ARCADIA, Calif. - In a meeting here Saturday, an adhoc committee of racing officials, owners, and trainers continued discussions on finding a cost-effective way to install surveillance cameras in backstretch barns at Southern California tracks.
Backstretch surveillance cameras as a way to increase security has been at the forefront of the committee's discussions in recent meetings. The group has met monthly since last winter to find ways to eliminate any perception of backstretch cheating.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - For 16 hours, True Love's Secret was credited with not only a course record but a world record for his neck victory over Take Achance on Me in Sunday's $50,000 Yankee Affair Stakes going five furlongs on the turf. Then common sense finally prevailed.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Mark Hennig did not know how prophetic his words would be on April 6, when, during a national conference call, he said, "a horse could be third beaten a half a length in the Wood and not get into the Kentucky Derby. . . . There's an outside chance the best 3-year-old might be sitting on the sidelines on Derby Day."
SAN MATEO, Calif. - It was once the centerpiece of one of the biggest days on the northern California racing schedule.
California Derby Day in 1974 resulted in the first $2 million handle day in northern California. The 1977 edition, which included the northern California debut of jockey Steve Cauthen, set the highest northern California attendance since the 1960's, a crowd of 26,108.
Not even trainer Ben Feliciano suspected Sassy Hound was sitting on a big effort. The 7-year-old Sassy Hound ($7.20), racing for the first time since January, won for only the second time in the past two seasons when he overtook pacesetter Out of Fashion by three-quarters of a length in the $50,000 Fire Plug Stakes.
The win was the 16th in the career of the Maryland-bred Sassy Hound, including 14 at six furlongs, and pushed his career earnings beyond the $600,000 mark.
STICKNEY, Ill. - If Que Candy can run as fast around one turn at Hawthorne as he did around two at Fair Grounds, he should emerge victorious from Tuesday's featured sixth race here.
If - that treasured word among horseplayers. If I had done this differently. If this horse had run a little faster. If the jockey had just gone outside. And so on.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Danny Stafford and Steve Usherwood's Oso Tricky was one of the few 2-year-olds with more than one start entered for Sunland Park's closing day feature, the $186,384 Copper Top Futurity for New Mexico breds, and his experience may have made the difference as he displayed great poise in a winning effort under jockey Robert Johnson.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Consecutive stakes wins by Ticker Tape this spring has left trainer Jim Cassidy unsure of the filly's ability.
"She scares me," Cassidy said.
Sunday, Ticker Tape won her biggest race in the $113,700 at Santa Anita. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Ticker Tape ($11.40) ran a mile on turf in 1:34.55, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over Amorama.
Warleigh, who won five consecutive turf races last year, picked up the richest win of his career Saturday night when he drove to a half-length win over Skate Away in the $220,000 at Sam Houston Race Park. The mile and an eighth race for older horses closed out the track's meet.
Warleigh ($13.40) took the lead after an opening quarter, increased his advantage in the stretch, then held off a late bid by Skate Away. It was another length back in third to Gentlemen JJ, while the favorite, Quest Star, finished fourth. Warleigh covered the distance over yielding turf in 1:53.01.
ARCADIA, Calif. - There is a two-day pick-six carryover of $578,231 at Santa Anita on Sunday after the longshots Toasted ($53.20) and Cinematic ($83) scored surprise wins on Saturday.
The carryover is the second highest of the Santa Anita meeting.
Sunday's pick six covers the fourth through nine races.
The fourth race features a field of nine state-bred maiden claimers over 1 1-16 miles. Enduring Grace, the mount of Javier Santiago, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, a slight choice over Drought Breaker.
