ARCADIA, Calif. - Reba's Gold was in the best form of his 2002 campaign in late September and early October, winning the Pomona Handicap at Fairplex Park and returning the following weekend to run third in the Grade 2 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita.
This year, owner Alex Trebek and trainer Dan Hendricks considered the same plan, but scratched out of last Sunday's Pomona Handicap in favor of Saturday's $500,000 Goodwood.
Suffolk Downs will not race during the winter of 2004 after requesting from the Massachusetts Racing Commission 150 racing days for next year for a meet running May 1 to Nov. 27.
The official request means New England horsemen will be forced to relocate for six months when the current Suffolk meet ends Oct. 27.
The move comes a year after Rockingham Park in New Hampshire switched from Thoroughbred to harness racing and ended a 12-year circuit arrangement with Suffolk that had traditionally seen Suffolk running in the winter, spring, and autumn.
The top three choices for Saturday's Grade 3, $400,000-added Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park drew the outside posts in a field of 11.
Grand Hombre, purchased by Darley off his strong five-length win in the Pennsylvania Derby, was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite and drew post 11. Undefeated in four career starts, Grand Hombre will have Edgar Prado in the saddle.
MIAMI - Stroll, who has gradually ascended to the top of the 3-year-old turf division this summer, will put his four-race winning streak on the line in the $200,000 Calder Derby on Oct. 11. The Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Calder Derby is one of seven stakes that make up the undercard on the $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program.
Stroll's current streak includes easy victories in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Jamaica handicaps. A homebred son of Pulpit, Stroll is trained by Bill Mott for Claiborne Farm.
WINNIPEG, Man. - The Assiniboia Downs live race meeting came to a close last Sunday with average daily wagering on live races up slightly from 2002.
An average daily total handle of $136,753 was recorded on 73 live race days in 2003, compared with an average of $135,657 bet on 74 live race days in 2002.
Live ontrack handle was also up in 2003, with an average of $89,689 wagered compared with $84,631 in 2002.
STICKNEY, Ill. - She has never been a star racehorse, nor will she ever be. And Go for Puddin won't go with any great fanfare to the breeding shed for a career as a broodmare. But in an age in which longevity is in short supply, Go for Puddin is one rare mare that has maintained her form in the face of advancing age.
The 33-night Quarter Horse season at Lone Star Park starts Friday night with the equivalent of a Grade 1 derby matchup in the last of four trials to the Grade 1, $150,000 Dash for Cash Derby.
Meeting in the 400-yard trial are three-time derby winner Frostys Money Man and two-time Grade 1 winner Silvered Eyes.
ANDERSON, Ind. - A pair of stakes for Indiana-bred fillies are the supporting features on the Indiana Breeders' Cup Oaks undercard. The Vincennes Stakes brings together 3-year-old fillies, and the City of Anderson Stakes matches 2-year-old fillies.
Cattle Kate, seeking her third straight victory at the meet, heads a field of 12 in the six-furlong Vincennes Stakes. Trained by Gary Patrick, Cattle Kate defeated open one-other-than allowance company in her last start. She has the rail and leading rider Orlando Mojica aboard.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Nominations were released Tuesday for the Michigan Sire Stakes, the richest night in Michigan racing, which takes place on Oct. 11. A total of 72 offspring of Michigan sires were nominated to the series of six races, each worth an estimated $120,000.