ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The $1 million Atto Mile won't be the only race worth winning here Sunday, with both the Canadian Handicap and Summer Stakes offering Grade 2 status and $250,000.
While the spotlight was on Atto Mile contender Perfect Soul and his work over the turf course here Wednesday morning, Mona Rose also took advantage of the special training session to prep for the Canadian.
With her regular rider, Eurico da Silva, in the irons, Mona Rose breezed four furlongs in 47.20 seconds.
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Marquis Downs, which ended its meet Saturday, experienced a very positive year in 2004, and hopes for 2005 are high.
Purses for next year are expected to rise about 10 percent, based on a solid increase in simulcasting revenue of about $1 million.
Not only were simulcasting totals up, but so too was the live handle, averaging $22,500 a day, up 9.5 percent from 2003. The handle could have been up even more if it were not for poor weather.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Deputy Country ($5.90) stalked a quick pace before taking the leading heading into the far turn and then held on to win last Saturday's R.J. Speers at Assiniboia Downs for his fifth stakes win this year.
Trained by Carl Anderson, Deputy Country crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths ahead of runner-up Smoked Em, with Indy Lead, also an Anderson trainee, third.
A son of Silver Deputy, Deputy Country was recording his ninth win from 22 starts and increased his earnings to $211,830. Deputy Country finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.40 under Ken Hendricks.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. - Nebraska's Thoroughbred season concludes this weekend when Horsemen's Atokad Downs holds a three-day meet that will offer about $68,000 in daily purse distribution and a host of full fields.
There will be one more day of racing in Nebraska this year when Fairplay Park in Hastings offers a card of five Quarter Horse races and a mule race in its inaugural meet on Sept. 25.
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Attendance for Fairmount Park's 2004 meet, which comes to an end Saturday, is projected to exceed last year's total by almost 10 percent, according to Kevin Kious, an Illinois state auditor assigned to monitor Fairmount's financials. At the same time, however, the average daily live handle is expected to drop slightly compared to last year, according to numbers released by Kious last week.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Lunes Grito and Deb's Favoite Gift, from the barn of leading trainer Gerald Bennett, should garner most of the attention in Friday's Michigan Oaks. The $50,000 race, to be run at 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of seven 3-year-old Michigan-bred fillies.
Deb's Favoite Gift, owned by Thomas Vanderhyde, was second to Gold Ginny, beaten seven lengths, in the Ann Arbor Stakes a month ago. Leading rider Terry Houghton will ride Friday.
Lester Knight reached the 3,000-win milestone on Sept. 8 when he guided Swift Sefa to victory in the seventh race. Knight, who began his riding career in his native Panama, won several riding titles at the old Detroit Race Course and was the leading rider at Hoosier in 2002. Knight is third in the current standings here with 16 wins.
Knight registered a four-bagger on Sept. 3, as did Rodney Prescott. The pair accounted for eight of the 10 races that night.
Ramsey Zimmerman leads the rider standings with 21 wins, while Prescott is second with 17.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Management has made several recent improvements to the facility that have been well received by fans.
The popular Dolly's Bar, located on the finish line, has been renovated. It had been inside the brick grandstand but openings have been made in the walls on two sides of the bar and fans can now see the horses being saddled in the outdoor paddock area and also the finish line. The open air atmosphere is a definite plus.
AUBURN, Wash. - Two-year-olds will lead the way into the final week of the 2004 meeting at Emerald Downs, as the first four races on Thursday's nine-race program are for the juvenile set.
The 2-year-old races include the best contest on the card, a six-furlong affair for maiden special weight company that has drawn a field of seven.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Bill Mott gave Stroll a summer vacation, hoping to have a fresher, stronger horse for the fall. Mott will find out how well that plan has worked beginning Saturday when Stroll returns to the races in the Grade 2, $200,000 Belmont Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.
