ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dream Launcher, fresh off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Eclipse Handicap, will be a short price in Friday's featured fourth race, a $100,000 optional claimer.
Dream Launcher, a 4-year-old owned and trained by Audre Cappuccitti, could be the lone speed in the 1 1/16-mile race. He made an impact in the second start of his career last spring, finishing a close second as a maiden here in the six-furlong Woodstock Stakes.
CALGARY, Alberta - Trainer Don Gilkyson provided the exactor in Monday's Ken Pearson Memorial at Stampede Park, the second time he has turned the trick in a filly and mare stakes at this meet.
This time the winner was Slewability ($30.60), avenging her defeat to stablemate Little Lolitta in the M.R. Jenkins Memorial two weeks earlier.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Stakes winner Sir Alfred makes his 4-year-old debut in Friday's feature race at Bay Meadows.
He will face four rivals in an $80,000 optional claimer at one mile on the main track. Among those he'll face is Hoovergetthekeys, who raced against him five times last year.
Sir Alfred hasn't raced since finishing third in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields on Dec. 16.
"We didn't want to over-race him as a 3-year-old," trainer Chuck Jenda's assistant Bill Patterson said.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The presence of Grade 1 winners Astra and Starine has not limited the field for Monday's $500,000 Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.
As of Wednesday, seven fillies and mares were probable for the Gamely, run over 1 1/8 miles on turf. All are stakes winners, with victories ranging in prestige from the 2000 Western Australian Derby (won by Old Money) to the Miss America Handicap at Bay Meadows (won by Crazy Ensign last month).
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Born to Dance, Great Lakes Downs's 2001 horse of the year, will return to racing at the friendly confines of this track Friday, heading a field of 10 statebred fillies and mares in the $45,000 Larkspur Handicap, the first stakes race of the meet.
Born to Dance won all five of her races here last year, and pretty much was in front every step of the way of every race. She was headed only briefly in the early going of her first two races. Born to Dance earned three "easily" and two "handily" chart comments for the five victories.
Juveniles will take the first step to a possible $4 million bonus when the Ruidoso Downs 61-day summer season opens Friday afternoon with 224 entrants in 23 Ruidoso Futurity trials.
Starting this year, if a horse wins the three major Grade 1 Futurities at Ruidoso Downs - the Ruidoso Futurity, the Rainbow Futurity, and the All American Futurity - he or she will earn a $4 million Quarter Horse Triple Crown Bonus. The last horse to sweep the three races was world champion Special Effort in 1981.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Grade 1, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 29 is one of three races trainer Donnie Von Hemel is considering next for See How She Runs, who remains undefeated in five starts after a 5 1/2-length win Monday in the Grade 1 Selene Stakes at Woodbine.
See How She Runs, who was to return to Lone Star Park base on Friday, is also under consideration for the $150,000 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows on July 3, and the $125,000 Walmac Lone Star Oaks on turf July 4.
STICKNEY, Ill. - The once-beaten 3-year-old Cashel Castle no longer is being considered for the Northern Dancer Stakes on June 15 at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Chris Block, who is uncertain when and where Cashel Castle will next race.
Block said Cashel Castle has not bounced back from his most recent start, the April 27 Derby Trial, as well as he had hoped.
"At first, I thought he came out of the race better than he came out of his last start," Block said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - See How She Runs took the money in Monday's Grade 1 Selene at Woodbine and scooted back to Texas, probably never to be seen again in these parts.
But the 1 1/16-mile Selene still had important local implications, as it represented the final step toward the Labatt Woodbine Oaks for the three Canadian-breds in the field.
Ginger Gold, beaten 5 1/2 lengths as the second-place finisher, and Mulrainy, who ended another length back in third, both will proceed to the $500,000 Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race on June 8.