How well does good recent turf form in races run in Kentucky and Florida translate to Maryland?
Any handicapper who can to answer that question will have a tremendous edge in finding the likely winner of Saturday's $50,000 Hilltop Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's possible that the filly Dancewithavixen and the gelding Lord Nelson will face each other in the $40,000 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint on May 23. Both came out of their winning races last weekend in good shape, and Tom Longstaff, who is the owner and trainer of Dancewithavixen, is seriously considering giving Dancewithavixen a chance to beat the boys in her next start.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - It's probably just as well that Neil Drysdale was out of town on March 27 and didn't see Arabic Song run in the Grade 2 Santa Ana at Santa Anita.
She was stalking nicely and had begun to close ground in the stretch when Megahertz, first under the wire that day, ducked in sharply, forcing Arabic Song to steady badly and lose all momentum. Arabic Song wound up fourth but was moved up to third when Megahertz was disqualified.
"From listening to John," Drysdale said of his assistant, John O'Donoghue, "she was making a nice move when Megahertz cut her off."
MIAMI - Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. may never be able to fill the shoes of the recently retired Best of the Rest, but he has a pretty good replacement in Magic Mecke, who returns to his favorite course as the horse to beat in Saturday's $75,000 Carterista Handicap.
Magic Mecke has won half of his 10 starts over the Calder turf and has been worse than second on that course just twice. He concluded his 3-year-old campaign with three consecutive victories here, including decisive tallies in the What a Threat and Pete Axthelm stakes.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - As horses trickle into Suffolk Downs, it's clear after three days of racing that runners with Maryland form are ready right off the van.
Leading the charge has been trainer John Rigattieri, who has won six races by seamlessly transplanting his barn from the Free State to the Bay State. He has outshone perennial leading trainer Ron Dandy early on through a combination of good luck and good planning.
"I was looking forward to a good start," said Rigattieri. "I knew I had the kind of runners that would run well right away."
ALTOONA, Iowa - Sharky's Review, the Iowa-bred horse of the year in 2003, faces defending champion One Fine Shweetie and five other statebred fillies and mares in the $60,000 Mamie Eisenhower Stakes Saturday at Prairie Meadows.
Sharky's Review, whose $621,869 in earnings make her the all-time leading money-winning Iowa-bred mare, made a successful 2004 debut here on April 16 in an allowance race for Iowa-breds. She rallied for an easy 1 3/4-length score in the six-furlong contest, defeating four rivals that she will face again at the same distance in the Eisenhower.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Thundering Verzy has never been defeated in his four starts in Nebraska. On Saturday he'll get his sternest test to date when he takes on seven others in the one-mile, $25,000 Nebraska Derby, the meet's closing-day feature.
Shipping in to face Thundering Verzy are Okie Style, for trainer Kelly Von Hemel, and Val Rah, from the barn of Roger Engel.
Eight Ohio-bred 3-year-olds and upward meet over six furlongs in the inaugural running of the $40,000 Mike Rowland Memorial Handicap. The six-furlong race honors the memory of Thistledown's all-time leading rider, who died in February from injuries sustained in a race at Turfway Park.
The race's co-highweights, Wedonit and Wirebender, are certain to draw support from the betting public.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Five apprentice jockeys with 10-pound weight allowances got into action on opening day at the Fort last Saturday. None looked out of place.
Taking first, second, and fourth money, the newcomers dominated the first race, a maiden event with a full field of 12.
Happy Ando was aboard the 5 3/4-length winner, Straight Exchange. It was Ando's first win and his first try at the Fort. Graduating from exercising horses, he had 12 rides at Woodbine last year and five this spring.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Remiewaterbluz will be going for her 10th lifetime win, and her fifth in six starts at five or 5 1/2 furlongs, in Saturday's $16,000 sixth race. The five-furlong allowance race for fillies and mares has attracted five starters.
Trained by Clayton Gray, Remiewaterbluz has run three times this year, most recently finishing fifth in the one-mile Wintergreen Stakes at Turfway Park on March 21. Prior to that, the 5-year-old Remiewaterbluz won a starter allowance and a conditioned allowance race at Turfway.