INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Evangelizer might be the only person or racehorse in California not fond of Del Mar.
After finishing fourth and second in maiden races at Del Mar, Evangelizer won a maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on Oct. 9.
She will try for her second victory when she faces winners for the first time in a $37,000 allowance race over six furlongs at Hollywood Park on Wednesday.
Trainer Ron Ellis is convinced that Evangelizer has improved since she left Del Mar.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Proud Accolade, the Champagne Stakes winner who lost for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in October, worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds at Hollywood Park on Monday.
The quick work leaves him on schedule for the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 18, a race that may decide the Eclipse Award for the nation's champion 2-year-old.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Brass in Pocket will try to cap her brilliant career with a victory Wednesday at Woodbine in the $129,000 Classy 'n Smart Stakes, a race she has won the past two years.
The 1 1/16-mile Ontario sire stakes has lured five other fillies and mares, including Kissed by a Prince, who should be the main threat.
Brass in Pocket has won 3 of 8 starts and nearly $300,000 this year for owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. and trainer Bob Tiller. She upset her stablemate Winter Garden in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes in September and also took the Ballade Stakes in June.
Business trends at the 21-day Churchill Downs fall meet that ended Saturday were mixed, with all-sources wagering falling slightly and ontrack numbers rising slightly in comparison to figures from the 2003 fall meet.
Handle on Churchill Downs races from all sources averaged $7,791,943, down 2.5 percent from last year, when Churchill set a fall record. The total handle reflected a 4 percent decrease in wagering from offtrack sources, whereas ontrack handle on Churchill races averaged nearly $1.1 million per card, an increase of 8 percent.
Wagering on the Hastings live product was down 1.6 percent from last year, falling to $53,217,443 in 2004, compared with $54,061,966 in 2003. This despite racing two more days this year than last year, 71 to 69. Most of the decline can be attributed to the large drop-off in wagering from Woodbine, which sold Hastings in April and lessened its promotion of the racing there. Since the beginning of September, however, when California began betting into the Hastings pool, the total live handle has increased by almost 20 percent.
ALBANY, Calif. - Greg James has a promising 2-year-old named Iced Out in his barn. Although Iced Out hasn't really accomplished much yet, winning a $32,000 maiden claimer in his second start at Golden Gate Fields last Friday, the way he won had owner-breeders, Dr. and Mrs. William Gray, weighing six-figure offers for the colt.
"It's a great feeling, really nice," James said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Dave Cotey barn enjoyed a steady diet of winners last week, taking a race a day on the Wednesday through Sunday programs.
But the one that went down best was One Smooth Ride, who scored an upset in Saturday's $137,500 under regular rider Constant Montpellier.
One Smooth Ride was a surprise entrant in the Display, having raced the previous Saturday, finishing a closing third in his fourth career start - a first-level allowance at seven furlongs.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Shug McGaughey hadn't sent a horse to California for 11 years, since the fall Lure won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. It's quite a wait. But it wasn't long enough. Sunday's took more than 121 seconds. Still not enough time. No, not until a lengthy stewards inquiry was completed another five minutes later was Good Reward finally made the official winner of the Grade 1, $500,000 race that completed Hollywood Park's Autumn Turf Festival.
