ELMONT, N.Y. - Stroll has run some monster races at Belmont Park, including a two-length win in last year's Grade 2 Jamaica. If he can duplicate that effort, Stroll will be the one to beat in Saturday's Grade 2, $350,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap.
is among eight turf males in the Kelso, a prep for the Breeders' Cup Mile at Lone Star Park Oct. 30. Stroll is the co-highweight at 119 pounds with Millennium Dragon and Mr O'Brien.
ELMONT, N.Y. - This year, trainer Nick Zito won his first Belmont Stakes and first Travers.
The Champagne? Zito's been there, done that, four times over.
Saturday, Zito will go for his fifth Champagne victory in the last seven years when he sends out the impressive maiden winner Sun King against the more seasoned Afleet Alex and Proud Accolade in a salty 133rd renewal of the race.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A trainer with a useful turf marathoner might have had grand aspirations when he saw what was being offered on opening weekend at Keeneland. The Grade 3 Sycamore Breeders' Cup Stakes, a $150,000 race at 1 1/2 miles on grass, looked like a great fit for a horse in that niche.
Then Bobby Frankel, as he often does, had to go and ruin it for everybody else.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The blackout of the signal from Belmont Park in eight mid-Atlantic and Northeast states could last through the end of the year, officials from both sides of the dispute said on Thursday.
"We're talking, we're faxing, we're proposing, we're trying, we're doing everything we can do, but it's been very difficult," said Bill Nader, the senior vice president of the New York Racing Association, which operates Belmont. "This may keep going until the end of the year."
Churchill Downs unveiled its facility plans on Thursday for the upcoming fall meet, the last one during which the Louisville, Ky., track will be partly closed because of a $121 million renovation that began in December 2001.
The bottom three floors of the new six-floor clubhouse will be open to the public, as will one of the main entrance gates, Gate 10. For the last few meets, Churchill has used makeshift facilities during live racing, so the upcoming meet represents a substantial upgrade.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Eurosilver, who was one of the favorites for the 130th Kentucky Derby before being sidelined with an illness in late March, is set to make his return to action Thursday against fellow 3-year-olds in the $100,000 Perryville Stakes at Keeneland.
Eurosilver will be making his first start for trainer Carl Nafzger, who has overseen the colt's progress since mid-May, when Buckram Oak Farm owner Mahmoud Fustok split with trainer Nick Zito. Eurosilver was a very impressive winner of the Breeders' Futurity here last fall for Zito.
ARCADIA, Calif. - He begged, he campaigned, and finally on Thursday jockey Martin Pedroza persuaded trainer Wesley Ward to let him ride Omega Code in Sunday's $250,000 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita.
Ward had considered several riders throughout the week for the 4-year-old colt, who returns to the track where he won his biggest race. Under Pedroza, Omega Code won the San Miguel Stakes in 2003.
Presidentialaffair, who lost a photo finish to Docent in last year's Maryland Million Classic, will be one of the strongest favorites on Saturday's Maryland Million card at Pimlico. During the last year, Presidentialaffair has gone on to win two Grade 3 races and finish second to Ghostzapper in the Iselin, a race in which Ghostzapper earned a 128 Beyer Speed Figure.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - A cleaner trip could help Out of the Will narrow the gap with Melody of Colors when they meet again Saturday in the $60,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at The Meadowlands Racetrack.
The fillies squared off in a mid-September allowance race at Monmouth Park, with Melody of Colors drawing off to a 2 1/4-length win in the five-furlong turf race. Out of the Will, stuck in traffic, shook loose late and got up for third.
Any mishap in a five-furlong turf sprint spells trouble.
MIAMI - Most trainers with key contenders in turf stakes shudder at the hint of rain in the forecast and the chance a race might be taken off the turf. But you can bet neither David Fawkes nor Manny Azpurua will lose any sleep fretting about the weather in south Florida this weekend.
