ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Grade 1 Acorn was a no, a Churchill allowance race didn't go, and so Awesome Humor has wound up at Arlington for the second start of her 3-year-old season.
Awesome Humor, based at Churchill Downs with trainer Elliott Walden, snuck quietly Wednesday into a money allowance race carded for Friday at Arlington. The race marks Awesome Humor's first start at two turns and offers her a chance to rebound from a 14-length loss in her first start of the year May 14.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After two nice-looking wins at Gulfstream Park this winter, Be Like Mike made an unscheduled side trip to a West Palm Beach veterinary clinic, the victim of a colic attack.
Be Like Mike, a promising 4-year-old by Unbridled's Song, eventually made a full recovery, but then trainer Niall O'Callaghan came upon a minor dilemma: What spot for a return race?
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - The Nebraska State Racing Commission heard testimony Tuesday afternoon before an overflow crowd at the Interstate Holiday Inn here regarding Brian Becker's proposal to build a new racetrack in Hastings, Neb.
Fonner Park management contends that the track, which would be less than 30 miles away from their facility, would be a drain on their simulcast and live racing fan base.
MUSKGEGON, Mich. - Secret Romeo, the top horse at the Great Lakes Downs 2002 meeting, and Sweetwater Promise, who like Secret Romeo was a Michigan Sire Stakes winner last year, will both race at Great Lakes this weekend.
Secret Romeo, owned by Tony Catenacci and trained by Gerald Bennett, scored an impressive win over allowance company here May 17 in his only start this year. He runs in Saturday's $45,000 Wolverine Stakes, a race Secret Romeo won last season. The Wolverine is at six furlongs.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Dave McShane saddled three winners on Monday's 10-race program, moving him into third place in the standings behind the track's all-time leading trainer, Dick Clark, and the two-time defending champion, Stanley Roberts.
McShane has sent out 18 winners from 84 starters at the meeting, good for a 21-percent winning rate, a far cry from last year's Thoroughbred meeting here, when he saddled just six winners from 95 starters.
Friday's featured ninth race at River Downs, a nonwinners-of-four allowance for older Ohio-breds, should have a heavy favorite in Vivid Views, a 4-year-old by Distant View.
A June foal, Vivid Views began his career in Maryland in the fall of 2001 for trainer John Scanlon and owner Daniel Borislow. Vivid Views won only one race for those connections before being claimed for $22,500 by his present owner, Timothy Bochlorn, at Colonial Downs last July.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The weather, not surprisingly, remained the primary topic of conversation Wednesday at Monmouth Park.
The meet has gotten off to one of the rainiest starts in three decades.
"I was the claims clerk in 1972 and I remember it rained constantly that year," said Bob Kulina, Monmouth's vice president and general manager. "Even when we had early meets in April and May, I don't remember this much rain."
Owner Sandy Erwin, trainer Jose Dominguez, and jockey Juan Vazquez could have a record-setting afternoon at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday. They combine with Maddies Special Turf, the fastest qualifier for the Grade 1, $550,000 Ruidoso Futurity, as well as with 2002 champion 2-year-old gelding Eye Opening Episode, who runs in the Grade 2, $104,000 Ruidoso Derby.
No owner-trainer-jockey team has won the Ruidoso Futurity and the Ruidoso Derby in the same year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Eric Garcea has no regrets about his decision to move to Woodbine from Hastings four years ago.
Garcea, 55, has had particular reason to cheer lately as Lady Vye, a newcomer to his barn this season, has turned plenty of heads by putting together back-to-back wins at long odds.
It is not only the fact, but the fashion of her victories that has raised eyebrows.
Lady Vye was sent off at 30-1 in her first start here, a second-level allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs, but rallied from well off the pace for a half-length score.