EDMONTON, Alberta - Fillies and mares with $28,000 claiming tags have the honor of launching Klondike Days in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint here Thursday evening.
Tuktoyaktuk, trained by Ron Grieves, returns to face five in her first outing in three months. She had a third and a fourth in two tries in optional claiming races in April at Stampede Park. Real Simard will ride.
AUBURN, Wash. - Diamond View will drop sharply in search of an elusive second win Thursday, when he heads a field of eight 4-year-olds in the six-furlong feature at Emerald Downs. The feature is for $15,000 claimers who have never won two races.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It took a while, but Winning Chance finally got the better of One for Rose here in last Sunday's $107,000 Belle Mahone.
Winning Chance and One for Rose both are 5-year-old mares and had met on six previous occasions.
In their first encounter, One for Rose finished second and Winning Chance fourth in the seven-furlong Kamar here last July 13.
Their next five meetings all ended the same way, with One for Rose first and Winning Chance second.
VALLEJO, Calif. - It's a wide-open game on the northern California fair circuit.
Thirty-eight different trainers have reached the winner's circle during the opening week of the Solano County Fair. Thirty-two trainers have won Thoroughbred races, while eight have won non-Thoroughbred races.
Two, Linda Harrell and Greg James, have victories in both categories.
Three of the eight winning trainers in non-Thoroughbred races are women, as are seven of the 32 winning Thoroughbred trainers.
CHICAGO - The way things are going, Frank Kirby will be king of the world by September.
For Kirby, the longtime Illinois-based horseman, a season's highlight would typically be something like having a big week at the National Jockey Club spring meeting. Illinois-bred maidens and knockaround claiming horses usually stock his barn, and summers at Arlington, where the competition toughens, can get slow and long.
Now it is mid-July, and Kirby is not only on top of the Arlington trainer standings but also sending out stakes horses.
How good is 2-year-old filly Sweet Macaroni? One gauge could come Thursday, when Equestrian Girls, who was second to Sweet Macaroni last out in a maiden race, runs back in the second race at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.
Sweet Macaroni powered to a 5 1/4-length win over Equestrian Girls, who was favored, when both made their career debut on July 1. Sweet Macaroni is now being pointed for the $50,000 Southern Belle at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 22.
AUBURN, Wash. - It isn't often that owners get the credit for a stakes win, but trainer Howard Belvoir said his partners Dan Corby and Harley Hoppe were responsible for Seattles Best Joe's victory in last Saturday's $48,000 Emerald Express Stakes, the first stakes of the season at Emerald Downs for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
"They were the ones who wanted to supplement him to the stakes," said Belvoir. "I wanted to run him back in a $40,000 maiden race. I didn't think he could beat our other horse."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Like the rest of us, Allen Jerkens is anxious to find out how Medallist will fare around two turns. So, the Hall of Fame trainer will most likely give Medallist that opportunity by running him in the $500,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Aug. 8.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Victory Alleged, a promising 3-year-old trained by Dennis Manning, takes a double jump and faces winners for the first time in the $41,000 allowance feature Thursday at Monmouth.
This will be the third start for Victory Alleged, a son of Victory Gallop. He debuted with a strong rally in a six-furlong maiden special weight race, finishing only a half-length behind California Heart, who is highly regarded by his trainer, Patrick Biancone.
Victory Alleged stretched out to 1 1/16 miles next time and won by 5 1/2 lengths.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Julio Canani makes no promises Wednesday about his three runners for opening day of the 2004 summer racing meet at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. "I don't have a strong, strong barn," he said.
It is not a lie. But remove one word from the description and Canani merely has a "strong barn."
