AUBURN, Wash. - Crowning Meeting, who tied one track record and set another in four starts at the Emerald Downs meeting, is out for the year with a hip injury.
"He pulled a stifle galloping last week, and I'm just not going to take any chances with him," said trainer Sharon Ross. "He seems fine now, but these things don't just disappear. It's a drag, but he will heal. He'll be back next year."
Three years ago, Rhythmean, then a 3-year-old, beat his elders in the Buckeye Native Stakes at River Downs. On Sunday Rhythmean will attempt to win his second Buckeye Native, but this time he'll be the target of an up-and-coming 3-year-old.
The $45,000 Buckeye Native, for accredited Ohio-breds, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Devout Sinner, who won three stakes at the Remington Park meet last year and was voted horse of the meet, makes an opening weekend appearance at the Oklahoma City track Sunday in the $30,000 Carris Memorial Stakes.
The Carris, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares, drew a field of seven, including the one-two finishers from last year, Western Delight and Darlin Dixie.
Adding to the field's depth is the Niall O'Callaghan-owned and
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - In one of the deepest renewals in recent memory, 10 fillies and mares were entered in the $40,000 Minneapolis Stakes, to be run Sunday at Canterbury Park.
The 1 1/16-mile turf race features a three-horse entry from the barn of Hugh Robertson. One of Robertson's horses, Twilite Tryst, was entered in the HBPA Mile at Canterbury earlier this meet but didn't run. In her most recent start, Twilite Tryst captured an optional claimer over the turf at Arlington. Zoe Cadman is named to ride Twilite Tryst.
Mighty Merlin, who rolled to an 11 1/4-length win in his only race, will likely be favored Sunday in the $40,000 Pioneer at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.
The six-furlong race for 2-year-olds drew eight others, including Father Martin, commanding winner of the $52,000 consolation for the Texas Stallion Stakes in his last start, and Calder Race Course shipper Comic Truth.
MIAMI - Trainer Richard Ciardullo's phone has been ringing off the hook ever since Super Fuse sensationally won his career debut here last Saturday. A 2-year-old gelding, Super Fuse earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure, second highest for a juvenile this year behind the 102 posted by Zavata winning the Tremont Stakes.
Ciardullo said he and owner C & T Stable have gotten offers to buy Super Fuse, but as of Friday they hadn't sold.
Ciardullo purchased Super Fuse, a son of Lite the Fuse, for $38,000 out of the Adena Springs dispersal sale in Ocala in April.
D. Wayne Lukas has a long list of former employees who have gone on to successful careers as trainers. Now Becky Maker is bidding to join that group.
Maker won the first race of her career when Atticus Finch captured the last race Wednesday at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. It was the 18th starter for Maker, who worked for Lukas for four years and for Dallas Stewart, a former Lukas assistant, for another four years.
"That was a long time coming," Maker said Friday from the Trackside training facility in Louisville, where she has 11 horses.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A case can be made that the best race With Anticipation has run in his career came in last year's Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap. The case can also be made that the 7-year-old gelding will have to duplicate that effort in order to become just the third repeat winner of Saratoga's Grade 1 turf fixture, run at 12 furlongs on the inner turf course.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Pat Day is poised to pass Chris McCarron and become racing's all-time leading jockey in purse money won. Entering Friday's action at Saratoga, Day trailed McCarron by $114,891.
McCarron, who retired from race riding in July, earned $264,351,679. Day entered Friday's card with $264,236,788. Day had five mounts on Friday's card.
Day could very well break the record on Saturday, when he rides With Anticipation in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga and Pass Rush in Saturday night's $600,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park.
There are plenty of juicy spots for 3-year-old males who don't rank among the leaders of their division, and one such race is Saturday's $600,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Race Track.
The rich pot has lured seven shippers, plus two local horses, to Mountaineer, which is in the small town of Chester, W. Va., for the 30th running of the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.
Wiseman's Ferry is the likely favorite of the 1 1/8-mile race.
