HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The size of the purses does not justify the quality of the fields that will compete at Gulfstream Park in Sunday's Ft. Lauderdale and Marshua's River stakes, turf races each worth $60,000.
Both 1 1/16-mile races drew full fields of 12, and many entrants have more lucrative goals in mind this winter, including the two rich grass races on Sunshine Millions Day, Jan. 29.
NEW ORLEANS - The $60,000 Colonel Power Handicap, Sunday's six-furlong feature at Fair Grounds, lost a little of its star power when two of the expected runners, Beau's Town and Mountain General, didn't show up at entry time. But the race still will provide the best matchup so far this meet, when Gold Storm and Clock Stopper, who both ran in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, take on Thanksgiving Handicap winner Ole Rebel, stakes winner Nebraska Moon, and speedsters Artemus Sunrise and Spooky Mulder.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bushwacker's attempt to play the spoiler in the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity last month did not last into the stretch. His saddle slipped on the backstretch and jockey Rene Douglas pulled him up on the last turn.
Sunday, Bushwacker will have the role of the top contender when he faces a much easier field in the $100,000 San Miguel Stakes over six furlongs at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board has cleared the way for Patrick Valenzuela to return to competition, ruling on Friday that he will be allowed to apply for a jockey's license. Valenzuela has not ridden since July after being suspended for failing to take a hair follicle test, part of a drug screening process.
It is not clear when Valenzuela will be able to ride because of the licensing process, which could take a week or longer. Valenzuela, 42, is hopeful of riding as soon as possible.
"I'm ready," he said in a telephone interview. "I'm so ready."
Attendance and ontrack handle were down at New York Racing Association tracks while total handle was up in 2004, according to figures released Friday by the association.
Ontrack handle on NYRA's live races in 2004 was $342,129,176, down 4 percent from $356,441,637 in 2003. The average daily ontrack handle was down 4.8 percent to $1,357,655.
Overall, however, total handle on NYRA's races rose 3.2 percent to $2,684,183,690 from $2,602,103,288. The daily average total handle on NYRA's races was $10,651,523, up 2.3 percent from 2003.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Beluga Star will shoulder an impost of 128 pounds when he heads a field of eight older Quarter Horses in Sunday's $6,000-added Directors Handicap at 350 yards.
Under jockey Tim Neal, Beluga Star will attempt to win his fourth straight stakes for owner Juan Leon and trainer Gary Klinger. The 8-year-old Beluga Star is coming off a track-record performance in the Candy Cane Handicap on Dec. 17, when he sped 880 yards in 46.06 seconds. He won the 350-yard Autumn Handicap and the 400-yard Columbia River Handicap in his two previous starts at the meeting.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - If Friday's fourth race at Gulfstream Park is any indication, trainer Mike Mitchell is going to enjoy his first season in south Florida.
Mitchell, among the leading trainers on the Southern California circuit, was given 17 stalls at Palm Meadows for the 2005 season. He ran his first horse, Primitive Man, on Friday and was rewarded with the easiest of victories as the 3-year-old breezed home nine lengths the best in the maiden race for $62,500 claimers.
NEW ORLEANS - Mountain General owns the track record for six furlongs at Fair Grounds, 1:08.03, a mark he set in the 2003 Thanksgiving Handicap. But he is not the horse he used to be, a fact trainer Steve Asmussen acknowledged when he decided not to enter him in Sunday's Colonel Power Handicap against the best sprinters at Fair Grounds.
"It's a tough race, and he's not the same horse he was two years ago," said Asmussen. "He's an older horse and he's taking it easy on himself."
Mountain General, 7, didn't fire in his last start, the Thanksgiving Handicap.
ALBANY, Calif. - Art Sherman was understandably happy Thursday at Golden Gate Fields after Mountain Mustang provided him with the 1,500th victory of his training career.
"I can remember my first winner as a jockey, Nick's Brigade at Caliente, but I can't remember my first winner as a trainer," said Sherman, who has been saddling horses since 1979.