MUSKEGON, Mich. - Year-end championships in Michigan racing were all but finalized last weekend when the Michigan Sires Stakes were run.
Secret Romeo, the best Michigan-bred in training, finally won a Sire Stakes after having been denied the past two years. Secret Romeo looks to have a lock on the older male division as well as the state horse of the year title. Gerry Bennett, trainer of Secret Romeo, also saddled both juvenile winners, Monetary Star and Sailing Sal.
This Saturday is the biggest weekend of racing on Charles Town's calendar. The West Virginia track plays host to the 16th West Virginia Breeders' Classic, a series of races highlighted by the $250,000 Classic at 1 1/8 miles.
To whet the appetites of fans, Charles Town will serve a trio of $50,000 stakes at widely diverse distances on Friday night's card.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Patrick Biancone's three Breeders' Cup hopefuls had routine gallops here Wednesday - their second trip over the surface after arriving here Monday - and all have important breezes scheduled for this weekend.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A two-turn race is next for Icecoldbeeratreds, but not the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday that Icecoldbeeratreds will skip the Breeders' Cup and aim instead for the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. Winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11, and runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park on Saturday, Icecoldbeeratreds will be favored in the 1 1/16-mile California Cup. Icecoldbeeratreds has won 3 of 5 for owner-breeder Mike Pegram.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A 16-month layoff may be reason enough to doubt the chances of Indigo Myth on Thursday at Santa Anita. Factor in a dubious class drop, and many horseplayers will choose to risk wagering on other horses in the 1 1/4-mile turf route that is race 7 on the card.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland offers race cards without stakes about as often as George Steinbrenner blames himself when his New York Yankees fail in the post-season.
With four allowance races ranging from $52,000 to $57,000, and a pair of maiden races worth a cool $51,000 each, the Thursday card - one of just five programs at the 17-day fall meet without a stakes - is a high-dollar lesson in everyday fare at Keeneland.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The improving Redhead Riot will try to take another step back toward stakes company on Thursday when she heads a $54,000 classified allowance that serves as Belmont Park's featured race on a nine-race card.
Redhead Riot, a 3-year-old daughter of Top Account, has won three of her last four starts, including 2 of 3 since the addition of blinkers. Trainer Laurie Lafavers received permission from the stewards to equip Redhead Riot with blinkers on Aug. 4 even though she had won her previous start without them.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Thursday's feature at Bay Meadows, a one-mile $20,000 claimer for 3-year-olds may seem to be just another mundane race on a typical midweek card. But from a handicapping angle, it is one of the more interesting races the track has offered in some time.
Two members of the seven-horse field are dropping, one is getting a double jump, and four others are also taking a double jump after being claimed for $12,500 in their previous starts.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Having worked as an assistant to trainer Ben Perkins Sr. for almost six years, Kelly Breen knows a thing or two about fast horses. Now, it appears Breen has one of his own in Southern Smoke, who will be put to the test in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Astarita Stakes for 2-year-old filliesat Belmont Park.
Southern Smoke, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Smoke Glacken, won her maiden at first asking on Sept. 13 at The Meadowlands, taking a five-furlong race by 5 1/2 lengths in a time of 58.82 seconds.
Business was down again at the 22-day fall meet that ended last Thursday at Turfway Park, continuing a disturbing trend that began in the late 1990's when riverboat casinos emerged in nearby Indiana.
All-sources handle averaged $3,067,184, a 9 percent decline from comparable figures from the 2001 fall meet, when 21 programs were run. Ontrack handle averaged $355,507, down 5 percent. Attendance figures do not apply because Turfway began offering free admission this fall.