BOSSIER CITY, La. - Imperialism and Borrego arrived together from Southern California on Wednesday for the Grade 2, $500,000 , and will end up side by side in the starting gate when the 1 1/8-mile race is run for the 25th time Saturday at Louisiana Downs.
Entries for the Super Derby, as well as three supporting stakes, were taken on Wednesday.
POMONA, Calif. - Bettors face two questions Friday in the $100,000 Las Madrinas Handicap at the Los Angeles County Fair. The first is deciding whether Shezsospiritual will reproduce her most recent start, a romping win just 12 days ago in the E.B. Johnston Stakes over the five-furlong Fairplex Park track.
The second question requires more risk, with possibility for greater reward: How much improvement will Tale of a Dream produce while making her first start for her new trainer, Jeff Mullins?
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes winners Sweet Problem and Spanish Decree are among the nine horses in Friday's Woodbine feature, a 6 1/2-furlong turf allowance.
The conditions of the race - for nonwinners of a first-place prize of $45,660 since July 1, other than in a maiden or claiming race - indicate it may have been written for Sweet Problem, who captured the 6 1/2-furlong Alywow Stakes here June 13. He earned $67,200 that day for owner K.K. Sangara and trainer Lorne Richards.
ELMONT, N.Y - A bullet five-furlong work from Artie Schiller on Wednesday at Belmont Park suggests he is ready to win his fourth stakes on Sunday in the Grade 2 Jamaica Handicap for 3-year-olds on the grass.
, with jockey Richard Migliore in the saddle, covered the distance in 1:00.06. After the work, Migliore told Artie Schiller's trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, that the colt was startled by a shadow during the work over the training track.
"He was going so relaxed around the 3 1/2 [furlong] pole and then he jumped a shadow," Migliore said to Jerkens. "He kind of fooled me."
ELMONT, N.Y. - So far, Possibility hasn't lived up to the possibilities connected to her regal pedigree - by A.P. Indy out of Personal Ensign - but she should find herself back in the winner's circle in Friday's eighth race at Belmont Park.
is among nine fillies and mares entered in the first-level allowance at seven furlongs on the dirt. She drew post 2 and will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Expectations have always been high for Possibility because of her bloodlines.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - One reason Castleton Lyons sent Conspiring to the United States from Ireland was to get a stakes victory.
Conspiring, 4, will get that chance Saturday in the $55,000-added Hillsborough Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles over the turf.
"The owner felt there were more opportunities here," said John O'Donoghue, assistant to Conspiring's trainer, Neil Drysdale. "There are more stakes races with older fillies."
The Hillsborough, a graded stakes at one time, seems the perfect spot for Conspiring on paper.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hour of Justice, undefeated in three starts this year, all at Woodbine, shipped out early Wednesday morning for a date in Belmont's Grade 3 Noble Damsel Handicap on Saturday afternoon.
Todd Kabel, who has been Hour of Justice's rider this season, has the call for the $150,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
CHICAGO - Less than 30 miles separate Arlington Park and Hawthorne Race Course, and only four days fall between the Arlington meet that ended Sunday and Hawthorne's racing season, which begins a 68-day run on Friday. Arlington, ringed by grapevines, sits on swank suburban property northwest of Chicago. Hawthorne could hardly be grittier. The bars here are called "Moose's" and "The Yellow House." A smelter rises to the east.
CHICAGO - What can Frank Kirby do for an encore after his surprising win in the race to be Arlington's leading trainer? Maybe some good at the Hawthorne meet, which begins Friday and runs into the dead of Chicago winter, with closing day slated for Jan. 2.
Kirby edged Steve Asmussen, 32-31, to take the Arlington title, and he did it by leading almost from start to finish. Kirby isn't a huge talker, especially concerning his own achievements, but he said the Arlington title, his first since 1974, gave him satisfaction.
The hurtful memory still lingers. Trainer Ken McPeek was waylaid by a stewards' call that took victory away from Art Variety in last year's $200,000 Kentucky Cup Turf. Since then, McPeel has been waiting for an opportunity for the horse to set things right.
