GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Dallas Keen and Jack Bruner have been two of the highest-percentage trainers over the last month at Lone Star Park, and this weekend they both won a stakes here with their respective charges, Petionville Indeed and Kool Humor.
Petionville Indeed could be headed to Ellis Park for the $75,000 Audubon Oaks on Aug. 2 following her four-length win at 22-1 in the $100,000 Walmac Lone Star Oaks on Friday night. She will also be considered for a stakes at Del Mar.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Some fresh faces got to bask in the glory of their first stakes win Sunday at Woodbine after Megan's Appeal romped to victory in the $164,550 Shady Well.
Megan's Appeal, who was making only her second career appearance, is owned by Fire Rock Stable, a partnership comprising Oscar Battilana, Joe Chircop, and Rocco Oppedisano.
Her trainer, Kevin Attard, had purchased the filly at auction for $8,000 at the Adena Springs 2-year-old sale in Ocala in March, and she had finished second, beaten a nose, in her debut here May 24.
MIAMI - Trainer Scott Lake wasn't at Belmont Park on Monday morning to watch Shake You Down's final workout for Saturday's $500,000 Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder. When he learned his horse had gone a half-mile in 45.85 seconds he began to get a little nervous.
LOUISVILLE - Following a Churchill Downs meet is akin to succeeding John Wooden as coach of the UCLA basketball program. No matter how well you do, your accomplishments pale in comparison.
Yet a track must attempt to fill the void left by Churchill's closing, and that track is Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., which opens for its 80th meet on Wednesday with a 10-race card.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Owner-trainer Clint Willson was in a jovial mood after watching Kalfaari dominate the field here in last Saturday's Spangled Jimmy.
Willson walked away with the winner's share of $25,200 and now he will have to decide what to do with Kalfaari, a 6-year-old gelding who has won his last seven starts.
"I don't know, I might go to Chicago or I might stick around here," said Willson.
"I'll see how he feels and we may decide to ship, or we may decide to stay here a while and run in the Klondike [July 26]. Apparently, he likes it here."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Classy Chris's Bad Boy and consistent Iwoodificould will be well backed in Wednesday's finale, a seven-furlong starter for runners who have competed with a $32,000 tag or less since the beginning of 2002.
Chris's Bad Boy captured the 2000 Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs, using it as his prep to the Super Derby, in which he was unplaced. He spent the majority of his 2002 season at Fort Erie, where he won several starters over varying distances for trainer Lou Capi. He also earned a pair of second-place finishes early at this meeting.
In a race where every entrant was running on turf for the first time, Oh So Easy ($11.40) proved she liked the surface the best when she won the Cincinnatian Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-old-fillies by 2 1/2 lengths. My Favorite Girl finished second, while Just Michel, the favorite, finished third. Final time for 1 1/16 miles over a firm course was 1:43.20.
Ridden by Julio Felix and trained by Tim Hamm, Oh So Easy saw her career earnings more than double to over $45,000. She has now won 3 of 11 start
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - One by Design prevailed over six other Minnesota-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings to capture the $35,000 Victor S. Myers Jr. Stakes.
Son of Rhea was the 4-5 favorite in the six-furlong race and opened a three-length margin on the field racing into the stretch. One by Design rallied into the stretch and pulled clear to prevail by four lengths while completing the six furlongs in 1:11.01. Son of Rhea finished second, 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-place Imagery.
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Undefeated Chicago invader Fifteen Rounds made short work of four local opponents in the $25,000-added Roman Colonel Stakes. Fifteen Rounds stumbled at the start but quickly recovered to get the lead in midstretch and draw off to win by 5 1/2 lengths.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Silver Zipper won his second stakes at Canterbury, the $35,000 Minnesota HBPA Sprint, by 1 1/4 lengths, covering the six furlongs in in 1:09.33.
* Passionate Bird ($27) beat 10 foes in the $35,000 Minnesota HBPA Mile for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.