INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Dream Machine, 4, and Not Phone, 5, placed in stakes races as 3-year-olds. If either of them wins a $55,000 optional claimer at Hollywood Park on Friday, he is likely to run in a stakes next.
Dream Machine was second in a division of the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar last summer, while Not Phone was stakes-placed in Argentina in the fall of 2001.
They are the only entrants in Friday's sixth race that are entered not to be claimed for $80,000.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The six runnings of the Jim Murray Handicap that trainer Bobby Frankel won from 1990 to last year are a far cry in quality from the renewal that will be held Saturday.
In its first 13 runnings, the Murray was a restricted stakes race that served as a springboard to major stakes. This year, the purse has been enhanced from $75,000 to $400,000, making it the most valuable turf marathon of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meet.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - At last check, Arlington Park was ringed with 30,000 temporary seats and thronged with an orderly mob of 46,000 racing fans, here for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. Six months later the bleachers have come down, the crowds are gone until Arlington Million Day in August, and the palatial track is quiet again, with uncertainty - rather than a Breeders' Cup - waiting this season.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It was never easy for Jerry Hollendorfer to get to Arlington. Hollendorfer, northern California's perennial leading trainer, basically flew an entire stable here the last two meets, lured by the prospect of diversification and grass racing he couldn't find enough of at his home base during summer months.
But this summer Hollendorfer plans to split his stable between northern and Southern California, with Arlington out of the picture. That's a big void, both for the track and for trainer Wayne Catalano.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer Jeff Bonde made adjustments to Mr. Technique's training equipment before his last race, and the result was a last-to-first win over 4-5 favorite Apalachian Thunder in the $100,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows.
On Saturday, Mr. Technique will try to defeat another heavy favorite, Dynever, in the Grade 3, $500,000 Lone Star Derby.
A change in training tactics helped lift Mr. Technique to a one-length win in the California Derby.
CALGARY, Alberta - Owner-trainer Riley Rycroft sends out Kissthissky in search of his fourth straight victory at this meet in a $12,800 sprint for $13,000 claimers, which is the seventh race here Friday.
Rycroft claimed Kissthissky out of a victory in a $5,000 claimer April 11 and has watched him win for a $7,500 tag April 20 and for $10,000 last Sunday. The speedy gelding returns on just five days' rest and will be put to the test early by Past Time in the six-furlong race.
AUBURN, Wash. - A field of 11 $10,000 sprinters will present handicappers with a stern challenge in Friday's six-furlong feature at Emerald Downs.
Proud Louie gained a legion of admirers last winter at Portland Meadows and figures to be among the favorites. Proud Louie, a 7-year-old with career earnings of over $255,000, never finished worse than third while winning five of nine starts in Portland, and he capped his campaign with a sharp win in the five-furlong Flashway Owners' Handicap on closing day, April 27.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Two British-bred colts who began their careers in Europe are the likely favorites for Saturday's $100,000 Ascot Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Just Wonder, trained by Laura de Seroux, and Helms Deep, trained by Carla Gaines, are both nicely bred European runners who recently came to the United States.
"He's a nice-looking colt," Gaines said of Helms Deep, purchased by Warren B. Williamson, a longtime client. "He was only beaten a short distance in a Grade 3," she said of the colt's 4 3/4-length loss in the Prix Eclipse in France.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - On Tuesday, Rene Douglas drove his cherry red Porsche through the Arlington Park gates for the first time this year. He worked a Mr. Prospector colt for Godolphin Racing. He said hello to some gallop boys and trainers. He beamed all morning.
It was good to be home.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Roger Attfield, Canada's Sovereign Award-winning trainer of 2002, has watched his stable get off to a slow start here this meeting, with two winners from its first 18 starts.
But Attfield, who is back at his home base after spending his winter at Payson Park, Fla., and stopping over for the Keeneland meeting, has most of his big shooters on the grounds now. Attfield will be looking for his first stakes win of the year here on Saturday, when he sends out Indy Lead and Malmaison in the Grade 3 Eclipse Handicap.
