Devout Sinner, who won an allowance over male rivals in her last start, will return to racing with fillies and mares Saturday night in the $35,000 Ricks Memorial at Remington Park.
A full field of 12 was entered in the one-mile turf stakes, which also drew defending champ Strawbailey; Cherylville Slew, who won the $75,000 Irving Distaff on turf at Lone Star; Academic Angel, who is cross-entered in the River Cities at Louisiana Downs; and Kentucky shipper Gin N Ginger.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Alberta shipper Sixthirty Joe and local Wheat City Stakes winner Deputy Country head a solid field in the $35,000 R.J. Speers on Saturday, but Northern Affair could upset them all if he runs back to his last race.
Sixthirty Joe ships in for the 1 1/16-mile Speers off a victory in the six-furlong Sun Sprint Championship Handicap at Northlands Park on Aug. 4, and while his best distance seems to be a sprint, he has run decently in route stakes in Alberta.
Soon after Eddie Kenneally assumed the training of Vicki Vallencourt, the filly finished eighth in an April 29 allowance race at Churchill Downs.
But since then, Vicki Vallencourt has been a rising star on the Kentucky circuit. In four subsequent starts for Kenneally, she has been in the money every time, including a 7 1/4-length romp in her latest outing, the Ellis Park Breeders' Cup.
Saturday, Vicki Vallencourt faces nine other fillies and mares in the $75,000 Weekend Delight Stakes, the first stakes of the fall meet at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Cal-bred millionaire sprinters Echo Eddie and Full Moon Madness will renew an old rivalry when they meet at six furlongs in a field of five entered for Saturday's $60,000-added Big Jag Handicap at Bay Meadows.
"I wish he weren't there, and he probably wishes I weren't," said Robert Marshall, trainer of Full Moon Madness, referring to Echo Eddie's trainer, Darrell Vienna.
"We were kind of looking for a confidence builder, but I don't know with Full Moon Madness in there," said Scott Chaney, the assistant to Vienna.
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - RJ Stable holds all the right cards for Saturday's $15,000 Saskatchewan Derby with invader Beauzak and local star Stop the Act.
The 1 1/16-mile Saskatchewan Derby, previously run in late July, tops the seven-race card that ends the 2003 Marquis Downs meet.
Beauzak began his career here last year and failed to beat a horse in two starts. But, the Alberta circuit agreed with him and he won twice at huge odds at Northlands Park to complete his juvenile campaign.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It's certainly unusual in the first weekend in September to see a 2-year-old filly making her 10th start, let alone competing in her fourth different country.
But that's the story of America America, a Kentucky-bred trained by Frank Mourier who is shipping into Woodbine from Saratoga for Saturday's Natalma Stakes.
America America began her career at Gulfstream in April, winning first crack out over three furlongs, then finishing second in the Mockingbird Stakes at the same distance.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Lynn Simon came close to sweeping both ends of the stakes doubleheader here Labor Day.
Simon saddled favorite Soon to Be Single, who won the Miss Moneypenny, then sent out 14-1 longshot Brother Pat, who finished second by a neck in the Puss N Boots.
The runners are owned by the Come by Chance Stable of Edna Arrow, the 85-year-old mother of Woodbine trainer Jim Day, who bred both runners. They are offspring of Day's stallion Raj Waki, who also serves as Day's pony during the racing season.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Robert VanOverschot started out the 2003 racing season with particular goals for certain horses in his barn. While his plan for Illusive Force to run in the Queen's Plate and come back to Hastings for the British Columbia Derby didn't pan out, his sprint-only schedule for Bold 'n Keen has worked out perfectly.
Bold 'n Keen figures to be a solid favorite when he runs in Saturday's Hastings Sprint.
AUBURN, Wash. - The state's Thoroughbred industry showed surprising strength at Tuesday's Washington Thoroughbred Breeders' Association summer sale, which saw 160 yearlings change hands for an average of $16,183.
The worst number to emerge from the sale was that the average price was down 1.8 percent, and even that came as a pleasant surprise.
"Given our economic woes and what happened at most of the sales that came before us, I think the average price far exceeded expectations," said WTBA general manager Ralph Vacca. "The other numbers were even better."