OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The holiday shopping season may have gotten off to a late start, but winter arrives early for horseplayers on Wednesday with the opening of Aqueduct's inner track.
The one-mile, winterized oval - featuring the longest stretch of the four New York Racing Association dirt tracks - is where racing will be conducted for the next 3 1/2 months. It means a steady diet of six-furlong sprints and route races at 1 1/16 miles and at a mile and 70 yards around two turns.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Figures for the the 30-day Churchill Downs fall meet that ended Saturday ranged from bad to worse. While average all-sources handle was down 7 percent, average ontrack attendance and wagering were down 21 and 17 percent, continuing trends at the historic Louisville track over the last few years.
Churchill officials blamed continuing competition from riverboat casinos in nearby Indiana and other lesser factors for the sharp decline. The Caesars riverboat became operational in November 1998, and Churchill's business figures have stagnated or slumped since then.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It was lights out at Hastings Racecourse on Sunday night as the season came to a premature close when a bank of lights between the 1 1/8-mile chute and the three-eighths pole failed, causing the last three races of the final night of the meet to be canceled.
Although it was a disappointing end to the season, Hastings Entertainment Inc., which completed the purchase of Hastings Park in May, reported healthy increases in the total handle compared to 2001. Hastings Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Woodbine Entertainment Group.
SALEM, N.H. - Rockingham Park has announced that it will conduct a harness meet only in 2003, apparently ending more than 90 years of Thoroughbred racing in New Hampshire.
On Monday, Rockingham received permission from the state racing commission to race 100 harness dates between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. The track previously held harness racing from 1957 to 1980, when a fire destroyed the grandstand.
Take Charge Lady remains a constant in a fluid field for the $275,000 Great State Challenge Distaff at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday. The race is one of six divisional stakes that will make up the inaugural running of the NTRA Great State Challenge.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Since arriving in the United States from his native Argentina, Not for Me has sprinted and run long while racing on both turf and dirt. Of the four possible combinations of those disciplines, Not for Me has yet to sprint on turf, which appears to be his main strength.
The wait ends on Wednesday, in the featured seventh race at Hollywood Park. Not for Me has finally found a turf sprint, and that makes him an intriguing play in a six-horse field that has plenty of possible winners.
ALBANY, Calif. - Few owners take more care in selecting names than Barbara Walter.
Barbara and her husband, Robert, are among northern California's most successful breeders. Cavonnier, whom they bred, won the 1996 Santa Anita Derby and finished second in the Kentucky Derby by a nose to Grindstone after being hit in the head by a whip just as he was beginning his stretch run.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - In a possible indication of changing bettor sentiment toward the pick six, Hollywood Park on Sunday failed to attract $1 million in bets for a pick six that was guaranteed to reach seven figures.
The pool reached $936,848, forcing an insurance policy to kick in to make up the shortfall, track president Rick Baedeker said. Bettors in New York were not offered the pick six.
"We were worried that without New York participating and with a little bit of softness through the meeting that there was this possibility," Baedeker said.