INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Blackdoun's three-race unbeaten streak in the United States ended with a troubled seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30.
Trainer Julio Canani has shrugged off the loss, blaming the defeat on traffic problems.
Now, Blackdoun has a new challenge. When he starts in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park on Nov. 28, Blackdoun will be trying 1 1/4 miles on turf for the first time, and against a top-class field.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Donnie Meche, who returned from a one-year suspension in July, was at Churchill Downs on Wednesday to see whether he could obtain a Kentucky jockey license. The initial answer from chief steward Mickey Sample was "no," although Meche, if he wishes, could submit to an interview with the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority's five-person licensing committee to determine his eligibility.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The 1 1/16-mile Ascot Graduation closed the books on stakes races at Hastings last Saturday, and what a way it was to go out. Alabama Rain and Notis Otis, two talented 2-year-olds, put on quite a show in one of the most exciting races of the year. Hooking up on the backstretch, they battled head and head all the way to the wire, with Alabama Rain bobbing his head at exactly the right time. If the photo had been taken a jump before or immediately after the finish line, Notis Otis would have gotten the nod and remained undefeated.
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon-bred 2-year-old fillies in the field will be tested for class in Saturday's six-furlong Lassie Stakes, the first open stakes for juvenile fillies at the Portland Meadows meeting, and Scatin Satin figures to administer the most demanding exam.
MIAMI - Be it quantity or quality, trainer Todd Pletcher appears to have most of the bases covered for Saturday's $40,000 Princess Mora Stakes at Calder.
Pletcher has four of the 12 fillies and mares entered in the body of the 1 1/8-mile overnight turf stakes, including Beebe Lake and Krasnaya, the two likely favorites. The four Pletcher runners will all go off as separate betting interests.
Not factoring in Breeders' Cup Day figures, Lone Star Park handled an average of of more than $1.95 million a day on its races and drew an average of 7,827 patrons per card during its fall meet that ended Oct. 31, according to figures provided by the Texas Racing Commission. The track hosted the Breeders' Cup on Oct. 30.
If it's not already, it would make a great Las Vegas bet: When will Steve Asmussen break Jack Van Berg's record of 496 trainer wins in a calendar year? Predicting the particular race is tough, but it would be movie-like if Asmussen was in a position to break the record in the $100,000 Star of Texas on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park.
Free Bonus gets one more chance to strut her stuff on Saturday, when she heads a full field of 12 in the fillies division of the $40,000 Indiana Stallion Stakes at six furlongs.
Undefeated in her three career starts, Free Bonus is also a two-time stakes winner at the meet. Trained by David Norris, Free Bonus won her maiden at first asking here on Sept. 10. She returned Oct. 1 and dominated statebred rivals, winning by the City of Anderson Stakes by 11 1/4 lengths.
Coronado Rose is one of 13 horses trainer Steve Asmussen will be starting in stakes in Texas and Louisiana on Saturday night. She will be shooting for her third straight win, taking on probable favorite True Tails in the $40,000 Delta Belle for 2-year-old fillies at Delta Downs.
Asmussen's other stakes starters will be at Sam Houston Race Park, where he has 12 horses in eight of the nine stakes making up Texas Champions Day. Asmussen is close to breaking Jack Van Berg's record of 496 wins by a trainer in a calendar year. Asmussen had won 486 races this year through Wednesday.