ETOBICOKE, Ontario - An unusually dry summer has taken its toll on the turf course at Woodbine, and the track's management, prompted by complaints from jockeys, will be giving the surface an unscheduled break this week.
The development comes at a particularly inopportune time with the $1 million Atto Mile, the Grade 1 turf race which is one of the showpieces of the meeting, coming up Sunday.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The last time Hollywood Honey was entered to race, she was to run in a field that included the likes of Holiday Runner, Posse, and Zavata. Those 2-year-olds all have gone on to be nationally ranked while Hollywood Honey has been out of sight, out of mind.
All that will change on Wednesday at Del Mar. Hollywood Honey, who has not raced since a dazzling debut victory at Santa Anita on March 21, returns to the races in the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes, for California-bred 2-year-old fillies.
BENSALEM, Pa. - California-based Truly a Judge completed a super day for shippers by romping to a 5 1/4-length victory in the $145,500 Jewel Stakes, the featured event of the fourth annual Claiming Crown, held Saturday at blustery Philadelphia Park.
New York shippers Nowrass and Won Moro won the $125,000 Emerald and $71,500 Glass Slipper, respectively, while Chicago shipper Talknow won the $47,000 Express.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Ninebanks ($10.60) scored his second straight stakes victory over the Longden Turf Course at Bay Meadows when he outdueled Surprise Halo, Spinelessjellyfish and Sea To See down the lane to win the $100,000 California Turf Championship by one-half length over Surprise Halo.
Ninebanks swung three wide into the lane and got past pacesetting Sea To See and Spinelessjellyfish. Surprise Halo rallied along the rail and grabbed the lead but couldn't hold off Ninebanks, who won the one-mile race in 1:35.05 for his fourth victory in six starts over the course.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher won his second Saratoga training title and first since 1998, edging defending champion Bill Mott by one victory on Monday, the final day of the meet.
Pletcher and Mott entered the final day tied at 18 wins, and Pletcher sent out Ocean Drive to win the sixth race, giving him 19. The title was not decided until the next to last race of the meet, the Grade 3 Saranac Handicap, when Pletcher finished second with Finality and Mott was fourth with Miesque's Approval, the 6-5 favorite.
The filly Ab What A Runner shot out to an early advantage and then held off late-charging longshot Eye Opening Episode and the previously undefeated Meteoric to take a three-way photo finish in Monday's $2.05 million Grade 1 at Ruidoso Downs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ibn Al Haitham, who stepped out of the maiden ranks in his previous start, became a graded stakes winner on Monday, running gamely in the face of several challenges through the stretch to defeat Finality by a half-length in the $111,500 Saranac Stakes, the closing day feature of the 2002 Saratoga meeting.
CINCINNATI - Doing what he was supposed to do, Lone Star Sky won the $200,000 Cradle Stakes as a heavy favorite.
Lone Star Sky, owned by Walter "Buddy" New and trained by Tom Amoss, was always prominent in the 27th running of the 1 1/16-mile Cradle, the biggest race of the River Downs meet. Christmas Away, far back early, closed steadily to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner and another 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Payforaday, who led the field of nine 2-year-olds most of the way before being headed by Lone Star Sky turning for home.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Lakenheath loves it wet and Lakenheath loves her home track, so a muddy Labor Day at Arlington Park was made for Lakenheath, who beat With Ability by a head in the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Matron.
Scoring her second graded stakes win, Lakenheath won for the fifth time in her career, but this was the best race Lakenheath has run. Showing more than her typical speed in order to keep the speedy With Ability in range, Lakenheath and jockey Chris Emigh wore With Ability down after a stretch-long battle.
Band Is Passing made his return to the races a winning one, drawing off to a two-length victory in the $150,000 Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap at Calder Race Course in Miami. The 6-year-old son of Pass the Line, who was making his first start in five and a half months in the Grade 3 mile on the grass, won as the 2-1 second choice under leading rider Cornelio Velasquez for owner-trainer-breeder Stanley Ersoff. Pisces, the 8-5 favorite, came from last to grab the runner-up spot by a length over longshot Doowaley.