Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Pletcher sets Belmont mark

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher set a meet record at Belmont Park when he won Wednesday's $65,750 My Juliet Stakes with Zawzooth.

It was Pletcher's 37th winner at the spring-summer meet. The previous record of 36 winners was set by Frank "Pancho" Martin in 1982.

Pletcher, who won the spring-summer meet last year with 30 winners, won three races on Wednesday's card. His other winners were Brighton Ridge in the fourth and Ella Bella in the fifth.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Flatter back in town

CHICAGO - The last time Arlington Park had a look at Flatter his star was rising fast. Flatter came to Chicago from Kentucky last August having won a Churchill Downs maiden race by almost three lengths, and he went home with an 11 1/2-length allowance score, leaving the impression a stakes career awaited.

Less than two months later Flatter was finished - almost for good. Flatter fractured a cannon bone during routine morning exercise last fall, a severe injury that necessitated two surgeries and a heap of hardware.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Silver Bid fresh, in top form

CHICAGO - Silver Bid is not the kind of horse that knows when to say when. Put a saddle on this guy and take him to the racetrack - morning or afternoon - and he's ready to rumble. His competitive fire is admirable - up to a point. Then, it starts to do damage.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Beau's Town coming West

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Beau's Town, the top sprinter in the Midsouth this year, will give trainer Cole Norman his first starter in California in the $200,000 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar on July 26.

Norman on Wednesday said Beau's Town will be shipped to California this weekend after a workout Friday at Louisiana Downs.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Blinkers get 'Happy' to run

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Shortly after trainer Grant Hofmans claimed Happy and Hasty from a $40,000 maiden race at Santa Anita in April, jockey Alex Solis suggested that the gelding be fitted with blinkers for his next start.

The advice has turned around the career of Happy and Hasty. He won a maiden race for $40,000 claimers on May 24 and a starter allowance race on June 18, and Friday night at Hollywood Park Happy and Hasty will try for his third consecutive win in a $51,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Well-traveled Stylish coming in for Eatontown

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The well-traveled Stylish, who has run at six different tracks in her last six outings, will ship once again for her her next start, which comes in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Eatontown Handicap at Monmouth Park.

Owned by The Thoroughbred Corporation and trained by Bill Mott, Stylish rallied for a three-length win in her most recent outing, the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Breeders' Cup stakes over a firm turf course at Canterbury Downs.

She is the likely starting highweight at 118 pounds for the Eatontown, a 1 1/16-mile grass race.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Market Master back in top form

AUBURN, Wash. - Market Master is the one to beat on Friday at Emerald Downs when the Harley H. Hoppe and Associates' Marathon Series gets under way with the nine-furlong leg of the three-race competition.

Market Master starred in the 2000 Marathon Series, winning the nine and 10 furlong legs before being injured in the concluding leg, at 1 1/2 miles. He missed all of 2001 and raced only twice last year, winning once, but he has returned this season at 9 to win all three of his outings in impressive style.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

While the champ's away . . .

EDMONTON, Alberta - The second race on the trail leading to the $150,000 Canadian Derby takes place here Friday night at Northlands Park when the top 3-year-olds in Alberta run in the Ky Alta at 1 1/16 miles.

With Taiaslew in Winnipeg preparing for the $100,000 Manitoba Derby on Aug. 4, the door is open for others to pick up a stakes win.

For trainers like Ryley Rycroft, who handles the probable favorite Rindanica, it's a perfect opportunity.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Link Wando with longshots

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wando, an overpowering winner of the June 22 Queen's Plate at Woodbine, will likely be the shortest-priced favorite in the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie since Alydeed was upset in 1992.

Alydeed was a shocking second to Benburb over a muddy track in the Prince of Wales, in which he was bet down to an astounding 1-20 after rolling to an 11 1 /2-length victory in the Plate.

Wed, 07/16/2003 - 00:00

Summit was a smashing success

MIAMI - Last Saturday's $1.75 million Summit of Speed program was an unequivocal success. The 13-race card was one of the best in track history and the combined mutuel handle of $10,541,440 set a Calder record, marking the first time the track had surpassed $10 million on a single card.

But Calder president Ken Dunn really knew the Summit of Speed had arrived that evening when he turned on ESPN and saw the results of the Princess Rooney and Smile Sprint handicaps being displayed alongside the day's other sports events on the crawl at the bottom of the screen.