Mr. Jester will add blinkers when he returns to stakes competition Sunday in the $150,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. He is one of seven probables for the 1 1/8-mile race, led by Quintons Gold Rush and Cryptograph.
Mr. Jester won three stakes at 2, including the $1 million Delta Jackpot. He has been racing in the allowance ranks of late, and defeated older horses on Oct. 8. In his most recent start, he was second in an allowance Oct. 24.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With the end of November approaching, it is no surprise that trainer Josie Carroll is looking forward to her annual stint at Fair Grounds.
Carroll has been a going concern at Fair Grounds since setting up shop there for the first time in 1997 and has been organizing her troops for this year's meeting, which opens Thursday.
"It's been a really good meet for me," said Carroll, who has seen off her first shipment of six horses and has another six ready to follow.
Carroll says racing at Fair Grounds "fits well into the program."
ALBANY, Calif. - The $50,000-added Golden Bear Stakes, scheduled as the Saturday feature at Golden Gate Fields, was canceled when only three 2-year-old colts were entered.
Racing secretary Sean Greely is not optimistic about rescheduling the race.
All three scheduled stakes at the meet have failed to fill. The Star Ball, scheduled for opening day, was brought back and run last Sunday.
Last year's Pennsylvania Nursery served as the coming out party for Smarty Jones. His 15-length victory and 105 Beyer Speed Figure quickly stamped Smarty Jones as a 2-year-old with exceptional potential.
There are no horses in Saturday's $50,000 Pennsylvania Nursery at Philadelphia Park capable of running anywhere near as fast as Smarty Jones did last November. But United, a New York-based colt in the race, could turn out to be quite a nice stakes horse.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Senor Ladd can stake a claim as the best horse based in New England in Saturday's $40,000 John Kirby Stakes for 3-year-old Massachusetts-breds.
Like the Smarty Jones vs. Ghostzapper debate, the race for New England horse of the year is between a 3-year-old and an older horse who have never met on the track.
Trainer Bobby Frankel believes Midas Eyes lost the Breeders' Cup Sprint before the horses ever hit the track at Lone Star Park.
"He bit his tongue real hard in the paddock, and he had blood pouring out of his mouth," said Frankel, whose horse finished 10th behind Speightstown in the Sprint. "I'm hoping that's what stopped him. That and being so wide."
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Richard Schosberg has the same question most handicappers do when trying to figure out what to do with Rogue Agent in Friday's $60,000 classified allowance feature at Aqueduct.
"Is he still sliding or is he ready to come back and be the horse that he was six, eight, nine, 10 months ago?" Schosberg asked.
Schosberg, who has only had Rogue Agent for two months, isn't sure himself. shows all the right signs, Schosberg said, but four consecutive sub-par efforts has Schosberg wondering if Rogue Agent is past his prime.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Confirmed and Come Out Smokin' each made his last start on Oct. 27 at Keeneland, albeit in different races and at slightly different distances. If they had happened to oppose each other that day, it probably would have been close: Confirmed earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92 as the runner-up in a second-level allowance at 1 1/8 miles, after which Come Out Smokin' got a Beyer Figure of 91 in winning an entry-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Plagued by foot problems that have limited her career to four starts in the last 15 months, Puxa Saco makes another comeback on Friday at Hollywood Park.
Trainer Jenine Sahadi is hopeful that the minor foot injuries that have limited the 4-year-old Puxa Saco to 13 career starts - she has won five of them - will not affect her winter campaign.
"She's very fragile," Sahadi said. "I've had foot problems with her, but she hasn't missed a beat since I got her going."
