EDMONTON, Alberta - With Alberta and Manitoba Derby champion Lord Shogun on the shelf, Saturday's $150,000 Canadian Derby has taken on a radically different complexion.
The Grade 3 Canadian Derby, at 1 3/8 miles, is the highlight of the Northlands meeting.
Reports had been circulating since the Manitoba Derby that Lord Shogun, who is based in Vancouver, had suffered a leg injury at Assiniboia Downs.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Plenty of speed will be on display when King Jeremy and Danzilation hook up in the $35,000 6 1/2-furlong Hastings Speed Handicap this Sunday afternoon. Six older horses have been entered, but it shapes up as a match race between King Jeremy and Danzilation.
AUBURN, Wash. - California invader Erica's Smile adds a measure of intrigue - and a whole lot of speed - to Sunday's $100,000 Washington Breeders' Cup Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
Erica's Smile, who takes on six locals in the nine-furlong Oaks, boasts an admirable record of three wins and three seconds from six starts, all in northern California for trainer Jeff Bonde. She is coming off a two-length victory in last month's Fairfield Stakes in Solano, leading throughout six furlongs in 1:09.07.
That, however, was the longest race of her career.
ETOBICOKE, Ont. - Goldies Legacy, perhaps the best 2-year-old seen at Woodbine so far this year, would have been favored in Sunday's Vandal Stakes, but trainer Sid Attard said Friday that the unbeaten colt will be scratched.
"He's a little sick," Attard revealed. "It's nothing serious. He should be okay next year, but he probably won't be back this year."
With the Goldies Legacy out, Frankiefourfingers deserves top billing in the six-furlong contest for Canadian-breds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Textbook Method splashed through the slop to win Friday's $84,775 Yaddo Handicap at Saratoga by 4 1/4 lengths.
Indy Mood for Luv finished second and was 3 1/2 lengths in front of the 6-5 favorite, Shopping for Love.
A fierce thunderstorm blew through Saratoga early in the afternoon and knocked the 1 1/8-mile Yaddo for New York-bred fillies and mares off the grass onto the main track at the same distance.
The Oklahoma Racing Commission has given preliminary approval to a 2003 racing calendar that eliminates the traditional spring Quarter Horse meet at Remingtion Park in Oklahoma City and drops Thoroughbred racing at Fair Meadows in Tulsa.
A final vote will be made at the next commission meeting, on Sept. 26.
Remington asked to drop its Quarter Horse season because officials project a $2 million loss on the meet. The track did request a Thoroughbred meet for 2003, however, and pre-approval was given to a 65-day season from Aug. 9 to Nov. 30.
AB What a Runner set the fastest qualifying time for the $2.05 million All American Futurity on Sept. 2 with a record-setting performance in Thursday's time trials for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs.
A filly, AB What a Runner ran 440 yards in 20.993 seconds. The previous Ruidoso Downs record of 21.02 seconds was set by Truckle Feature in the 1973 World's Championship Classic.
AB What a Runner won the 10th of 23 trials held on Thursday. Trained by Bret Vickery, She was making her second start.
Fair Grounds has made several significant changes to its schedule and racing office staff while dropping three stakes races during its upcoming winter meet.
Ben Huffman, racing secretary at Keeneland, replaces Brent Seward as stakes coordinator. Huffman, the son of trainer Blackie Huffman, also has served as racing secretary at Ellis Park. Jason Boulet, a jockey's agent with racing office experience, will become assistant director of racing.
RUIDOSO, NM - Treis Seis qualified fastest to the Grade 1 $219,403 All American Derby Friday at Ruidoso Downs giving trainer John Bassett a strong hand to pull off a double of Ruidoso's two premier Labor Day weekend events, the All American Futurity and All American Derby.
Bassett qualifed two runners to the All American Futurity on Thursday, second-fastest First To Flash and seventh-fastest First Place Queen.
AUBURN, Wash. - Lasting Code is getting cranky, and that makes trainer Bob McMeans glad.
Owner Jerre Paxton purchased Lasting Code, the certain favorite for Sunday's $100,000 Washington Breeders' Cup Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at nine furlongs, in a private transaction in May, and at that time she was a perfect lady.
"She was so quiet around the barn, I thought she was just a real laid-back filly," recalled McMeans. "I didn't know that just wasn't her."