AUBURN, Wash. - Six-year-old Illustrious Legend made a very tardy debut on May 24 of last year, but it was worth waiting for. A Doris Harwood-trained gelding, Illustrious Legend blitzed bottom level maidens in 1:09.40 for six furlongs, winning off by 5 1/2 lengths at 6-1.
He is late making his second start as well, but he could pay similar dividends when he takes on six other non-winners of two, each eligible to be claimed for $8,000, in Thursday's six-furlong feature at Emerald Downs.
BALTIMORE - Given a second chance at a career that started with great promise, Forever Partners is picking up right where she left off. She was one of the elite 2-year-old fillies of last summer before a knee injury took her to the sidelines. But she returned with a sharp allowance victory last month, and is the one to beat in Thursday's $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
BALTIMORE - Wood shavings, wrapped in plastic, are piled high at one end. Golf carts awaiting passengers sit at the other end. Some potted plants have been put around the perimeter. The stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course is all dressed up, with no horses.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel may only have one starter in Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, but it looks like he will have two runners in the Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap, run the same day at Belmont Park.
While Frankel was always planning to run Chilean import Wild Spirit in the Shuvee, he said Tuesday he would most likely run Sightseek in the one-mile race, also. Sightseek would return just two weeks after winning the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs, her first Grade 1 victory.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Jockey Glen Murphy sustained three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken collarbone in Monday's second race at Prairie Meadows when his mount U S West ducked in and jumped the temporary rail as the horses left the six-furlong chute.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Most Feared is back. His second-place finish at 18-1 last Saturday in the Grade 3, $500,000 Lone Star Derby was a needed confidence-builder for the colt, whose next start could come in either the Belmont Stakes on June 7, or the Grade 2, $300,000 Ohio Derby on June 21 at Thistledown. "To perform well, mentally it did a ton of good for him," said Ronny Werner, who trains Most Feared for Tom Durant. "No doubt about it, he's back on his game."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ron Moquett is one of those young trainers working for that elusive big break to take him to the proverbial next level. Moquett, a 32-year-old native of Arkansas, trained graded stakes winner Asher several years ago, but the mare died in early 2002, shortly after turning 5.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The undefeated Bear Fan returns to the races after a break of more than nine months in Thursday's feature at Bay Meadows, a six-furlong $100,000 optional claimer. None of the five entrants will be running for the claiming tag.
Bred, trained, and owned in part by Wesley Ward, Bear Fan, now 4, won her debut in a $60,000 maiden race on Gold Rush Day at Hollywood Park last year. She followed that with an allowance victory and finally a win in the $100,000 Fleet Treat at Del Mar. She won all three races by at least four lengths.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The Tin Man will not race at Hollywood Park again anytime soon. Favored at 9-5 in the $400,000 Jim Murray Handicap last Saturday, The Tin Man finished seventh and came out of the race with a bruise in his heel.
"I'm not knocking the course, but last year we ran him there a couple times and he may not have cared for it," trainer Richard Mandella said. "Even when he won the American [last July], Mike [Smith] said he didn't feel like himself."
Mandella said The Tin Man's bruise was "not a big deal, he was just a little tender."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Go ahead and disparage the 3-year-old gelding Lunarco. He is an easy target, after all.
Lunarco is not fast - his highest Beyer Speed Figure is 84. But trainer Ted H. West points out that Lunarco "has taken steps forward every race."
He must improve further to continue his ascent, because in eight starts Lunarco has yet to face a good horse. Or has he? Four horses Lunarco beat last time came back to win.