MIAMI - Stormy Frolic celebrated her third birthday in smashing style, winning Calder's Tropical Oaks Stakes by nearly seven lengths on New Year's Day. But her form and fortunes have gone downhill ever since.
On Saturday, Stormy Frolic returns from a near-four-month layoff and seeks her first victory since the Tropical Park Oaks when she faces five other 3-year-old fillies in the $50,000 Judy's Red Shoes Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
In the Aug. 18 Rumson Stakes at Monmouth Park, Our Wildcat had just enough left to hold off Outstander. To defeat Outstander again in Saturday's $50,000 Bergen County Stakes at The Meadowlands, Our Wildcat will have to run substantially better.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Belmont's fall meet may not have the cachet of Saratoga, but it will not lack for quality, intrigue, or importance.
With the World Thoroughbred Championships just 50 days away, many of Belmont's 38 stakes will be used by horsemen from around the country and some from Europe to determine if their animals are worthy of running in any of the eight Breeders' Cup races to be run at Arlington Park on Oct. 26.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Less than 24 hours before entries were to close for Saturday's $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park, the field for the nine-furlong race was very much in flux.
Despite its Grade 1 status and weight-for-age conditions, only three horses were considered definite as of Thursday morning: Lido Palace, the defending Woodward winner; Express Tour, last year's Jerome Handicap winner; and Sherpa Guide, a New York-bred who has won three consecutive races.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Sunday's $150,000 Palomar Handicap at Del Mar lost a top candidate on Wednesday when trainer Ron McAnally said that Affluent will be pointed for the $500,000 WinStar Galaxy Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 4.
Affluent won the $400,000 Ramona Handicap on July 27, her richest victory of the year.
McAnally cited the purse and the time between races as leading factors. He still considers the 4-year-old Affluent a candidate for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Arlington Park on Oct. 26.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Art Sherman will take two shots in the co-feature at Bay Meadows on Friday.
Sherman has entered Etoile and Princessconcuervo in the race, a six-furlong allowance for fillies and mares. The Sherman stablemates will face four rivals.
With northern California's decreased horse population, trainers are often forced to run stablemates against each other because of a lack of options.
"They're both eligible for this condition," Sherman said.
That's his reasoning for running Etoile and Princessconcuervo in the same race.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Kenyawin, who was claimed for $20,000 in his last start by trainer Gary Danelson, makes his first appearance for his new connections in Friday's featured first race at Assiniboia.
Six $20,000 claimers will start in the six-furlong race, which has an $11,800 purse.
Kenyawin, who has two wins from seven starts this year, should contest the early pace along with Latter Day Ace and Northern Ace. He will break from post 4. Tim Gardiner rides.
Latter Day Ace, a winner once in six starts this year, starts from post 2 with Ken Hendricks aboard.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Her feet are feeling no pain, the blinkers that wound up compromising her in races are gone, and Lady of Peace's career has reached its zenith.
In good form all summer at Arlington, Lady of Peace moves from an overnight stakes win during Arlington Million week to an open turf allowance, the feature on Friday's program.
In a race at about one mile on grass, she faces a small but strong field that also includes Ellie's Rose, Innit, Soccory, Twilite Tryst, and Bold Bluff.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - This should be trainer Sid Attard's favorite time of year.
Attard, who won a memorable running of the Grade 1 Atto Mile with Numerous Times last September, has been on a recent tear at Woodbine. Last week alone, he won with Kinesthesia ($13.90), Dance Diana ($18.70), Serena's Lady ($8.50), and Always Split Aces ($9.50).
Attard will saddle several live runners on Friday's card, including Defenman, the likely favorite in the featured eighth, a $62,500 claimer for 3-year-olds and up.
DEL MAR, Calif. - For now, Easy Grades has found a home on the main track.
Following two runner-up finishes in Triple Crown preps and a 13th in the Kentucky Derby, Easy Grades was tried on turf but was beaten in two allowance races.
After he returned to win an allowance race over a mile on the main track on Aug. 19, Easy Grades earned a ticket to Friday's $75,000 El Cajon Sakes at Del Mar.
"I was hoping he'd do what he did because I wanted to go back to the dirt," trainer Ted West said. "He justified what I thought of him."
