HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - E J Harley, the popular Arkansas-bred sprinter who won his debut as a 12-year-old last Sunday at Oaklawn Park, has been retired, said his longtime trainer, David Vance.
He is to ship to a Little Rock, Ark., farm this weekend. During his career, E J Harley won 17 of 54 starts and $456,915.
"We kind of told ourselves over the winter the first time he wins, well retire him," said Vance.
ALBANY, Calif. - The general manager of Golden Gate Fields, Michael Scalzo, said he is confident the track can close out its current meeting with a bang.
"Hopefully, with good weather, a strong stakes schedule, and getting back on the turf course, we will finish strong," he said.
Risen Star Stakes winner Gradepoint leads a field of 11 horses who have been entered in Sunday's Grade 2 $600,000 Louisiana Derby at 1 1/16 miles at the Fair Grounds. Gradepoint, trained by Neil Howard, is listed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the race along with entrymate Breakaway. Gradepoint will break from post nine with regular rider Robby Albarado aboard.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Pleasantly Perfect has risen from an outsider in the handicap division to a leader in the four months since he pulled a 14-1 upset in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic last October.
In the on Saturday, he will attempt to add to his collection of wins in legendary races. Pleasantly Perfect will be strongly favored to win the Big Cap, which is run over 1 1/4 miles and has a field of nine.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Lion Heart has proven he can run fast, and he has proven he can run far. But can he run fast and run far at the same time? That will be his assignment in Saturday's $200,000 at Santa Anita, because with the speedy Hosco drawn just inside of him, Lion Heart must show that he can ration his speed in the face of an equally fast pace rival.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Sweet Return's luck may have run out when post positions were drawn for Saturday's $350,000 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita.
The winner of the Hollywood Derby and San Marcos Stakes in recent months, drew the outside post in the 14-horse field in the Kilroe, which is run on turf. Trainer Ron McAnally said winning from there will be difficult.
"It's a bad post," McAnally said.
Other top contenders also have flaws in their game plans, making the Kilroe a wide-open race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The three winning tickets worth $1,567,984 each from Santa Anita's pick six on Wednesday were cashed on Thursday and ranged in cost from $64 to $2,160.
The $64 ticket was purchased through the New York OTB network. A winning $288 ticket was purchased at Viejas Casino in Alpine, Calif., near San Diego. It was cashed on Thursday afternoon by a nine-person partnership, according to Santa Anita officials.
The $2,160 ticket was cashed Thursday at Churhill Downs Trackside in Louisville, Ky., Santa Anita officials said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With Evening Attire and Snake Mountain not running, and Rogue Agent injured, Saturday's $75,000-added Stymie Handicap at Aqueduct has come up light.
, a winner of his last two starts over the inner track, is the 118-pound highweight and likely favorite. Eight were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Stymie, the final stakes at the inner-track meet.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Patrick Biancone's top Kentucky Derby prospect, the undefeated Lion Heart, is generating a lot of buzz as he prepares for his 2004 debut in Saturday's San Rafael at Santa Anita. Pomeroy, another talented but less-hyped 3-year-old in Biancone's barn, is also getting ready to return to the races.
From California on Thursday, Biancone said Pomeroy, who has not run since September, is likely to start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 20.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Barclay Tagg has laid out a tentative spring/summer schedule that would take Funny Cide to the three tracks in which he made his mark as a 3-year-old.
Tagg said Funny Cide, winner of last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was in good order after his third-place finish in Sunday's roughly run New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds and is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct on April 3. A year ago, Funny Cide finished second behind Empire Maker in Aqueduct's Wood Memorial.
