OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Tim Hills said he would like to be more of a factor in New York on a year-round basis. Hills, who is off to a good start at the inner-track meet, should certainly be a factor Wednesday, when he sends out Wheaton's Aly in Aqueduct's $54,000 featured allowance race.
Wheaton's Aly looks like the main speed in the eight-horse field, in which three are available for the optional claiming price of $85,000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Millfleet will try to make his first start around two turns a success Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $126,375 Sir Barton Stakes.
A 1 1/16-mile event for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds, the Sir Barton was originally scheduled for Saturday but was canceled along with the final five races on the card because of inclement weather.
According to trainer Hugo Dittfach, Millfleet had chronic shin problems before overcoming them early in the summer.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cozy Guy's appearance on Wednesday at Hollywood Park depends on the weather in Southern California.
Trainer Dan Hendricks has entered Cozy Guy in a $46,000 allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf, hoping the race will be shifted to the main track because of wet weather. Cozy Guy won the $250,000 California Cup Classic for statebreds on dirt in a 20-1 upset at Santa Anita on Oct. 16. Hendricks wants Cozy Guy to remain on that surface.
"We're dirt only," Hendricks said. "If it comes down to a three- or four-horse field, it would be a nice spot to be in."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Don Burke II has three horses in his stable at Hollywood Park. Some trainers start that many horses in a single race.
For a trainer with a tiny stable, Burke has been something of an overachiever. In 2002, his stable was led by Falcon Flight, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Arlington Park. Saturday at Hollywood Park, Burke scored the biggest win of his career when Pellegrino pulled an upset in the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup.
"Hopefully this will put me on the map," Burke said.
MIAMI - Aclassysassylassy got her first feel for the Calder turf course when she worked five furlongs in an eye-catching 58.90 seconds here Monday morning. The work came less than 48 hours after Aclassysassylassy, the undisputed leader of the local juvenile fillies division, was scratched as the favorite from Saturday's $100,000 Three Ring Stakes.
Trainer Dave Vivian said his filly had recovered quickly from the mild temperature she had run last Thursday morning, which forced her to miss the Three Ring.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - There is good news for trainers pointing their horses to the next two New York stakes races in the handicap division: Classic Endeavor won't be in them.
After adding Saturday's Queens County Handicap to his victory in last month's Stuyvesant Handicap, Classic Endeavor will head to Florida, where he will run next in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29. The Sunshine Millions pits Florida-breds versus California-breds. Classic Endeavor is a Florida-bred son of Silver Buck who has now won five consecutive races.
VINTON, La. - Texcess keeps trumping himself. He won his maiden in the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile in October. He defeated open company in his first attempt in November. And on Saturday night, he won a $1 million race in just his fourth career start when he captured the Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs.
CHICAGO - There's an empty auto-racing track on the property directly north of Hawthorne Race Course, the sad remnants of what once was Sportsman's Park. Sunday at Hawthorne, the horse racing harked back to the days a few years ago when the roar of stock cars echoed through the streets of Cicero, Ill.
Given the speed with which a 2-year-old named Wonone won Sunday's first race, you could put a circle around the first Saturday in May, 2005, and pin the calendar to the colt's stall door.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - When owner-trainer Stanley Baresich and his longtime partner, Winston Penny, were discussing their stock last summer, the subject of Canadian-breds came to the forefront.
"We didn't have any, and we thought we should have some," said Baresich.
Baresich began addressing that situation here at Woodbine on July 2, claiming Silver Impulse for $62,500 from the third race and Slew Pointe for $50,000 from the fourth.
Slew Pointe, a 3-year-old filly, has made six starts for her new barn, winning her maiden for $30,000 here Sept. 16.
ALBANY, Calif. - The 3-year-old filly division has been strong all year in northern California.
Arguably the best was Bending Strings, who began her career in Jerry Hollendorfer's barn and has since become a multiple graded-stakes winner back East.
Heavenly Humor, her stablemate, has won two stakes but hasn't run since her victory last spring in the San Jose at Bay Meadows.