JAMAICA, N.Y. - Trainer Mark Hennig still believes Eclipse Award voters were mistaken when they overlooked Raging Fever in favor of Caressing for the 2-year-old filly championship in 2000.
Sure, Raging Fever was defeated in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but Hennig believes her five straight wins - including two Grade 1's - that preceded the Cup were enough to earn the honors. Eclipse voters may have held it against Raging Fever that all of her wins that year were around one turn.
CHICAGO - Chicago Six has been down before, down so low that he got stuck as a lower-level claimer. He rose up to become one of the best Illinois-breds in recent history, so don't bury him yet.
It will be tempting to do so Saturday when Chicago Six runs in the $200,000 National Jockey Club Handicap at Sportsman's Park. A year ago, the race put an exclamation point on Chicago Six's ascent, when he beat the classy Guided Tour for his first graded stakes win. But three weeks ago, in a restricted Illinois-bred stakes, Chicago Six finished fifth of nine at odds of 3-5.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Golden Apples will have to overcome a bruised foot if she runs in Saturday's $250,000 Santa Barbara Handicap. Trainer Ben Cecil on Thursday was optimistic that Golden Apples, who has won three stakes in the last year, would start in the race, the meeting's championship for females on turf.
"I'm more encouraged than yesterday," Cecil said Thursday. "I won't run her unless she's 100 percent."
Cecil said that Golden Apples did not go to the track on Thursday, a day after she worked on turf.
CALGARY, Alberta - A major prep for the May 4 Stampede Park Sprint Championship attracted five entrants and will go as the featured eighth race Saturday afternoon.
The open allowance at six furlongs carries a $20,300 purse and is headed by Timely Ruckus, who will be the favorite.
AUBURN, Wash. - Seventeen 3-year-olds, many of whom seem destined for stakes competition, will be showcased in Saturday's split $50,000 optional claiming feature at Emerald Downs.
All but one of the eight colts and geldings in the 5 1/2-furlong feature's first division will be making their 3-year-old debuts. That gives a significant edge to Chief Yatahay, who has won two of his three starts this year at Golden Gate.
Include, last year's Maryland Horse of the Year, begins his 2002 campaign in Saturday's $100,000 Jennings Handicap for Maryland-breds at Pimlico.
Include, who easily won last year's Jennings, will be heavily favored in the 1 1/8-mile Jennings, which drew nine before the scratch of Saratoga Games on Thursday morning.
Include's trainer, Buddy Delp, said he wouldn't be surprised if this season will be the best yet for Include, a 5-year-old Broad Brush horse.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Dancethruthedawn already has accomplished just about all she can in her Canadian homeland, having beaten colts last June in the prestigious Queen's Plate. So after Dancethruthedawn made a highly impressive return to the races Thursday by winning the $107,600 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Mark Frostad said the primary goals this year would be major filly-mare events in the United States
"That's what we'll be going for," said Frostad.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - As much as any living, breathing Thoroughbred trainer, Nick Zito would love to run a horse in the 128th Kentucky Derby. He just won't force the issue.
"Let me see what happens," said Zito, who on Saturday will run two horses, American Style and Crimson Hero, in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With his lone dirt start behind him, Cagney returns to turf in Sunday's $400,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita.
For the last six months, Cagney has been an experimental horse of sorts for trainer Richard Mandella. A Brazilian-bred, Cagney was sent to Japan last November, but finished 12th in the $3.9 million Japan Cup. Following a close third in the San Marcos Stakes here in January, he tried the main track in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, finishing fifth of 14.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Sharp Performance, a multiple-stakes winner on turf as a 3-year-old, will make his 2002 debut in next Saturday's $100,000 Fort Marcy Handicap at Aqueduct, trainer David Donk said.
A son of Kris S, Sharp Performance proved to be one of the top marathon turf runners of his age group in 2001 winning the 10-furlong Lexington Stakes and the 12-furlong Lawrence Realization Handicap. He was beaten only one-half length in the Secretariat Stakes over a yielding Arlington Park turf course in August.