ALBANY, Calif. - Cash Creek returns to the races at Golden Gate on Thursday, meeting eight other 2-year-olds in the co-feature, a $25,000 claiming race at six furlongs.
Cash Creek has led at the first call in all three of his career starts, and he figures to be among the early leaders again when he makes his first start in more than five months.
Shawklit Man, who is 2 for 2 with his win in the $75,000 MEC Mile at Remington Park on Dec. 1, is being pointed for the $500,000 Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.
The one-mile race for 2-year-olds drew 73 nominations for its first running on Dec. 21.
Shawklit Man raced from off the pace to win his maiden over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs in November, then led throughout in his 3 1/2-length MEC win.
Trainer Neil Howard hopes Rock Slide will find a graded stakes race with his name on it next year. His prospects as a stallion hinge on it, and after Rock Slide's valiant win Sunday in the Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds, there is reason to be hopeful.
By A.P. Indy out of the mare Prospectors Delite - she has produced top racehorse after top racehorse - Rock Slide has the pedigree, speed, and looks of a successful commercial stallion. But his future outside the racetrack will depend in great part on how he performs on the racetrack from here on out.
MIAMI - The final two stakes for 2-year-olds at Calder this year will be run Saturday: the $100,000 What a Pleasure and its filly counterpart, the $100,000 Three Ring.
Trust N Luck, easy winner of the In Reality Stakes on Oct. 12 but fourth as the 3-2 favorite in the Jack Price Stakes in his most recent start, tops the lineup for the 1 1/16-mile What a Pleasure. Trust N Luck worked an easy mile over a sloppy track in 1:49 on Tuesday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Marc's Rainbow outfooted 1-2 favorite Beautiful America to the front around the clubhouse turn, then withstood several challenges from that rival to win Sunday's $80,775 East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies by 2 3/4 lengths.
GROVE CITY, Ohio - Mercer U. ($5) took command entering the second turn and held off Dinkers Pride for a 1 1/4-length victory in the $40,000 Glacial Princess Stakes.
The victory in the 1 1/16-mile Glacial Princess, for Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies, was the second in five career starts for the Mike Wykoff-trained Mercer U. and it was her first stakes score. Huber Villa-Gomez, the meet's leading rider, was aboard Mercer U., who covered the distance in 1:48.79.
Leading from start to finish, Emily Ring won the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes by three lengths over Freefourracing.
Don't Countess Out, the 8-5 favorite, finished another 7 1/4 lengths back in third.
Emily Ring ($8.60) ran the six furlongs in 1:11.72. She has won 6 of 20 starts and has earned $226,925.
Colorful Tour scored his third stakes win of the year in the $43,400 Demetri's Boy Stakes for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds at Hawthorne.
Rating along the inside behind a moderate pace, Colorful Tour grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and drew off to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Longshot Happiness finished second and Garesche won a photo for third.
Colorful Tour ($3.60), the favorite in the field of eight, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.54.
HOUSTON - Although a formal decision has yet to be made on the future of the Great State Challenge, the consensus among industry officials involved in the inaugural running of the six-race series Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park is that the program is worth renewing.
The competition, which featured divisional matchups of horses bred in 10 different states, was won by Kentucky.