Sam Houston Race Park in Houston had declines in average daily handle and attendance during its 87-night Thoroughbred meet that closed Saturday.
The daily average all-sources handle on the track's live races at the meet was $1,933,257, down 11.6 percent from $2,185,639 daily at the 80-day 2003 meet.
Offsite handle on the track's races averaged $1,809,447, down 11 percent from $2,034,707 last year. Ontrack handle on live races was $123,810 a night, down nearly 18 percent from $150,932 last year.
It could be just another ho-hum dominating weekend for defending two-time national champion trainer Paul Jones, who has eight of the 20 finalists running in two Grade 2 derbies at Los Alamitos.
On Friday night, Jones saddles the four fastest qualifiers to the $131,000 El Primero Del Ano Derby for colts and geldings, and the following night he has four fillies in the $143,000 La Primera Del Ano Derby.
Three-year-old filly I Aint Jo Chick, a finalist in the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity, meets older mares for the first time in the $10,000 Red Earth Handicap at Remington Park on Saturday.
I Aint Jo Chick capped her 2-year-old season by winning her All American Futurity trial, but she finished eighth in the finals. After a nine-month layoff, she returned on April 8 and finished off the board in her Lazy E Derby trial.
AUBURN, Wash. - Paul Ryneveld, who took over from retiring Grant Holcomb as director of racing at Emerald Downs in January, brings a fresh eye to the track's racing program.
That much is apparent from his first condition book, which features more abbreviated races for the first few weeks of the meeting, more restricted races for older horses, including races for horses who haven't won four times, and optional claiming races that offer more ways to be eligible.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer scored two victories at Bay Meadows on Wednesday to move within two wins of the 4,000 mark for his career.
Hollendorfer has three runners entered Thursday in his bid to become the sixth trainer in history to reach the 4,000-victory mark. Dale Baird is the all-time leader with 8,905 victories followed by Jack Van Berg, King Leatherbury, Richard Hazelton and D. Wayne Lukas.
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Mike Puype hasn't had Kentucky Derby dreams for Trieste's Honor, but he has focused on the California Derby for some time.
"It comes in under the radar," he said about Saturday's $100,000, 1 1/8-mile race at Bay Meadows. "It's nongraded, and it's two weeks before the Kentucky Derby."
For that reason, the field will be small. Only five 3-year-olds were pointing for it at midweek, and only one other was listed as a possible last-minute entry.
The addition of a turf course will provide an new dimension to the second season of Thoroughbred racing at Indiana Downs.
Although the meet begins Friday night, fans will have to wait a bit for the unveiling of the turf course as racing secretary Butch Cook plans to begin carding races on the new surface in mid-May.
Indiana Downs, which is located in Shelbyville, Ind., near Indianapolis, had a successful first season, averaging 9.5 starters per race during its 30-day meeting last spring despite having only 400 permanent stalls on the grounds.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - The race for leading trainer at the Summit meeting, which began at Thistledown on April 8, could turn into quite a battle. With the majority of races run here for claiming horses, it is somewhat surprising that the meet has attracted so many trainers with large stables and impressive career credentials.
Grand Island, Neb. - Leading rider Perry Compton finished his regular tour of duty at Fonner Park last Saturday with a six-win day, capped off by a pair of stakes wins. Compton now leads the rider standings with 60 wins, 10 more than Curt Kimes, who is in second.
Compton, the four-time defending champ, will now shift his tack to Prairie Meadows for Friday's opener, but will return to ride some stakes races before the meet ends May 8.