SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer John Shirreffs is hoping David Copperfield can unleash a little more magic in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap.
The 5-year-old David Copperfield was sidelined 14 months because of an ankle injury before coming back to post a front-running nose win in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race on the turf at Del Mar on Aug. 15.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A rejuvenated Lucky Molar has taken a big bite out of the local competition since shipping in from the United States, and should be favored to win his fourth race in a row, an $80,000 optional claimer at Woodbine on Friday.
Lucky Molar spent the early portion of this decade in Southern California, and was claimed by his current owner, Richard Englander for $40,000 at Hollywood in December of 2000. He was on hiatus for a year heading into his May 4 race against $50,000 claimers at Mountaineer Park, in which he finished a distant third.
Entries were drawn Wednesday at Pimlico for Saturday's 17th Maryland Million, the second most important day in racing in the state behind Preakness Day.
The Maryland Million is restricted to horses who are sired by Maryland-based stallions.
The 10 races, worth a total of $1 million, drew 124 runners. Last year, 98 were entered for 11 races.
POMONA, Calif. - Trainer Mel Stute will provide no further advice to the owner of Warren's Whistle.
After Warren's Whistle won the 2000 Black Swan Stakes at Fairplex Park, owner Tony Everard was offered $100,000 for the 2-year-old. Stute's advice?
"I said leave her alone, I think she'll win [$200,000] or $300,000," Stute said.
Stute was right. Warren's Whistle surpassed the $300,000 earnings mark in summer 2001, and another offer was made for her, this time for $200,000. Stute's advice: "I said hold on, I think she'll make $500,000."
Right again.
MIAMI - Lawbook, who can become the fifth horse to sweep all three legs of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes if he wins the $400,000 In Reality Division on Oct. 12, will be somewhat conspicuous by his absence in Saturday's $100,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes.
Lawbook already has won both the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed divisions of the Stallion Stakes, and will seek to join Smile, Seacliff, Naked Greed, and Express Tour as the only colts or geldings to win all races in the series.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Private Emblem is on his mental game for the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.
His win in the $181,000 Albany at Saratoga last month was a shot in the arm for him, said his trainer, Steve Asmussen.
"The Albany victory against statebreds got his confidence level back," said Asmussen, who trains Private Emblem for James Cassels and Bob Zollars. "That was very important. I'm hoping to see him recreate his Arkansas Derby."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the most emotional victories Hal Wiggins has experienced in nearly 30 years of training racehorses came last September, when Chorwon roared from behind to win the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Turf at Kentucky Downs.
Wiggins had trained Chorwon, then 8, for the horse's entire career, and the Kentucky Cup Turf was the richest win of the horse's career.
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - The elimination of Sunday racing and the switch to a Friday and Saturday night schedule helped to increase the daily average handle at the 2002 Marquis Downs meeting, which ended Sunday, by almost 28 percent, from $15,508 to $19,820.
The meeting was shortened from 40 days to 32 days this year so the bottom-level purses could be raised to $2,200 and attract more horsemen. The move was successful as an average 6.5 horses were entered in the seven races per day, up from 6.1 the previous year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Diadella will miss the Sept. 29 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine after coming out of her second-place finish here in the Canadian Handicap with an undiagnosed injury. Diadella "has a problem up high in her left hind leg," said her trainer, Malcolm Pierce.
"She's probably out for the season," said Pierce, who trains the 5-year-old Diadella for Stronach Stable.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - The 7 and 7 racing format returned to Thistledown on Wednesday after a six-month absence and should provide a boost for the outgoing simulcast signal, as less time between races has always been popular with bettors.
Under the 7 and 7, Thistledown and one of the other two Ohio Thoroughbred tracks, Beulah Park or River Downs, each card seven races a day.
The races are presented in 18-minute intervals. There also is an early and late daily double, 11 pick three bets, and a pick four intermingled between the participating tracks.