ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - With the 21st Arlington Million in the rear-view mirror, deep breaths have been drawn and long sighs exhaled.
Now comes the post-Million era of the long Arlington Park meet, one that figures to have a different feel than any in track history because of the impending arrival of the Oct. 26 World Thoroughbred Championships.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Excellent Choice, a nominee to Sunday's Ontario Colleen Handicap, is among the five fillies and mares in Wednesday's $67,600 Woodbine feature, a $62,500 optional claimer.
Also entered in the seven-furlong race are Roman Romance, Amy's Falcon, Regalclass, and Plunderthepeasants.
DEL MAR, Calif. - It's a case of riches, to be sure, but there is no embarrassment. Bob Baffert has so many good 2-year-old colts this summer at Del Mar that he entered four of them in Wednesday's $150,000 Best Pal Stakes, which drew a field of nine.
Baffert will not run all four of them, but as many as three - Icecoldbeeratreds, Chief Planner, and Kafwain - could go in the 6 1/2-furlong, Grade 3 race.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Hall of Fame riding great Johnny Longden recently suffered a stroke and is confined to his bed at his home in Banning, Calif., his wife, Cathy, said Monday.
"He's not in any pain, he's eating well, but he has to be in bed," Cathy Longden said from their home. "He's doing as good as you could expect."
Cathy Longden said her husband had a slight stroke, but that it was unknown exactly when it occurred, though she said it was in the past few days.
"The only sign is that he's very weak," she said. "He has no strength to get up and walk around.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Medaglia d'Oro figures to be a solid favorite for Saturday's $1 million Travers when post positions are drawn Wednesday morning.
With Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem expected to remain in California for Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic, and Ohio Derby winner and Preakness and Haskell runner-up Magic Weisner likely to wait for the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 2, Medaglia d'Oro is expected to face eight rivals in Saratoga's marquee event.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Richard Migliore, upset over a decision by the stewards to disqualify his mount from first place in Monday's fourth race, took off his two remaining mounts on the card.
Migliore left the track shortly after Silver Squire finished first by 5 3/4 lengths in a first-level allowance race for 2-year-olds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - You, the five-time Grade 1 winner who finished third in Saturday's Alabama Stakes, will not race again this year, trainer Bobby Frankel said Sunday morning. She will return as a 4-year-old, most likely starting her campaign at the Belmont Park spring meet of 2003.
Frankel said there is nothing physically wrong with You, but said the filly deserves a break. Also, he doesn't believe You could unseat Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner Farda Amiga for the Eclipse Award as the 3-year-old filly champion.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - For the second straight year, single-day handle records for Arlington Park and Illinois were set on Arlington Million Day.
Saturday's 12-race program attracted $15,851,625 in all-sources wagering. Last year, just over $14 million was wagered on Million Day.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Two-year-old fillies Advancing Storm and Wild Snitch won maiden races impressively at Monmouth Park Aug. 7 two hours apart. And on Sunday, both went out to the track for their final workouts heading into the Grade 3, $100,000 Sorority. Hailing from top-notch 2-year-old barns, they will be two of the top choices in Sunday's Sorority, the last graded stakes of the meet.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The betting public and trainers at Monmouth Park were left in confusion Sunday when negotiations between jockeys and track officials about the safety of the turf course led to two turf stakes being switched to the main track. The changes occurred after trainers were arriving at the paddock with their horses for the sixth race and pick four players had already purchased their tickets for the multi-race bet that began a race earlier.