ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, the top rider in Southern California in 2003, was suspended indefinitely by the Santa Anita board of stewards on Friday for failing to appear for a drug test a day earlier.
The suspension is pending a hearing before the stewards and bans Valenzuela from the racetrack.
Badge of Silver returned to the races with a bang on Friday at Fair Grounds, winning a six-furlong optional claiming race by a widening 2 3/4 lengths.
A top 3-year-old early last year when he won the Grade 3 Risen Star in his third career start, Badge of Silver had not run since suffering a displaced palate in the Louisiana Derby last March 9. He had swooped by Funny Cide, Peace Rules, and Kafwain in the stretch that day, looking like a winner, but then slowed abruptly to finish sixth. A few weeks later, he broke a cannon bone, and his Triple Crown year was over.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Saltwater Runner remained perfect in three career starts when she swept past pacesetter Movant to win the $50,000 Dixie Belle before an opening day crowd of 25,137 at Oaklawn Park on Friday.
Saltwater Runner ($8.40) settled in nicely behind the early leaders, advanced around the turn, and jetted clear in the stretch to win the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies by 2 1/2 lengths. Movant held second, a neck clear of Yoursmineours.
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainers don't win 31 percent of the time by putting horses where they can't win.
So Andy Mathis's decision to put razor-sharp At a Boy Luther in Sunday's Golden Gate feature, a six-furlong allowance race, is worth examining.
At a Boy Luther, a 5-year-old gelding, has won five times since being dropped to the bottom in a $3,200 claimer last September, and he's 3 for 3 at the current meeting.
Mathis claimed him for $8,000 on Dec. 5, and At a Boy Luther won for a $12,500 tag on Dec. 29.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - The $125,000-added New Mexico State University Handicap, to be contested Sunday by statebred 4-year-olds and up over a two-turn mile, may shape up as simply one more jewel in Ciento's crown. A winner of seven of his last nine starts, Ciento has enjoyed a four-race win streak since his only real rival among the division, Star Smasher, was retired last summer.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Peace Rules might have been the most underappreciated 3-year-old of 2003. Consider his resume. He won the Blue Grass Stakes, finished third in the Kentucky Derby, was second in the Travers Stakes, and beat Funny Cide not once but twice, in both the Louisiana Derby and the Haskell Invitational. Yet at year's end, he did not even finish in the top three among Eclipse Award finalists for a divisional championship.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Cash or cachet? That was the choice facing the connections of Peace Rules and Southern Image. They chose to follow the money. There are one million reasons why these two Grade 1 winners are running in a restricted stakes like Saturday's Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita, as opposed to awaiting a more prestigious stakes like the Strub Stakes on Feb. 7.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Shake You Down and Valid Video, who first met three months ago in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, renew acquaintances on Saturday and take on five seemingly overmatched rivals in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park.
Shake You Down finished a game third despite breaking slowly and setting a contested pace in the Breeders' Cup. Valid Video was never a factor on Breeders' Cup Day, finishing 13th and coming out of the race with an injured stifle.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Even after shipping cross-country, Smok'n Frolic was the favorite in and decisive winner of the inaugural Sunshine Millions Distaff last year at Santa Anita.
This year, Smok'n Frolic gets to stay home to defend her championship in the $500,000 Distaff, but even though she figures to run another big race, she might not be the favorite.
The obvious reason is the competition seems much stronger than last year.
