ANDERSON, Ind. - Indiana-bred Pass Rush will meet several familiar rivals when he returns to his home state for Saturday's $100,000-added Michael G. Schaefer Mile.
Waiting to spoil his homecoming is last year's Schaefer winner, Crafty Shaw, who defeated Pass Rush by a neck in a Churchill Downs allowance race Nov. 4, and Cappuchino, a two-length winner over Pass Rush in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill on Oct. 26.
PHOENIX - Until he switched his base of operations to Southern California a couple years ago, Jeff Mullins dominated the training scene at Turf Paradise. He returns to the site of so many successes with new acquisition Demon Warlock in Saturday's $35,000 Paradise Valley Handicap. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race drew a full field of 10 and one also-eligible.
ALBANY, Calif. - Dennis Carr, a fixture in the top 10 of the northern California jockey standings from 1995-2001, is expected to arrive at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday and will take his first mounts of the meet Wednesday.
Carr, a native New Yorker, returned home after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. After taking two months off to visit family and friends, Carr began riding in New York but did not enjoy the same success he had in California, where he finished second to perennial leading rider Russell Baze 10 times between 1997 and 2000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The focus of Saturday's Display Stakes will be the Sovereign Award showdown between A Bit O'Gold and Smoocher, because either horse would virtually ensure himself of 2-year-old colt or gelding honors with a victory.
But the Display is more than a two-horse race, and another entrant who can't be thrown out is Third Sacker, who is a maiden after six starts but has shown more than a modicum of talent.
Third Sacker has finished second once and third four times while earning $100,936.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When Battle Group made his debut before a sparse crowd in the first race Oct. 26, those who had come out early were likely surprised by what transpired. What looked like a non-event, a five-horse $15,000 maiden race with no real standout, carried one of the more impressive performances at the meet.
PORTLAND, Ore. - After Houston Shuffle won the OTBA Sales Stakes on Nov. 1, putting himself in line to collect a $25,000 bonus with a score in the Oregon Futurity on Dec. 13, trainer Jonathan Nance spoke of skipping Saturday's $15,480 Bill Wineberg Stakes at Portland Meadows in order to give Houston Shuffle a better chance at winning the bigger prize.
He changed his mind.
Thursday's live thoroughbred card at Woodbine was cancelled due to high winds. The Toronto area experienced wind gusts of up to 60 mph throughout Thursday. There were also snow squalls north and northwest of the city.
Racing is scheduled to resume Friday, with post time set for 12:55 p.m.
Aqueduct Racetrack canceled its live racing card on Thursday because of extremely high winds.
Winds were gusting at 30-40 miles per hour on Thursday morning, and a high wind watch was in effect for the New York area through Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service. Weather forecasters predicted that gusts would top 50 miles per hour in the afternoon.
The cancellation was the first of the Aqueduct fall meet. Aqueduct had nine races scheduled for Thursday.
Gators N Bears has won more than half of his 15 career starts, and trainer Leo Nechamkin can offer a detailed list of reasons for the colt's losses. Nechamkin said Wednesday he would have only two excuses should Gators N Bears not win Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 at Laurel Park.
"The only thing that's going to beat him is a better horse or bad luck," said Nechamkin, who also heads the partnership that owns Gators N Bears. "I think he's going to run the race of his life."
OZONE PARK, N.Y.- The streaking Lovely Fiona takes on a pair of runners from the red-hot Richard Dutrow Jr. barn in Friday's featured $51,000 third-level allowance race at Aqueduct.
Lovely Fiona, a New Jersey-bred daughter of Not for Love, has won four consecutive races, including the restricted Girl Powder Stakes at The Meadowlands on Oct. 18. Overall, she has won 5 of 7 starts and is particularly fond of wet footing, and would appreciate any leftover moisture from Wednesday's rains.
