VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Frank Barroby has taken the blinkers off Point Five, hoping the 7-year-old gelding will slow down during the early stages of the Hasting Park feature Friday, an optional handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles.
Eight older horses have been entered, and it looks like a very competitive event. First post for the seven-race Friday evening card has been moved to 6:44 p.m.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Rancour was a shocking winner of the Westerner here last August, upsetting the likes of Run Joey Run, Code Name Fred, and Scotman.
This year, Rancour has been something of a disappointment, with one win in five starts. In three of those races he finished behind Sixthirtyjoe. With Sixthirtyjoe not running in Friday's $40,000 Westerner, Rancour will try to get back on track in the race that first brought him to the public's attention.
AUBURN, Wash. - Lady Buccaneer and Ruby Montani, who finished second and third while racing for higher tags on Aug. 2, are rematched in Friday's one-mile feature at Emerald Downs. The race has drawn six 3-year-old fillies, each eligible to be claimed for $16,000.
Lady Buccaneer and Ruby Montani ran in a $25,000 to $20,000 claiming race at a mile in their Aug. 2 meeting, when Lady Buccaneer was beaten a neck by Bubble Girl after leading to the final strides. Ruby Montani finished another length back, but there are at reasons to believe that she can reverse the outcome on Friday.
DEL MAR, Calif. - In his first workout since a convincing victory in the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 4, top 3-year-old War Emblem breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds on Wednesday, without being urged.
Working alone, War Emblem worked off the rail under exercise rider Dana Barnes and finished well, galloping out through the clubhouse turn. "The main thing is to keep him fit and happy," said trainer Bob Baffert. "He came off the track bucking."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Day one of the Keeneland September 2000 sales was almost over and Jose DeCamargo was walking out of the sales pavilion with his partners. DeCamargo looked over to the holding area where the last few yearlings to be offered were walking and he stopped in his tracks.
"It was love at first sight," DeCamargo said of the Broad Brush filly who would be named Farda Amiga. "I said, 'That's the filly right there.' When she passed by, she struck me by the way she moved."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Zavata lived up to his 2-5 odds by overcoming a wide trip and a deep, slow Saratoga main track to win Wednesday's Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special by 7 1/4 lengths.
Lone Star Sky, who had to take up at the quarter pole, re-rallied to be second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Spite the Devil. Awesome of Course and Desert Warrior completed the order of finish.
Under Jerry Bailey, Zavata raced in third position but was four wide down the backside, behind Awesome of Course, who set fractions of 22.25 seconds and 45.70 while being chased by Desert Warrior.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Tony Calo, track announcer at Bay Meadows, is a man who puts his money where his mouth is.
Calo, whose passion for racing is evident in his race calls, is also a horse owner. His Winner's Code drew the rail for Friday's feature at the Bay Meadows Fair, a $25,000 claimer at six furlongs that drew five entrants.
Winner's Code makes a big jump up from the $8,000 level, where he scored an impressive victory at Vallejo on July 20.
"He's in tough," Calo said, "but horses get sharp. We think he's improving so we thought we'd give it a go."
MIAMI - The mystery of what caused Puck to pull up in distress following his fourth-place finish behind War Emblem in the Haskell Invitational was solved earlier this week. Puck suffered a hairline fracture of his right large pastern during the running of the race, said his trainer, Bill White.
Puck forced War Emblem's pace to the stretch of the Grade 1 Haskell, and jockey Cornelio Velasquez dismounted shortly past the finish line. But Puck walked back to his barn.
Jockeys Thomas Clifton and Rafael Medina will be out of action indefinitely after sustaining injuries in a freak accident that occurred after the fourth race at Penn National last Friday.
Clifton, the track's third leading rider with 44 wins, broke his right clavicle and Medina separated a shoulder in the spill, which happened as they were pulling up their mounts past the finish line. Jimmy's Lil Peanut appeared to stumble and fall, unseating Clifton. Medina and Reserved Seating were unable to avoid the fallen pair. Neither horse was seriously injured.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Allan Plever has joined Great Lakes Downs as racing secretary, following the sudden resignation of Frank Stacks.
Stacks, who is currently practicing equine dentistry here, will be leaving soon for a position in the racing office at Sunland Park.
Plever, also the racing secretary at Sportsman's Park, served in that position at Detroit Race Course for many years before that track ceased operations in 1998. Plever, who owns a home in Muskegon, has served as a jockey agent at this oval in the past.
