ELMONT, N.Y. - Will someone kindly remove the black cat hiding out in the Belmont Park racing office?
The cursed department, which has seen a number of top-quality horses miss stakes engagements because of various infirmities or other reasons, lost two more Grade 1 winners Monday when the connections of Buddha and England's Legend withdrew their horses from upcoming holiday weekend stakes races.
ELMONT, N.Y. - There are only six horses entered in Wednesday's featured eighth race at Belmont Park, but pick-six players chasing the $67,834 carryover may have a hard time throwing any of the sextet out.
Runners from several hot barns and a couple of intriguing horses from cold outfits make up the third-level allowance field contesting seven furlongs.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Matanzas Creek, who has won his last three races, and Ole Rebel, who is 3-for-4 in his career, both make their stakes debut Wednesday night in the $100,000 Alysheba Breeders' Cup at Lone Star Park.
The seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds tops a 10-race card that will begin earlier than usual at 5 p.m. Central to accommodate a fireworks display after the races. Last year, the fireworks show drew 30,462.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Holiday Runner, the unbeaten filly who would have been a solid favorite Saturday in the $100,000 Debutante Stakes, has been declared from the race because of a fever.
Mike Maker, assistant to trainer D. Wayne Lukas, said the illness is "not serious, but enough that we have to pass the race."
Holiday Runner is unbeaten in three starts, having defeated male rivals in the Three Chimneys Juvenile here in May, then fillies in the Fashion Stakes at Belmont last month. The Meadowlake filly is owned by Steve Barberino Jr.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Suances came to the United States in 2000 after winning the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat in France. It's taken more than two years, most of which was spent recuperating from injury, but Suances will finally get the opportunity to win his first U.S. Grade 1 on Saturday in the $500,000 United Nations Handicap on the turf at Monmouth.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kentucky invader Bonus Pack overcame major traffic problems and an inquiry to post an authoritative win in the Grade 3, $219,800 Dominion Day Handicap Monday at Woodbine.
Bonus Pack stalked a moderate pace under Jesus Castanon in the 1 1/4-mile event. Lil Personalitee vied up front with Tails of the Crypt through splits of :24.18, :48.02 and 1:12.97, as Bonus Pack awaited room on the backstretch and through the far turn. Castanon angled Bonus Pack wide at the quarter pole, and they drew off in the stretch for a 5 3/4-length victory over Attest.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Krz Ruckus was notching his fourth win in his fourth start of the year when he romped home here in last year's edition of the Overskate Stakes.
And while Krz Ruckus heads into Wednesday's running of the seven-furlong Overskate without a win in just two starts this year, trainer Mike DePaulo believes Krz Ruckus is sitting on a big effort.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - At first glance, the $136,875 Overskate Stakes, an Ontario-sired race Wednesday at Woodbine, seems made to order for Runaway Love.
Runaway Love has ground out a good living here on Wednesday nights, and the seven-furlong distance of the Overskate is right up his alley.
PLEASANTON, Calif. - My Honey Bunny, third in the $98,775 Cinderella Stakes at Hollywood Park in her previous start, broke alertly and scored a wire-to-wire victory in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes at the Alameda County Fair on Sunday.
My Honey Bunny ($3) held off fast-finishing Frisco Belle by a head, winning the five-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies in 57.49 seconds. The first two finishers were nine lengths in front of third-place finisher Phoenixledo.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Inesperado launched his American career with a dramatic victory in Sunday's $182,600 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Making his first start after being privately acquired from France, Inesperado was patiently ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who rallied his mount along the rail in the final furlong to catch the frontrunning entry of Regiment and Johar.
"He bulled his way through there," Desormeaux said. "What a turn of foot he had in the last eighth of a mile."
