ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While the majority of the Queen's Plate field is waiting for Fort Erie's July 21 Prince of Wales Stakes, Mountain Beacon will earn the distinction of being the first Plate returnee when he runs in Saturday's 10th race at Woodbine.
Mountain Beacon, owned by Sam-Son Farm and trained by Mark Frostad, had burst into the Plate picture with a handy win over 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland in his second career start April 19.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Fort Erie-based Paul Nielsen is sitting on the fence about competing in the Prince of Wales Stakes July 21.
Nielsen trains Le Cinquieme Essai, who would be making his fifth lifetime start in the $500,000 Prince of Wales, the 1 3/16-mile race which is the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Le Cinquieme Essai, owned by Bill Scott, crushed 12 opponents in an allowance race on Woodbine's turf course last Sunday. Despite breaking from post 12 and racing wide throughout, Le Cinquieme Essai drew out to win by 5 1/4 lengths.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Speedy Treat is the one to beat in Saturday's $35,000 Manitoba Maturity at Assiniboia, for 4-year-olds bred in Manitoba going 1 1/16 miles.
Never worse than third in five lifetime outings, Speedy Treat made his first four starts this year for trainer Harry Kube but will be racing for trainer Emile Corbel for the first time Saturday.
Speedy Treat's lone win came in his seasonal bow May 12, and he since has raced competitively in three tries against allowance company, including a second-place finish in his latest here June 30.
MIAMI - Never in Calder Race Course's 30-year history have so many outstanding horses competed on the same day as on Saturday in the third annual Summit of Speed, six sprint stakes worth $1.4 million.
Entries were drawn Wednesday for the Summit of Speed, which has lured 18 shippers to south Florida, led by Eclipse Award winner Xtra Heat. She will take on Gold Mover and four others in the $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap, which will share top billing on the card with the $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - An Illinois-bred gets a maiden race and two allowance conditions, then it's out of statebred company and into the big, scary world of open racing. It's a tough jump for a horse to make, and he needs a little luck to do it.
But how much luck does has trainer Christine Janks have left?
She used much of it Sunday, when she won three times in the first five races.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The depth of Bobby Frankel's stable is on display in Friday's sixth race at Hollywood Park.
Frankel has two leading contenders in a field of 10 in a $50,000 allowance over 1 1/16 miles on turf - Fully Invested and Northern Blue. Both are 4-year-old fillies with stakes experience in Europe who are making their first start in this country.
Fully Invested had one win in five starts in England, including a third in a listed stakes over about 1 1/4 miles in May 2001. She is unraced since October, when she was sixth in a stakes at Newmarket.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stronach Stable and trainer Malcolm Pierce have won numerous turf races at Woodbine since they teamed up a few years ago, most recently with Montezuma's Gold last weekend.
That same combination will send out Silver Axe in Friday's feature, a 1 1/8-mile grass event for $80,000 optional claimers.
