SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Some of the most accomplished Minnesota-bred colts and geldings from the last few seasons square off Saturday in the 10,000 Lakes Stakes, the $35,000 feature at Canterbury Park.
The six-furlong race for statebreds features a former horse of the meet in Bleu Victoriate, a Minnesota Derby and Northern Lights Futurity winner in Now Playing, and a two-time winner of the Minnesota Sprint Championship, Crocrock.
The $50,000 Tomboy Stakes at River Downs, in Cincinnati, might prove to be a showdown between the battle-tested Crypto's Twinjet and the up-and-coming Come Hither. The Tomboy, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies, will have a full field of 12.
Perhaps the main question in the Tomboy is which of the fillies will handle the turf. Only two of the 14 entered have started on the turf, and they did not run very well on it. Rain was forecast for Thursday and Friday, which might force the race to the main track.
BALTIMORE - The charmed life of trainer Bob Baffert and his Kentucky Derby winner continued Wednesday, when War Emblem narrowly avoided the last pick in the post position draw for Saturday's Preakness, and instead got first choice and ended up in post 8.
With just two pills left to determine the selection order, only the numbers 1 and 13 had yet to be drawn. War Emblem, one of two horses left in the random drawing, got the first choice, with Equality getting the last pick, unlucky number 13.
AUBURN, Wash. - The best claim of trainer Charles Essex's career was Handy N Bold, who has won nine stakes and earned more than $300,000 since being claimed out of his debut for $25,000.
Nobody can expect Slew's Carousel to compile similar numbers, but Slew's Carousel, a 3-year-old son of Slewdledo, certainly appears to be a useful acquisition. Just how useful he can be should be clearer after he runs for the second time in Friday's feature at Emerald Downs, a six-furlong race for $16,000 3-year-olds, which has drawn a field of seven.
CALGARY, Alberta - T J Quigley, in search of his second victory at the meet, heads a field of nine older runners in the featured eighth race at Stampede Park on Friday.
T.J. Quigley, the upset winner of the 1999 Stampede Park Sprint Championship, won April 19 at this $15,000 claiming level and returned two weeks later to run third over a muddy surface he did not handle.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Bettors failed to conquer the pick six on Wednesday at Hollywood Park, leaving a carryover of $105,435 for Thursday.
Thursday's pick six covers races three through eight. Three of the races - the third, sixth and eighth - are for 2-year-olds over 4 1-2 furlongs. All three races feature maidens entered for claiming prices of $35,000 to $40,000. There is only one scratch in the pick six races: In the sixth race, Snowballs Chance has been withdrawn.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Summer Note, who won the Grade 2 Hutcheson in his last start, in January 2000, returns in Friday's featured eighth race at Belmont Park.
The third-level allowance, part of a nine-race sunset racing card that begins at 3 p.m., drew eight runners. The race, which has a $49,000 purse, will be run at six furlongs.
Summer Note, who will be ridden by Jorge Chavez, drew post 6.
Summer Note, a 5-year-old son of Notebook, is undefeated in three starts.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Grade 1 winner Victory Ride had her final breeze for Saturday's $200,000 Shuvee Handicap on Wednesday at Belmont Park.
Going out at her usual time of 6:30 a.m., Victory Ride, with exercise rider Marcus O'Donnell in the saddle, worked three furlongs in 38.05 seconds, breezing, over the main track.
Victory Ride's trainer, Rusty Arnold, postponed the work from Tuesday to Wednesday because of the wet and wild weather that pounded the area on Monday. The high winds, which continued all day on Tuesday, dried out the track.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Gander, the 2000 New York-bred Horse of the Year, finished a well-beaten third as the 1-2 favorite in a classified allowance at Belmont Park on Wednesday. It was Gander's fifth consecutive loss since winning the Grade 2 Meadowlands Cup in September.
El Gran Papa, under Jerry Bailey, survived a late stretch battle with the late-closing Griffinite to win the 1 1/8-mile race by a nose. Gander, who set the pace from well off the rail while under pressure, tired and finished 9 1/4 lengths behind Griffinite.
