ELMONT, N.Y. - For the most part, the powerhouses in the filly and mare turf division are based on the West Coast. On Friday at Belmont Park, the best of the East square off in the $250,000 New York Handicap.
Nine entered the Grade 2 New York including last year's winner, Owsley. Grade 1 winner Riskaverse is the 119-pound highweight of the 1 1/4-mile turf race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Santa Catarina landed the advantageous post 4 when a full field of 14 3-year-old fillies were entered on Wednesday for Saturday's $750,000 American Oaks, which in only its second running has already become one of the top stakes races at the Hollywood Park summer season.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After winning eight races at Hollywood Park last summer with 2-year-olds sired by first-crop stallion Swiss Yodeler, trainer Mike Harrington felt less urgency to get winners for the sire this year.
"Last year, I wanted to get [Swiss Yodeler] off the ground in a hurry, and I was aggressive with the young horses to get them to the races, and get them running early," he said. "This year I did not push them hard; we were two to three weeks behind last year's schedule. We just didn't have the pressure we had last year."
PLEASANTON, Calif. - The gauntlet has been thrown down.
"She out-trained me the first time," said Jeff Bonde, trainer of Winter Squall, about long-time family friend Carmela Anderson, trainer of Badgett's Mandate.
Bonde says things will be different in Friday's Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity, a $50,000-added race for Cal-bred 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs. The race is a rematch of the two colts, who ran one-two in their debuts at Bay Meadows on June 12.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The $150,000 American Handicap on Friday at Hollywood Park is supposed to be a stepping-stone to bigger things for the undefeated Candy Ride.
Owners Sid and Jenny Craig and trainer Ron McAnally consider Candy Ride a candidate for the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar next month and are using the American Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf as a prep.
"The most important thing is to get a good mile-and-an-eighth race into him," McAnally said. "We've liked him right along since we first got him. The main thing is to get more distance."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - D. Wayne Lukas has won the Debutante Stakes four times, and surely the Hall of Fame trainer wouldn't mind getting "one for the thumb" Friday at Churchill Downs when the Debutante is run for the 103rd time.
Lukas is represented by two of the nine 2-year-old fillies entered in the $100,000 Debutante, and both have the look of major contenders.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It may not be a rivalry yet, but it sure will be an interesting match. Limehouse and Cuvee, unbeaten colts who have each won a stakes at the Churchill Downs spring meet, will clash Sunday in the third and decisive stakes of the meet for 2-year-olds, the $150,000 Bashford Manor Stakes.
Limehouse won the Three Chimneys Juvenile on the May 3 Kentucky Derby day undercard, and Cuvee won the Kentucky Breeders' Cup on May 26. Neither colt raced in the other's win, a fact that gives closing day of the 52-day spring meet a rather powerful first-time match-up.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer-owner Frank Generazio offered a succinct summary of Don Six's last race.
"It was a disaster," Generazio said, referring to the Grade 3, $250,000 Leonard Richards Stakes at Delaware Park.
Sent off at 4-1, Don Six broke awkwardly and never relaxed in the 1 1/16-mile stakes. Don Six wound up seventh, beaten 24 lengths in the worst performance of his career.
"It was back to the drawing board," Generazio said. "It was back to sprinting."
AUBURN, Wash. - Turban seeks a third straight stakes win when he heads a field of eight in Friday's $40,000 Independence Day Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Emerald Downs.
Turban, a rapidly improving 4-year-old son of Lord Avie, will concede from 2 to 12 pounds to his rivals as the 120-pound highweight. Nevertheless, he figures to go off as a solid favorite off his sparkling record of four wins, a second, and a third from just six starts, including wins in the 6 1/2-furlong Fox Sports Net Handicap and the one-mile Budweiser Emerald Handicap in his last two outings.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Entering Sunday's $40,000 Chariot Chaser at Northlands Park, an undefeated season and perhaps even an appearance in the Canadian Derby looked possible for 3-year-old filly sensation Raylene. But those hopes were dashed when Raylene, unbeaten in three previous starts this year, finished a dull second in the Chariot Chaser to 9-1 shot A Shaky Start.