Live racing will no longer be offered at Fairplex Park in Pomona if the California Horse Racing Board approves a request by the Los Angeles County Fair to relocate its racing dates to Santa Anita this September, according to a top fair official.
On Thursday, officials with the Los Angeles County Fair Association announced they had reached an agreement with Magna Entertainment, the parent company of Santa Anita, to change the venue of the fair meeting, which is scheduled for Sept. 13-29.
ELMONT, N.Y. - I'm All Yours, the champion New York-bred male turf horse of 2001, begins defense of his title Sunday when he heads an overflow field entered in the $75,000 Kingston Handicap at Belmont. A field of 14 was entered for the nine-furlong turf race, but the race will be limited to 10 starters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pompeii has been mostly dormant since her explosive Grade 1 victory last summer at Saratoga. But Sunday, the 5-year-old mare will make just her second start in seven months when she will be a prohibitive favorite in the feature race at Churchill Downs, a $62,400 allowance at 1 1/16 miles.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Speed handicappers may disagree with trainer Jean-Pierre Dupuis, whose 2-year-old Expression dashed 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.36 seconds, fastest of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meet.
"I don't pay much attention to time, the track was pretty fast that day," said Dupuis. So was Expression, and for that reason he will be favored Sunday in the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes. At five furlongs, the $65,000-added sprint is all about speed and final time. The key to beating Expression? Run faster.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lucky Scarab, Funny Soldier, and Native Mark, all exiting allowance races on the grass at Keeneland, could rule the roost in Sunday's Woodbine feature, a 1 1/16-mile preliminary allowance on turf.
Lucky Scarab, trained by Mark Frostad for the powerful Sam-Son Farm, will be favored to garner the winner's share of the $69,900 purse. A 4-year-old by recently deceased sire Kris S., Lucky Scarab finished fifth as part of an entry with victorious Dancethruthedawn in the 2001 Queen's Plate.
CALGARY, Alberta - The road to the June 15 Alberta Derby has taken several twists this spring, with no clear-cut favorite emerging from the 3-year-old ranks.
So it comes as no surprise that Sunday's Hoofprint on My Heart Handicap, the major prep for the Alberta Derby, drew a full field of 10 with one also-eligible.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Full Gainer, who won the New Westminster Stakes last year, should be a solid favorite over five other 3-year-olds in a $35,000 claiming sprint at Hastings Park Sunday.
Full Gainer ran three times as a 2-year-old and was heavily favored each time. He beat straight maidens as the 3-2 choice in his debut July 28 and was even money when he won the New Westminster Stakes on Aug. 19. His next start was in the $95,000 Ascot Sophomore Oct. 14 at 1 1/16 miles and he went off at 8-5. He finished eighth.
AUBURN, Wash. - A full field of 12 older fillies and mares, including four who are invading from Canada, will run in Sunday's $35,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes at Emerald Downs.
Grooms Derby, a triple stakes winner at Hastings Park, heads the Canadian contingent in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes. Grooms Derby has started only once this season, finishing a good second to Inish Girl after helping to set
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The last time trainer John Ward had a starter in California, Beautiful Pleasure finished 10th in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Hollywood Park.
Two years later, Beautiful Pleasure earned an Eclipse Award as outstanding older filly or mare following a campaign that included a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Gulfstream Park.
"She had a chance to redeem herself," Ward said.
This weekend, Ward returns to Hollywood Park with Snow Dance, who will start for owner John Oxley in Monday's $500,000 Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap.