OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Marc's Rainbow, an easy winner of the East View Stakes on Dec. 8 over the inner track, returns in Sunday's $75,000-added Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct.
On paper, Marc's Rainbow and Cyber Secret appear to be the horses to beat among eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the mile-and-70-yard Busanda.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Marc's Rainbow defeated odds-on favorite Beautiful America, the likely New York-bred juvenile filly champion, by 2 3/4 lengths in the East View.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Freezing temperatures forced the cancellation of training for the second straight morning Friday at Oaklawn Park, which had to push back its opening from Friday to Jan. 31 because of a cold air system that has left the track frozen.
The track was scheduled to be closed again Saturday so crews could work on the surface, with training expected to resume Sunday. Early Friday morning, the temperature in Hot Springs was 15 degrees, and there were patches of ice around the stable area. Many horses walked their shed rows under tack.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Mark Casse was at a loss to explain Added Edge's poor performance the day after the previously undefeated 3-year-old had finished last as the 9-5 favorite in last Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. Now he can.
Added Edge has been diagnosed with a small fracture in his left knee, an injury that will require at least four months to heal.
"At least now I know why he went into the Holy Bull looking so good and training so good but ran so bad," Casse said when he confirmed the injury on Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Vindication, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last October and the top contender for the Eclipse Award for 2-year-old males, will be ridden by Jerry Bailey when he makes his 3-year-old debut in coming weeks.
Trainer Bob Baffert on Friday said he made the decision to replace Mike Smith with Bailey. Smith was aboard Vindication in all four of his starts last year, including wins in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Cup. Baffert told Smith of his decision earlier this week.
NEW ORLEANS - Dallas Stewart spent plenty of time around Overbrook Farm homebreds during his time as an assistant to trainer Wayne Lukas. Now Stewart is getting to train his own.
Overbrook sent Stewart a string of 2-year-olds for the first time last season, and at least one of them is pretty good. Perfect Wave has won her first two starts with ease, and on Sunday she gets her first real test in the $100,000 Tiffany Lass. Perfect Wave is part of a high-quality field and races around two turns for the first time - but that doesn't mean she's not ready.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Magna Entertainment Corp. unveils the first Sunshine Millions on Saturday, a novel series boasting at least one element to take it straight to the big time: a whopping $3.6 million in purses.
Purposely spotted in the dead of winter, when sunshine is elusive for many simulcast players, the series will bring rapid-fire action from Magna's two showcase tracks: Gulfstream Park in Florida and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. In terms of creativity and scheduling, the Sunshine Millions purports to be a welcome new wrinkle that spares no expense or effort.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Excessivepleasure shipped in from Southern California for Saturday's $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulstream Park with an ublemished record, having won both his previous starts, including the California Breeders' Champion Stakes.
But trainer Manny Tortora, who is based at Calder, has issued a warning to the speedy invader: "He better have his trucking shoes."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hollywood Park has significantly increased the purses of several stakes and has created another three-stakes day for the upcoming spring-summer meeting, which runs from April 23 to July 20.
The purse of the July 5 American Oaks, for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/4 miles on turf, has been increased from $500,000 to $750,000. The purse of the Jim Murray Handicap, formerly a $75,000 restricted race, has been increased to $400,000.
ALBANY, Calif. - Lacie Girl, unbeaten in four northern California starts, may be the one to beat in Saturday's $60,000-added Orinda Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
Five other older fillies and mares will challenge her in the six-furlong race. Onslaught, Fertile, and Bullish Miss were the first three finishers in the Nov. 10 Camilla Urso. Broke in Blairsden and Our Here Tiz round out the field.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Every Thoroughbred statebred program in North America comes with incentives. Call it protec-tionism, but the parameters that have evolved within programs in many jurisdictions can make buying a statebred a lucrative proposition indeed.
