PORTLAND, Ore. - Ruby Choise looms as the one to beat in Monday's featured eighth race at Portland Meadows, a mile test for $4,000 fillies and mares who have never won three races.
Ruby Choise arrived here earlier this week from Bay Meadows, where she defeated $4,000 non-winners of two company at a mile Sept. 29. Ruby Choise came back to run fifth against open $4,000 company Oct. 28, but should appreciate the move back to restricted company Monday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - British jockey Kieren Fallon, who rode in California as an apprentice in 1996, has always loved America. After winning two races Saturday at Churchill Downs, including the Grade 2, $171,150 aboard River Belle, he loves it even more.
With the top three finishers running inches apart, River Belle needed a perfect trip under Fallon to win by a nose over Lenatareese. River Belle was placed in a favorable position early, in fourth behind contested fractions of 48.30 seconds and 1:13.48 over a "good" turf course.
Happy Ticket improved her career record to 6-for-6 when she drew out to an eight-length win in the $75,000 Magnolia at Delta Downs on Friday night. Kylers Midge finished second in the seven-furlong race for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares, a length and a quarter clear of third-place finisher Agree to Disagree.
Happy Ticket ($3.20) led the field throughout as the 3-5 favorite, and covered the distance, which was run around two turns, in 1:25.86. Lonnie Meche rode the winner for trainer Andrew Leggio Jr.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Shane Sellers, who has been at the forefront of the jockey-insurance controversy the past week at Churchill Downs, said Friday he was planning to leave town no later than this weekend "to get away from all this negative stuff" that has overwhelmed him and his family.
In a lengthy phone conversation, Sellers said he has been "sickened" by the situation that led to 14 jockeys being banned from riding at the Churchill fall meet and by other developments that he said "have ruined my name and ruined everything about me."
Here is a sampling of opinions from jockeys across the country about the dispute over accident insurance at Churchill Downs, in which some riders threatened a boycott and the track banned 14 of them for the rest of Churchill's fall meet. Interviews were conducted by Karen M. Johnson (Aqueduct), Dave Basler (Beulah Park), Mike Welsch (Calder Race Course), Marty McGee (Churchill Downs), Chuck Dybdal (Golden Gate Fields), Marcus Hersh (Hawthorne Race Course), Jay Privman (Hollywood Park), Mike Farrell (The Meadowlands), and Mary Rampellini (Sam Houston Race Park).
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Western Hemisphere's unmistakable preference for the main track is one reason she will be favored to win the $85,000-added Cat's Cradle Handicap on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Secondly, the 7 1/2-furlong Cat's Cradle plays to Western Hemisphere's strength. "The distance is a good distance for her," trainer Bob Baffert said, adding "the farther she goes, the better she is going to be."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It's next weekend when Hollywood Park is running its two stakes preps for the Hollywood Futurity and Hollywood Starlet. But this weekend holds significant interest, too, since several promising horses with designs on those season-ending 2-year-old stakes will compete in a pair of allowance races on Sunday's card.
ALBANY, Calif. - Two fillies who blossomed on the Bay Meadows turf course will try to carry that form to Golden Gate Fields on Sunday in the $50,000-added Star Ball Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
The first stakes of the meeting, the Star Ball Handicap was originally scheduled for opening day, Wednesday, but was postponed after it failed to fill.
Nine fillies and mares signed up for the race, including Midwife and Tricky Surf, both of whom scored three wins over the turf at Bay Meadows.
Gulfstream Park has begun construction on a new chute to its rebuilt 1 1/8-mile main track, which will allow the track to card one-turn one-mile races when the 2005 meeting begins on Jan. 3.
Gulfstream's main track was enlarged after the end of the 2004 season from one mile to 1 1/8 miles. The configuration would have allowed one-turn races to be run up to only 7 1/2 furlongs. The new chute, approximately 150 yards in length, has alleviated that problem. Two-turn races will be run at distances beginning at 1 1/8 miles.
