INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Wacky Patty is unbeaten in two starts, including the Nursery Stakes on May 11. To owner-trainer Jim Chapman, she still has something to prove.
"She's ordinary," he said. "She hasn't run against anyone yet."
Wacky Patty can prove Chapman wrong when she starts in Sunday's $75,000 Cinderella Stakes for 2-year-old fillies over 5 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park. The race is a prep for the $100,000 Landaluce Stakes over six furlongs on July 4.
Tonight's Wager, a winner of 25 of 38 career starts and a former champion in Puerto Rico, heads a competitive field of 10 in the $60,000 Monmouth Beach Handicap at Monmouth Park on Sunday.
The Monmouth Beach, for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, will be run at 1 1/16 miles, a distance within reach of some of the classier front-runners and well within the range of the closers, making for a good betting race.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Several contenders in Sunday's Bay Meadows co-feature had trouble in their last race. Toss in an interesting pace scenario, and the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds becomes a most interesting handicapping challenge.
Obermeister, an $8,000 claim by trainer Armando Lage who led much of the way in the $100,000 Ascot Handicap before finishing third, likely will try to set the pace again. But the presence of Albert Slewsky means he likely will work for the lead and that could affect how much kick Obermeister has left in the stretch.
Horsemen's Atokad Downs in South Sioux City, Neb., has completed a management reorganization and paid off a number of past-due bills, allowing it to resume normal simulcast operations.
The Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association owns both Horsemen's Atokad Downs and Horsemen's Park in Omaha. An ongoing dispute between the horsemen's association and Atokad management resulted in the HBPA withholding operating funds from Atokad and led to the resignations of Atokad's president, Robert E. Lee, and its general manager, Tom Harris.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It has been just more than a year since the Woodbine Entertainment Group bought out the Pacific Racing Association and took over the running of Hastings Park. Woodbine formed a new corporate entity called Hastings Entertainment and changed the name of the track to Hastings, no more park.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The unbeaten Too Late Now, an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Selene Stakes, will try to write a new chapter to her rags-to-riches story Sunday at Woodbine in the $500,000 Labatt Woodbine Oaks.
The nine-furlong Oaks, for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara. It will be followed by the July 1 Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, and the Wonder Where Stakes here Aug. 4. A $350,000 bonus will be awarded if any filly sweeps the series.
CALGARY, Alberta - Eternal Secrecy, a handy winner of the Teeworth Plate here May 18, and Sixthirtyjoe, a closing second in that one-mile handicap, will renew their rivalry in Sunday's $50,000 Herald Gold Plate.
The Herald Gold Plate, the richest race for older horses at the meet, drew a field of six and runs as the eighth race.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Stakes-placed Five Point Star appears to be a standout in a field of seven 3-year-olds in a $50,000 non-winners of two optional sprint Sunday.
There is a question regarding Five Point Star, however. He's coming back in just eight days following a troubled trip in the Klondike Stakes, where he finished fourth to Gamblin Caper, and it's hard to say how he'll handle the quick turnaround.
AUBURN, Wash. - Victor Slew seems nicely spotted to score in Sunday's top offering at Emerald Downs, a 6 1/2-furlong race for $25,000 claiming horses. Six are in the field, each seeking a second career win.
Victor Slew is coming off a narrow miss under the same conditions on May 23. He made took the lead at the furlong marker and yielded late to the fast-finishing Wally Ballou. Victor Slew, a
4-year-old son of Vying Victor, was beaten a half-length in 1:16 and would be difficult to deny with a similar effort on Friday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Rates that California trainers pay for workers' compensation insurance are expected to rise at least 10 percent July 1, according to Ed Halpern, the executive director of California Thoroughbred Trainers.
Halpern on Friday said he is awaiting quotes from American Insurance Group on details of policy rates. AIG has provided policies for many horsemen since late 2002.
"All indication is that the policy will be approved," he said. "It just hasn't happened yet."