NEW ORLEANS - Deciphering Fair Grounds's featured ninth race on Friday probably doesn't require a degree in rocket science. Seven horses were entered, and four have early speed in varying degrees, from intense to moderate.
"I think the race sets up for a horse coming off the pace," trainer Tom Amoss said.
NEW ORLEANS - The list of nominations released this past weekend for Sunday's $75,000 Colonel Power Handicap contained a familiar name, Bonapaw. Familiar, yes, but surprising, too.
Should Bonapaw actually start in the six-furlong Colonel Power - and his connections say there is a good chance of it - the race would come only nine days after Bonapaw returned to training at Fair Grounds after having spent
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Dan Markle was unable to buy A Memo for Avie as a yearling in Washington in 2001, but he persisted and didn't let a second opportunity get away.
"I liked him when he went through the yearling sale, but he went for $14,000, and I couldn't get anyone to swing the bat," Markle said.
Joyce and Richard Hayertz took a swing when A Memo for Avie made his debut last April at Emerald Downs, claiming him for $25,000 from a win.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Every trainer should be fortunate enough to have a horse like Wertz in the barn at one time or another. That way, there would rarely be a chance to complain about the horse not giving his all.
Wertz, a 7-year-old horse, embodies the fighting spirit that so many Thoroughbreds have within them. And when he makes the 60th start of an understated but highly professional career in the feature race Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, Wertz will have an opportunity to further enhance his reputation for speed and gameness.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Less than one week into the 2003 Gulfstream meeting trainer Todd Pletcher is already loaded for bear in the 3-year-old division.
Pletcher, who has had Bham pointed for the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 18, sent out two extremely promising 3-year-olds, Indy Dancer and Lion Tamer, to victory in first-level allowance races on Saturday. Indy Dancer's victory came at 1 1/16 miles, while Lion Tamer won at six furlongs.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream Park has applied for racing dates next season that would put it in conflict with the Calder meeting. Gulfstream, owned by Magna Entertainment Corp., applied for a racing schedule that would begin Dec. 26, overlapping for eight days with the end of Calder's requested meet. Calder, owned by Churchill Downs Inc., applied for its usual schedule, from April 25 through Jan. 2, 2004.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The victory of Atlantic Ocean on Sunday bodes well for Major Idea in Wednesday's $75,000 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita.
The two fillies, both owned by The Thoroughbred Corp., were entrymates in the $200,000 Miesque Stakes at a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on Nov. 29, with Atlantic Ocean winning and Major Idea finishing third.
The Miesque result looked strong when Atlantic Ocean returned on Sunday and won the Santa Ysabel Stakes on dirt for trainer Bob Baffert.
Mark Johnston, a former Eclipse Award winner and the third all-time leading jockey in Maryland, has decided to take a leave of absence from riding.
"It's just time to step back and regroup," said Johnston, 32, whose 2,748 career victories at Pimlico and Laurel Park rank behind only Mario Pino and Edgar Prado. "I have been burned out before but somehow managed to work through it. I need to step away from the game and come back fresh."
The official order of the first two finishers in the eighth race at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., on Dec. 22 has been reversed after it was determined that the track's placing judges posted the wrong horse as the winner. A stewards' ruling correcting the order of finish was issued Dec. 29.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Lizzy Cool kept trainer Bob Barbara white-hot with a front-running, three-quarter-length victory in the $80,425 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The victory was the second straight for Lizzy Cool since adding blinkers, and the ninth from 17 starters for Barbara since the inner track opened on Dec. 4.