ELMONT, N.Y. - Second off a layoff. Turf to dirt. Hot barn. Stretch outs. Turn backs.
There are angles for almost every handicapper trying to come up with the winner of Wednesday's featured third-level allowance race at Belmont Park. A field of seven was entered for the one-mile dirt race.
On Aug. 11 at Saratoga, Kingsland was sent off at 6-5 in a seven-furlong allowance race at this level. After showing brief speed, Kingsland faded to last in the four-horse field.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Siphonic, one of the top 2-year-olds of 2001, makes his first start in six months in Wednesday's third race at Santa Anita, a $54,000 allowance race over seven furlongs.
How the race will fit into the rest of Siphonic's fall campaign is unclear.
Trainer David Hofmans admits that time has run out for Siphonic to be ready for the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic over 1 1/4 miles at Arlington Park on Oct. 26, but does not rule out the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint over six furlongs on the same day.
The first nine months of the year have produced 14 stakes victories, including seven Grade 1 wins, for trainer Laura de Seroux, whose breakout year could reach even greater heights over the next month.
Beginning with heavily favored Azeri in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting, de Seroux, 50, will take aim at several major races over the next 3 1/2 weeks, highlighted by the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 26 at Arlington Park.
POMONA, Calif. - Reba's Gold, the class of the $100,000 Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Invitational Handicap despite never having won a stakes, filled in his resume at Fairplex Park with a 3 3/4-length romp in the centerpiece race of the Los Angeles County Fair meet.
Dropping out of a graded stakes at Del Mar in which he finished a close third to Congaree, Reba's Gold ($5.80) pressed the pace, challenged into the far turn, and won ridden out. Nates Colony rallied from seventh to second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of second favorite Sigfreto.
Red Hawkeye ($44) won his fourth straight race, taking the $30,000 Red Earth Derby. It was another two lengths back in second to Blazin Sunrise.
Red Hawkeye had a stalking trip in the one-mile turf race for Oklahoma-breds and drove clear in the stretch to cover the distance on firm turf in 1:37.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Doctor Mike rallied strongly on the outside down the stretch to pull off an upset in the $30,000 Island Whirl Handicap. That Tat, heavily favored along with entrymate Grey Velvet, gave ground grudgingly to the winner to finish second.
Doctor Mike ($33) won by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:22.53 for the seven furlongs over a fast track.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Maggie's Dream took command shortly after the start and held off a late bid by Amanda's Crown to capture the $43,300 Madison County Stakes to earn her first stakes victory.
Favored Maggie's Dream ($2.80) won by three-quarters of a length in 1:12.53 for the six furlongs over a fast track
Moe's Mon, under leading apprentice Ryan Fogelsonger, picked up steam late and got a head in front of the odds-on favorite, Outstander, to win the $50,000 Sonny Hine Stakes at Pimlico.
Moe's Mon ($25.20), trained by Edmond Gaudet, ran the six furlongs in 1:11.57
Shandy rallied for a 1 1/4 length victory in the $50,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes, the feature on closing night at the 45-day meet at the central Iowa oval. Shandy ($6.80) took the lead approaching midstretch and held off Oneofthebirdboys late, clocking six furlongs in 1:10.42.
The 6-5 favorite, El Saddler, was never a factor, finishing sixth.
Trainer Cole Norman won both divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds at Retama Park near San Antonio when Fitzroyal ($4.20) won the $55,065 division for colts and geldings and Dancing Dreams ($4.60) took the $54,157 fillies division.
Fitzroyal, ridden by Gerard Melancon, sat behind the leaders early in his six-furlong division, split rivals, and went on to a one-length win over Onlynurimagination in 1:10.70.