INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With better manners, would be unbeaten this year.
Between her wins in the San Gorgonio Handicap in January and the Santa Barbara Handicap in April, Megahertz finished first in the Santa Ana Handicap on March 27 only to be disqualified and placed last for interference. Megahertz was ridden that day by Victor Espinoza, a replacement for regular rider Alex Solis, who was traveling.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - is a strong closer, and there appears to be more than enough speed to fuel her late run Monday in the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff at Lone Star Park.
The one-mile turf race for fillies and mares is one of seven stakes worth a total of $1 million Monday at Lone Star. Other races of note on the program include the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, led by Kela, and the $200,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Reba's Gold will meet several sharp horses when he tries to score a repeat in the Grade 3, $125,000 Seabiscuit Breeders' Cup Handicap on Monday at Bay Meadows.
Last year, he won the 1 1/16-mile race off a six-month layoff. On Monday, he will try to win after a layoff of nearly eight months.
Reba's Gold proved last year that he can fire fresh, and trainer Dan Hendricks is confident he will run well again this year.
"The horse is doing great," said Hendricks, who believes he is not asking too much of the 7-year-old in his first start back.
MIAMI - has not won a race in 10 months, but despite the drought he is expected to be the favorite in Monday's $100,000 Memorial Day Handicap at Calder.
Supah Blitz's last victory came on July 26 in the Roman Brother Stakes, a race taken off the turf and moved to the main track due to rain. His performance that day was sensational as he rallied to an easy 4 3/4-length triumph over The Name's Bond while earning a career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - They card a turf race at Arlington and horsemen squint suspiciously: "Teasing us again?"
It was wet (as usual) Saturday, but racing officials were trying to keep scheduled grass races from being moved to dirt. There sits Arlington's signature turf course, wide, lush and inviting - and surprisingly difficult to get onto. Saturday was the 12th day of the meet, and already there have been seven rain-offs.
The Memorial Day feature, the $40,000 Mister Gus Stakes, is supposed to be at a mile on turf. Yes, it is supposed to rain.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Mike Smith was planning to spend the entire Memorial Day weekend in New York. Instead, Smith was expected to fly home to California on Saturday night after riding Moscow Burning to victory in the Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park.
Until last Tuesday, Smith said he thought he was going to ride Azeri in Monday's Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. After all, Smith had guided Azeri to 15 wins and 3 seconds from
18 career starts. Azeri was voted 2002 Horse of the Year and is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for older filly and mare.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Midway Road, the 2003 Preakness runner-up, who most recently finished second behind Southern Image in the May 14 Pimlico Special, will skip the June 12 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in order to run instead in the Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park the same day.
Trainer Neil Howard said Saturday that he and owner Will Farish decided last week that the Grade 2, $250,000 Brooklyn was the best spot for Midway Road, in large part because the colt would not have to run back against Southern Image, trained by Mike Machowsky.
AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Aubrey Villyard had never worked Random Memo on a wet track and he wasn't anxious to do so on Wednesday morning, but he had little choice. Random Memo needed a prep for Monday's 6 1/2-furlong Pepsi-Cola Handicap, and the forecast called for the rain to continue well into the weekend.
"I paced back and forth for a while, but I finally decided it had to be done," said Villyard. "The track wasn't going to get any better."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Less than a year after running in claiming races on the northern California fair circuit, Moscow Burning became a Grade 2 winner Saturday at Belmont Park.
With six riders content to allow Mike Smith to control the pace, Moscow Burning led every step of the way for 1 3/8 miles to win the Grade 2, $150,000 by one length. Spice Island, the 9-5 favorite, made a mild bid for second, four lengths ahead of Meridiana. Miss Hellie, Andover Lady, Alternate, and Savedbythelight completed the order of finish.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - South Florida invader Stay Forever launched a torrid late run down the center of the Churchill Downs turf course for a half-length victory Saturday over a game Sand Springs in the 28th running of the $168,300 .
With Calder's leading rider, Eddie Castro, aboard for trainer Marty Wolfson, Stay Forever was still last of nine with just five-sixteenths of a mile to go in the Grade 3 Mint Julep. "She really kicked," said Nicole Wiley, Wolfson's assistant. "The old lady came through."
