SAN MATEO, Calif. - For the third time in 15 days, a stakes race on the northern California fair circuit failed to fill.
Sunday's $50,000-added Mid-Peninsula Stakes drew only four entries. The 5 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-old Cal-bred fillies will be rescheduled for next weekend, racing secretary Greg Brent said.
On July 26, the Ernest Finley, an open six-furlong sprint, failed to fill at Santa Rosa. It was brought back five days later and run with five entrants.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Slightlymorelikely, coming off a runaway maiden victory, will likely be favored in Sunday's $136,250 Ontario Debutante Stakes, a six-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine
Slightlymorelikely, a Florida-bred by speed sire Rizzi, was claimed from both of her starts. She finished second in her debut for trainer Mark Casse on June 7, taken for $40,000 by trainer Vito Armata.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though next Saturday's Arlington Million offers twice the purse and arguably better ground, Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational offers an extra two furlongs that supersede money.
For the California-based trainer Laura de Seroux, those furlongs meant shipping Ballingarry to Saratoga rather than back to Arlington Park where Ballingarry won last month's Stars and Stripes Handicap, the traditional prep for the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million.
Ballingarry will break from post 9 under John Velazquez in the Sword Dancer.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In the past, betting on trainer Nick Zito's first-time starters at Saratoga was a sure way to the poor house. According to Jim Mazur's "Saratoga Handicapper," Zito entered the 2003 Spa meeting having won with just one of his last 52 maiden firsters.
The times, they are a changing.
When Aladdin's Lamp lit up the board ($24.20) in Wednesday's second race at Saratoga, Zito had won with his second first-time starter at the meet. Zito says he's not done yet.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Dirty Diana and Tizdubai will start in Saturday's $150,000 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar coming off completely different wins in July.
On July 25, Dirty Diana won the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for California-breds over 5 1/2 furlongs with a devastating show of speed.
Tizdubai has made only one start, overcoming trouble to win a maiden race at Hollywood Park on July 6.
HENDERSON, Ky. - It's not the most conventional route, especially for a Southern California trainer looking to make a Breeders' Cup race that will be run in . . . Southern California.
But Wally Dollase will do whatever is necessary to wind up back home with Bare Necessities, who on Saturday will use the $200,000 Gardenia Handicap at Ellis Park as her penultimate prep for the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Distaff.
DEL MAR, Calif. - John McKee, a finalist for the 2002 Eclipse Award for top apprentice jockey, will ride Sister Girl Blues in Sunday's $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar.
McKee, who is currently riding at Ellis Park, was given the mount by owner Jeff Nielsen because he can make the filly's 109-pound assignment. The field for the Grade 2 Hirsch is led by Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, who carries top weight of 127 pounds.
Saturday's $600,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer didn't attract the stars of the 3-year-old division, but the 11-horse field might contain some late bloomers who will be players during the second half of the year.
Among the runners in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby are two lightly raced colts, Dynever and Soto, who have both shown promise in their brief careers.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wando, a commanding winner of both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, will attempt to become the first Canadian Triple Crown winner in a decade, and just the seventh since the series was created in 1959, when he starts as the favorite in Saturday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sentiment, not to mention mutuel support, will be overwhelmingly in favor of Wando when he looks to complete a sweep of the Canadian Triple Crown here in Saturday's Breeders' Stakes.
But there is also an allure to the role of spoiler, and Strizzi would appear to be the horse best equipped to play that part for Stronach Stable and trainer Malcolm Pierce in this year's renewal of the $500,000, 1 1/2-mile turf race.
