongs will be difficult because of the draw. He argues that the track along the rail is deeper on a Wednesday, the first day of the racing week, than later in the week.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The older filly and mare division in California may have found a definitive new leader in Andujar, the winner of Saturday's at Hollywood Park.
In a division where the horses have largely taken turns beating one another this year, Andujar turned in the performance of the season in her stakes debut, scorching six rivals with a seven-length win in the Grade 2 Milady over 1 1/16 miles. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 106.
Class handicappers may view with skepticism in the featured eighth race at Arlington Wednesday, a third-level allowance with a purse of $31,000. A former $15,000 claimer, she has struggled in top-level races at major tracks.
But now, returning to her best game at a mile on dirt, she may show there is more to her than her humble roots might suggest.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Carlos Cruz knew something wasn't right.
The 2004 Monmouth Park season was rapidly approaching, but the jockey didn't feel up to it.
He was riding at Philadelphia Park and his energy level was dwindling.
"I started getting really weak," Cruz said. "I didn't have the strength I used to have."
Doctors ran blood tests and determined Cruz was anemic. Further tests revealed the cause: a cancerous tumor in his colon.
Suddenly, Cruz confronted a potentially life-altering challenge.
Choose drew away to a five-length win Sunday in the off-the-turf $55,000 Wolf Hill Stakes at Monmouth Park. Choose ($9.40), a 4-year-old colt trained by John Forbes and ridden by Tommy Turner, improved his record to 6 wins in 11 starts. He ran the five furlongs in 56.55 seconds.
Procreate was second on the switch back to the main track. He set the world record of 53.79 seconds for five furlongs on the grass in his previous outing, the Yankee Affair Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Introspect was third.
Ramon Dominguez, in search of a mount when the two horses he was originally named to ride were scratched after the race was moved from the turf to the main track, picked up the ride on Mighty Mecke ($6) and guided him to a 2 1/2-length, wire-to-wire victory in the $75,900 Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes.
It was the third win in five starts and the second stakes win for the 3-year-old Mighty Mecke, whose only loss on dirt came when he finished fifth in the Florida Derby.
Now that Melhor Ainda confirmed her status as the top 3-year-old grass filly in the East, she will tackle the West Coast in her next start.
Melhor Ainda easily dismissed six rivals in Sunday's Grade 3, $111,200 , drawing clear to a 2 3/4-length victory over Laurafina at Belmont Park. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to My Typhoon in third.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Andujar has wasted no time in making her presence felt in California.
Andujar, who first raced in California in March, won her third consecutive race and her stakes debut on Saturday, taking the $205,150 at Hollywood Park. The victory came in her first start for owners Paul Reddam and Mark Schlessinger and trainer Doug O'Neill.
A 4-year-old filly imported from France over the winter, Andujar was purchased privately last month, shortly after winning an allowance race by 10 1/2 lengths in her main-track debut April 28.
