ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer John Salzman said there is truly only one way to find out whether the trip to Dubai and back has dulled , and that is to run his filly.
Salzman entered Xtra Heat, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, in Sunday's $150,000 at Belmont Park. It is Xtra Heat's first race since finishing third against males in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 23.
Xtra Heat, who is based at Laurel Park, is a standout over five fillies and mares in the six-furlong Genuine Risk, a Grade 2.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Madame Roar rolled into Woodbine six weeks ago from her Maryland base and embarrassed the locals with a front-running, six-length victory in the five-furlong La Voyageuse Handicap.
Madame Roar will try to turn the trick again, this time going 6 1/2 furlongs, in Sunday's $162,450 George C. Hendrie Handicap, a Grade 3 race for fillies and mares.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The California handicap division has crumbled. Send in the replacements, whoever they are.
Six modest older horses race 1 1/16 miles Sunday in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park. They seek a $150,000 purse and leadership of a rudderless division. Face it - Tiznow's retirement left a colossal void. It will not be filled Sunday; the Mervyn LeRoy field is mostly sugar.
CALGARY, Alberta - Sly Lady, who was impressive drawing off to a handy victory in a prep race last time out, heads a field of nine 3-year-old fillies here Sunday in the race she prepped for, the $40,000 Mount Royal.
Sly Lady's 4 1/2-length victory over Brass to Diamonds last out, on April 28, was accomplished in the excellent time of 1:11.60 over a good surface, and rider Real Simard had plenty of horse left at the wire.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Is Lord Shogun going to be one of the leaders of the 3-year-old division at Hastings Park, or is he just another horse with a lot of speed who looked impressive beating an unproven group of maidens in his last start as a 2-year-old? The answer may come Sunday when Lord Shogun squares off against eight other 3-year-olds in a $50,000 optional race at 6 1/2 furlongs.
One of the clues as to where Lord Shogun is headed could be in the company line of his last race. The horse he beat by 6 3/4 lengths, the filly Elana D'Amour, is now a stakes winner.
AUBURN, Wash. - Ashbecca, the champion juvenile filly at last year's meet, returns to Emerald Downs on Sunday when she takes on six rivals in the $45,000 Federal Way Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Ashbecca's most noteworthy accomplishments last season were a come-from-behind victory in the one-mile Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and a good fourth against male competition in the rich Gottstein Futurity at 1 1/16 miles. She will not be favored in Sunday's sprint, but trainer Steve Bullock feels it is in the filly's best interest to run.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The California handicap division has crumbled. Send in the replacements, whoever they are.
Six modest older horses race 1 1/16 miles Sunday in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park. They seek a $150,000 purse and leadership of a rudderless division.
Face it - Tiznow's retirement left a colossal void. It will not be filled Sunday; the Mervyn LeRoy field is mostly sugar.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer John Salzman said there is truly only one way to find out whether the trip to Dubai and back has dulled Xtra Heat, and that is to run his filly.
Salzman entered Xtra Heat, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, in Sunday's $150,000 Genuine Risk Handicap at Belmont Park. It is Xtra Heat's first race since finishing third against males in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 23.
Xtra Heat, who is based at Laurel Park, is a standout over five fillies and mares in the six-furlong Genuine Risk, a Grade 2.
CHICAGO - Once, a long time ago, there was a 3-year-old colt that won the Florida Derby, the Blue Grass, and was favored in the Kentucky Derby.
His name was Harlan's Holiday. Ring a bell?
Actually, it's been all of a week since Harlan's Holiday finished an even seventh in the Derby at 6-1, the longest-priced Derby favorite ever.
Harlan's Holiday raced well behind a moderate pace, made a little run around the far turn, and beat 11 horses. Disappointing, yes, but hardly disastrous.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Six Hitter, the newest star in the galaxy of trainer Bobby Frankel, will make his United States debut on national television in the $100,000, Grade 3 Ascot Handicap on Sunday at Bay Meadows.
Seven 3-year-olds will run in the 1 1/16-mile race on the Longden Turf Course, which will be aired live on the NTRA's 2day At The Races show, airing from 2-2:30 p.m. PDT on ESPN2.
