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.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - A torrential rainstorm during Friday's time trials for the Los Alamitos Million Futurity changed the condition of the track, and as a result some of the nation's top 2-year-old Quarter Horses failed to qualify for the $1.3 million race on Dec. 13.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lucky Molar outstayed the competition to capture the 1 3/4-mile Valedictory Handicap, the $147,000 closing-day feature at Woodbine.
Malmaison set moderate fractions while being stalked by a host of runners, including favored Parose and Lucky Molar. Parose made a wide bid for the lead as they rounded the far turn for the second time, but hung in the drive, and Lucky Molar ($14.50) kicked in to prevail by a half-length over Defenman.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Along Came Mary withstood a stewards' inquiry and jockey's objection to win Sunday's $82,550 Montauk Handicap for New York-breds at Aqueduct.
Along Came Mary ($21.80), under Norberto Arroyo Jr., rallied along the rail in the stretch to take the lead, but drifted out several paths in deep stretch, forcing stablemate Princess Dixie, under Shaun Bridgmohan, to steady and alter course. Along Came Mary finished 2 1/2 lengths clear at the wire.
Bridgmohan claimed objection against Arroyo, but it was disallowed. Both fillies are trained by James Bond.
Shawklit Man($5.60) used the rail post to his advantage in the $75,000 MEC Mile at Remington Park on Sunday as he led throughout to win by three and a half lengths over favorite Skamper. It was another five and a half lengths back in third to Kickin Kountry.
Shawklit Man, a debut winner at Churchill on Nov. 10, broke well in the MEC and set fractions of 23.82 seconds for the opening quarter and 47.88 seconds for the half-mile mark before going on to cover the distance over a fast track in 1:39.23.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - When Johar was bumped hard at the start of Sunday's , he did not get mad. And he got more than even.
Last early in the nine-horse field, Johar unleashed a powerful closing charge to rally for a 1 1/2-length victory over Mananan McLir in the Grade 1 Derby, the final stakes of Hollywood Park's Autumn Turf Festival.
Royal Gem was third, a neck behind Mananan McLir.