MIAMI - A pair of fillies who have never run on grass, Capeside Lady and Stormy Rosa, hold the keys to Saturday's $100,000 Frances Genter Stakes at Calder.
NEW ORLEANS - Destiny Calls has been thrashing the top Louisiana-bred fillies the last two years and appears to have her nine rivals in Saturday's one-mile, $38,500 allowance contest over a barrel. When trainer Gary Palmisano heard that his speedy 4-year-old gray drew the rail for the race, he chuckled with delight.
"Whoo, that'll be good," he said Thursday, opening day of the Fair Grounds meet. "I'm watching the races and the rail looks good. If my filly runs her race, if she breaks well and gets an early lead, I don't know who in there will beat her."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With just two days remaining at the meet, it's still not clear who will end up being the leading trainer at Hastings. Dino Condilenios, who won his first training title last season, has two more wins than perennial leader Harold Barroby. The outcome of the second race Saturday, a $25,000 optional sprint for 3-year-old fillies, could have a big impact on who wins the title.
ALBANY, Calif. - Unbeaten 3-year-old filly Factual Lady gets the sternest test of her career Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
has won each of her four starts, moving up against tougher competition each time and twice beating older rivals.
But Saturday, in a six-furlong allowance sprint, she goes against older multiple stakes winners Christmas Time, Our Mango, Pheiffer, and Top Penny, as well as Lyin Goddess, a fellow 3-year-old who won the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes in her career debut.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Thus far, Rockport Harbor and Galloping Grocer have had things their way. Both have won their first three starts by open lengths. Saturday, the two talented juveniles will get their first major test when they face each other in the Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.
A field of six was entered for the Remsen, run around two turns at 1 1/8 miles.
, a gelded son of A. P. Jet, has won his first three starts by a combined 31 3/4 lengths, all against New York-breds.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The defections this week of Tempted winner Summer Raven and the intriguing My Typhoon essentially have turned Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct into a two-horse race between Sis City and Salute.
returns four weeks after finishing fourth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Lone Star Park. Salute tries to bounce back from a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Tempted.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - One year ago this weekend, Read the Footnotes established himself as a serious Kentucky Derby candidate with a strong victory in the Remsen Stakes. Saturday, Read the Footnotes will try to lay the groundwork for becoming a serious player in next year's handicap division.
Away from the races since chipping a knee in the Kentucky Derby, Read the Footnotes is entered to run in a $58,000 allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct. Trainer Rick Violette is hoping to use this race as a prep for the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Daryl Snow has been around the racetrack long enough to know that he shouldn't get overly excited about the way things have been going for him the past few weeks. Snow has been on a roll as the meet winds down, winning six races with his last 18 starters.
For the past couple of years, Values of the Hunt has shown ability but has never won a stakes. That may be about to change as the 4-year-old Values of the Hunt runs in Saturday's $132,250 Johnie L. Jamison Handicap at Sunland Park. The 6 1/2-furlong race for New Mexico-breds drew a field of 10.
comes into this on a three-race winning streak. He romped twice against New Mexico-bred allowance foes in February and March, but didn't race again until Nov. 9, in a tough New Mexico-bred allowance spot.