CALGARY, Alberta - Uncas Ruckus, a multiple stakes winner with earnings of more than $220,000, faces eight rivals here in Friday's featured seventh race for fillies and mares.
The $17,500 claiming price in the six-furlong sprint is the lowest level at which the 7-year-old Uncas Ruckus has competed.
AUBURN, Wash. - The forecast calls for speed on Friday at Emerald Downs, where nine older sprinters will vie in the 5 1/2-furlong feature for $10,000 claimers.
Baby Wave and Be the Bunny appear to be quickest of the quick, though it remains to be seen if either of the two front-runners is ready to carry his speed to the wire off a layoff.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Alexine ran almost too good to lose in the Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita on March 30, closing along the rail to finish a game second.
Rhiana challenged many of the nation's best fillies and mares in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 5, and finished fifth, seven lengths behind Horse of the Year Azeri.
The two mares are the leading contenders in Friday's $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap, the first graded stakes of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, which began on Wednesday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen's Plate nominees Whiskey Sez and El Gran Maestro are among the eight Ontario-sired 3-year-olds in Friday's seventh race at Woodbine, a 5 1/2-furlong allowance worth $63,500.
Speedy Whiskey Sez, a Kinghaven Farm homebred, finished fifth and sixth in two juvenile outings for trainer Roger Attfield. He returned from a four-month layoff April 5, winning a six-furlong maiden special weight race for Ontario-sired runners over a lightning-fast track that favored speed. His final time of 1:09 earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 84.
MIAMI - Racing on the south Florida circuit returns to Calder Race Course and settles in for the long haul beginning Friday with the first of 181 programs in a season that runs through Jan. 2, 2004.
As usual the dates will be split into two meets, the 128-day Calder meet, which continues through Oct. 24, and the 53-day Tropical at Calder meeting.
An Eclipse Award finalist two years ago, Praise the Prince is ready to begin his assault on this year's Eclipse as the nation's outstanding steeplechaser.
In Friday's $150,000 Royal Chase at Keeneland, Praise the Prince will be making his first start in nearly a year. Praise the Prince, who led the nation's jumpers in earnings in 2001 while a novice, started only twice last year in a campaign cut short by injury.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day was transported to a local hospital for precautionary X-rays after being thrown from his mount, Nut Lovin, during the running of the third race Wednesday at Keeneland.
Day sustained contusions of the neck and shoulder after falling from Nut Lovin, but was expected to ride Thursday, his agent, Doc Danner, said Wednesday evening. Nut Lovin, a first-time starter trained by Mike Machowsky, was bumped off stride leaving the 4 1/2-furlong chute, causing Day to lose his balance.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Bonapaw will be making lots of changes Saturday when he makes his first start at Lone Star Park in the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile. He is stretching back out around two turns, reuniting with jockey Gerard Melancon, and running for just one owner, Dennis Richard.
Bonapaw has long raced for both Dennis and his twin brother, Jimmy Richard, but Jimmy, who had been sick for quite some time, died March 26. Jimmy Richard, 60, co-owned Twin Tire and Auto Care Inc., with Dennis. He was born in New Orleans.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Judging from the remarkable meeting that trainer Neil French had at Santa Anita, everything he starts at Hollywood Park deserves serious consideration.
From only 21 starters at Santa Anita, French had seven winners and six other starters finish second or third.
Saturday at Hollywood Park, French will saddle his first starter of the new meeting when Princess V. appears in the $200,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies.