La Reine's Terms, a winner of his last five starts - all stakes - will try to extend the streak in Saturday's $150,000 John D. Schapiro Memorial Breeders' Cup at Laurel Park.
La Reine's Terms, who is coupled in the wagering with Certantee, is the likely favorite in the 1 1/8-mile grass race, which drew 11 runners.
Three of the horses in the field, Dr. Kashnikow, Sardaukar, and Spectacular Light, also were entered in the $150,000 Cliff Hanger Handicap at The Meadowlands on Friday night.
The 16th West Virginia Breeders' Classics takes center stage at Charles Town on Saturday evening. Eight stakes, worth a total of $850,000, are scheduled. The highlight of the card is the $250,000 Classic.
The races in the series are restricted to accredited West Virginia-bred, -sired, or -raised horses.
The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up drew a field of eight, including last year's winner, Confucius Say.
Three jockeys from Delaware Park were shouting "Hurray for Hollywood" when they left their regular day jobs last week to play parts in the movie "Seabiscuit: American Legend."
William Hollick and Joe Rocco Jr. were cast in small roles as apprentice jockeys, while Robert Colton was chosen as one of 10 jockeys who will be used in action shots and in the background for scenes filmed in the jockeys' room.
All three riders will be at Universal Studios in Hollywood filming their scenes for the next two to three weeks.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The presence of Star Cross in Friday's seventh race at Santa Anita represents the start of an experiment for trainer Darrell Vienna and several of his clients.
Earlier this year, Vienna went on a buying spree in Argentina, returning with a large group purchased primarily on appearance. Star Cross was a prospect who not only caught Vienna's eye, but had good form. A 5-year-old, he has won 6 of 15 starts and finished third in the Group 1 Estrellas Classic over 1 1/4 miles on the main track in June, his most recent start.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - As the days get shorter, so do the opportunities for 3-year-olds to run against their own kind.
Last-chance races such as the Super Derby and Indiana Derby have already been run, and although the Hollywood Derby and a few others still remain on the 2002 calendar, the trend at this time of year is for racing secretaries to assimilate their 3-year-olds of every category into the ranks of older horses.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sweet Storm Creek, who suffered a heartbreaking loss last time out in a division of the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes, should be well backed in Friday's $63,500 Woodbine feature for 2-year-old fillies.
A field of six was drawn for the seven-furlong turf allowance, not including main-track-only entrant Sweet Sweep.
Sweet Storm Creek was claimed for $50,000 by trainer Sid Attard, on behalf of owner Janice Attard, from her debut in June. She was beaten 11 lengths on the dirt that day, and was equally inept in another main-track outing on July 6.
It's official, trainer Bill Mott is taking Del Mar Show off Broadway.
With major Grade 1 and Grade 2 turf races going on across the country the past few weekends, Mott is running Del Mar Show, a lifetime earner of $742,172, in the Grade 3, $150,000 Cliff Hanger Handicap Friday night at The Meadowlands.
Last winter, Del Mar Show was a top attraction in Mott's powerful barn and the sky was the limit. Now, with the Breeders' Cup only two weeks away, the Cliff Hanger in East Rutherford, N.J., isn't where Del Mar Show was supposed to end up.
MIAMI - Despite the presence of Lawbook, winner of the first two legs of the open division of the 2002 Florida Stallion Stakes, a full field of 14 juvenile colts and geldings was entered Wednesday for the series finale, Saturday's $400,000 In Reality Stakes. The In Reality shares top billing with its filly counterpart, the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, at Calder's signature event, the $1.65 million Festival of the Sun.
Two former Breeders' Cup winners and a former Eclipse Award winner were among 10 hurdlers pre-entered on Wednesday in the $250,000 Breeders' Cup Steeplechase, to be held at the Far Hills Races in Far Hills, Md., on Oct. 19. There is no betting on the race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Since Super High began running on turf earlier this year, her career has undergone a remarkable turnaround.
Stakes-placed while racing on dirt, Super High has won three turf stakes since May 31, making her the 120-pound highweight for Monday's $100,000 Harold Ramser Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
"Every race is an improved race going two turns," trainer Carla Gaines said. "It's fun, but you don't know how long that upward trend will go before it goes as far as it will go."