CHICAGO - One possible supplemental nominee is in, the other is out, and two Californians were due to arrive here by plane on Wednesday. That's how it stands for Saturday's Grade 2, $175,000 Arlington Classic, the most prestigious stakes staged so far at this meet.
The Classic starts the Mid-America Triple, a three-race series for 3-year-old turf horses that culminates in the Grade 1 Secretariat. The series is not linked, however, by any financial incentive.
ELMONT, N.Y. - On the day Cashier's Dream was to have been flown to New York to prepare for next Saturday's Grade 1 Prioress Stakes, she was instead fighting for her life in the Hagyard-Davidson-McGee equine clinic in Lexington, Ky., following intestinal surgery.
MIAMI - Castlebrook regained leadership, at least temporarily, of the filly and mare handicap division following her one-length victory over Banderia in Sunday's $42,345 Hurricane Viv Handicap. Castlebrook's path to the winner's circle didn't quite go the way trainer Bill Kaplan drew it up on the blackboard, however.
In the Hurricane Viv, Castlebrook was part of an uncoupled entry, along with Multiplicity, who Kaplan figured would run early with 9-5 favorite Bay Street Gal, allowing Castlebrook to rally from her favorite spot just off the pace.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Without the likes of Xtra Heat and Gold Mover to deal with, Shine Again should find the company more to her liking Thursday when she heads a six-horse field entered in a money allowance race at Belmont Park.
Shine Again, who knocked off Dream Supreme and Spain in last year's Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga, has not competed in allowance company since April 4, 2001. Since then, she has finished in the money in eight of nine stakes, including wins in the Ballerina, Grade 2 First Flight, and ungraded Geisha Handicap.
CHICAGO - Before Arlington Park even got rolling this summer Wayne Catalano said that to contend for the training title at this marathon meet, you had to send horses out in waves. Three weeks in, Catalano and his owner, Frank Calabrese, basically have run through their first wave of horses, which has given them 10 wins and a lead in the trainer and owner standings.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The removal of blinkers and a return to Hollywood Park have propelled Bonus Pay Day to two straight runaway victories, and he will shoot for the hat trick when he heads a field of six in Thursday's featured allowance race at Hollywood Park.
Bonus Pay Day was claimed for $32,000 on March 27 by trainer Peter Eurton, who has spent the past three months trying to get Bonus Pay Day to better conserve his energy. "He's very aggressive," Eurton said Tuesday morning at his Hollywood Park barn.
AUBURN, Wash. - Lower-level claimers will be recognized again Thursday when Emerald Downs runs the second leg of the Stanislaw Ashbaugh starter allowance series. The race offers a purse of $7,000 to fillies and mares racing 6 1/2 furlongs under $3,200 starter allowance conditions.
The first leg of the five-race series, which was run for males under the same conditions, was won by the George Colello-trained If Not Why Not, and Colello could strike again Thursday with Jana O'Gaill, who appears likely to be favored over seven rivals.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Allen Jerkens doesn't think Dust Me Off's upset of highly regarded Belterra in the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes at Gulfstream Park should go down as the highlight of her career.
"Her career shouldn't have to end with the Bonnie Miss," said Jerkens, whose filly also beat subsequent Nassau County winner Nonsuch Bay in the March race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The city of Louisville has tentatively agreed to a deal with Churchill Downs that will save the track about $250,000 in taxes per year for the next 30 years. The deal should ease the financial uncertainty that recently precluded the company's board from taking expected action on the second phase of the ongoing $130 million renovation of its flagship track.
On paper, Urban Dancer certainly looked like the weaker part of an entry for Tuesday's $63,100 at Delaware Park. But when trainer Tim Ritchey decided to scratch Madame Roar and allowed Urban Dancer to run, the betting public wasn't fooled.
Urban Dancer, bet down to 8-5 in a field of 11 filly and mare sprinters, drew off to a three-length victory in the six-furlong overnight stakes.
