Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Longshots trigger record pick four, super

POMONA, Calif. - Fairplex Park has scheduled another $200,000-guaranteed pick four pool for Saturday, one week after bettors poured a track-record $296,427 into the guaranteed pick four last Saturday. The guarantee was a first for Fairplex, and longshots in three of the races caused the $1 bet to return a Fairplex record $38,535.60.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Cherokee Spires must save fuel

POMONA, Calif. - Cherokee Spires will be favored to extend her winning streak to three when she starts as an overwhelming favorite Wednesday in the $60,000 Black Swan Stakes at Fairplex Park.

Eight juvenile fillies entered the Black Swan, a 1 1/16-mile race that marks a new challenge. Cherokee Spires's first three races were one-turn sprints. She races three turns Wednesday on the five-eighth-mile Fairplex oval.

"The way she ran at Del Mar, I think she'll do it," trainer Cliff Sise said. "She acts good right now."

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Schedule may alter Wind Water's plans

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Brian Koriner said he was not surprised by Wind Water's wire-to-wire victory in the San Mateo Stakes at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

Wind Water was third in the Malcolm Anderson in his debut and won the Everett Nevin-Alameda County Futurity in his next start.

But while the victory did not surprise him, Koriner was surprised by how easily Wind Water made the lead.

"I thought somebody would go with him," Koriner said.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Charles Town halts racing

Racing at Charles Town Races in West Virginia has been canceled indefinitely as the track conducts repairs of its racing surface, a spokesman for the track's owner, Penn National Gaming Inc., said Monday.

"We found some wet spots on the track, so we closed it as a precautionary measure," said the spokesman, Eric Schippers. The wet spots were making portions of the racing surface "uneven," Schippers said.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Grass could make 'Ami' victorious

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes-placed Victorious Ami will make her first start on the grass in Wednesday's first race at Woodbine, a one-mile maiden special for 2-year-old fillies. Although 16 horses were entered for the $62,700 turf race, only 12 will be allowed to start.

Victorious Ami showed promise when she debuted in a five-furlong maiden special on Aug. 21, finishing a fast-closing second after a slow start. The winner, Roving Angel, came back to capture a tough allowance by five lengths.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Record run propels 'Positive'

AUBURN, Wash. - Positive Prize won the richest of eight stakes on Sunday's Washington Cup Day program at Emerald Downs, coming from just off the pace to score by a length in the $100,000 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

Ridden by Ricky Frazier, Positive Prize got the distance in a stakes-record 1:41.40 and paid $5.80 to win as the second choice. It was the fourth win from five starts for Positive Prize.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Monmouth track report

* Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. swept both stakes on the program at Monmouth Park, sending out Twist and Pop ($6.20) to win the $65,000 Lighthouse for fillies and mares by 1 3/4 lengths and Upturn ($4) to score a 2 3/4-length victory in the $60,000 Friendly Lover, a six-furlong sprint for New Jersey-breds.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Fairplex: Beat the Chalk by a head

POMONA, Calif. - Beat the Chalk ($6.40), a maiden making his second start, won the $111,250 Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Fairplex Park. Five of the seven starters in the race were first-time starters; two were making their second start, including even-money Dover Dere, who finished third. A 6 1/2-furlong race, the Barretts Juvenile is restricted to 2-year-old colts and geldings that were offered at a Barretts auction.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Fairplex: Lunar Flight upsets

POMONA, Calif. - Bettors expected the $118,800, 6 1/2-furlong Barretts Debutante Stakes to be a formality for She's Salty, the even-money favorite. Instead, longshot Lunar Flight ($29.40), trained by Ian Jory, won by 3 1/2 lengths while She's Salty was unable to overcome a slow start and finished fifth. Bernstein's Babe pressed a fast pace and finished second, a half-length in front of Bertha Jo.

The Debutante was the first stakes victory for jockey Garrett Gomez since his Sept. 10 return after a 20-month absence.

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 00:00

Prairie Meadows: Miss Moses takes Oaks

ALTOONA, Iowa - Miss Moses ($10.40) rallied to score a 1 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Miss Moses, trained by Mike Stidham, clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.43, beating My Time Now, who finished second, a head in front of Platinum Ballet.