SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The stock market is in a free fall, a baseball strike is looming, heck, even Tiger Woods can't shoot straight.
For the New York Racing Association, however, these are not troubled times. Coming off a year of increased business at its three racetracks, NYRA is set to open its marquee meeting Wednesday as Saratoga commences its 134th season. A 10-race card, highlighted by the $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes, begins at 1 p.m.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The cheery seaside atmosphere of Del Mar provides California racing with a clever appearance - fun and games at the beach, for seven weeks starting Wednesday.
A mild breeze drifts in from Pacific Ocean, and a lazy 2 p.m. Pacific post (4 p.m. Fridays) allows latecomers and afternoon simulcast bettors full access to the six-day-a-week racing schedule (Wednesday through Monday). Del Mar is a vacation postcard, with a twist - its most treasured attributes have four legs.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - An unspecified injury will further delay the comeback of Mizzen Mast, one of the country's leading handicap horses, who was scheduled to return Aug. 4 at Del Mar in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. Trainer Bobby Frankel said Monday that Mizzen Mast came out of a July 15 work at Hollywood Park with an injury that will force him to miss the San Diego while casting uncertainty over the colt's fall campaign.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Shug McGaughey, who underwent triple bypass surgery six weeks ago, was back at his usual perch outside barn 81 Monday morning, overseeing the preparation of his stable for the upcoming Saratoga meet.
McGaughey arrived in Saratoga on Saturday and plans to be at the barn every morning and hopes to attend the races as often as he can. McGaughey, 51, underwent the procedure on June 13 after doctors found three blockages around his heart two days earlier during a routine physical exam.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel says he can't do it again. Don't believe him.
In 2001, Frankel was 10 for 21 at Saratoga, winning six stakes, including three Grade 1's and three Grade 2's. "I'm not going to have that kind of meet," said Frankel, who already has won 30 stakes races this year, 22 of which were graded. "If I can do half as good I'll be happy. Everything fell into place, like the way I won the Diana."
CHICAGO - Arlington's Million Preview Day may come closer to living up to its name this season. The three Saturday stakes here should be strong races, and some horses headed to the Modesty and the Arlington Handicaps are legitimate hopefuls for Grade 1 races on the Aug. 17 Arlington Million card.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - TVG will offer a mix of studio and ontrack telecasts for its two-hour simulcasts on Fox Sports Net during the Del Mar meeting.
The plan is a switch from the network's format during Hollywood Park, when only ontrack programming was offered.
"It's just too cost-prohibitive," said Tony Allevato, executive producer for TVG.
For the third time in the past 2 1/2 months, jockey David Flores rode five winners on a single card at Philadelphia Park. Four of the winners came on horses trained by Scott Lake - Highland Dream ($6) in the second race, Father Mark ($2.80) in the third, Spectacular Kim ($2.80) in the fifth, and Ruskin ($2.60) in the eighth.
Flores wrapped up the day by riding Judge's Valentine ($7.80) to a head victory over 40-1 longshot Brief Statement in the 10th.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In 2001 at Saratoga, John Velazquez played Sammy Sosa to Jerry Bailey's Mark McGwire.
While both riders broke the Saratoga record for wins in a meet, Velazquez's 52 victories fell three short of Bailey's 55. It was Bailey's third straight Saratoga riding title and his seventh in the last eight years.
Included in Velazquez's total was the first six-win day recorded by a jock at Saratoga, which Velazquez accomplished on closing day. Still, it took some reflection for Velazquez to appreciate the feat.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park set a record for all-sources handle and posted a strong increase in attendance at the 65-day spring-summer meeting that ended Sunday.
Overall handle rose 5 percent to a record average of $10.6 million, which surpassed the 1999 mark of $10.4 million. Much of the growth came from interstate simulcasting, which rose 7 percent, and from telephone and Internet wagering, which became legal in California in January. Betting from those sources averaged $352,865.
