NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Thistledown is going solo this meet for the first time in nine years. The 7&7 racing format, which had the track sharing a simulcast signal with either Beulah Park or River Downs, has been dropped.
Opening day this year was March 29, eight days earlier than 2001's opening. Through the first 11 days of racing, 84 races have been run this year versus 85 last season, and a total of $l,455,149 has been bet ontrack on the live races, an increase of approximately $50,000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mark Casse plans to increase his focus on the Woodbine meeting this year.
And that could be bad news for any other local trainer who has designs on the title, particularly after Casse struck for back-to-back triples last Friday and Saturday to open up a five-win leading heading into this week's action.
"Last year, we had horses training in Delaware, New Jersey, and New York," said Casse. "Now, we're just going to concentrate on Canada.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Tuesday morning, Steve Flint didn't even know whether he would enter De Bertie, let alone run her. But when word got out that the field was short for the Doubledogdare Stakes, the Thursday feature at Keeneland, there was De Bertie, comfortably drawn on the rail in a field of just five fillies and mares.
ARCADIA, Calif. - European import Snowflake arrived in the United States with a glowing reputation and all her conditions.
The filly had raced 11 times in Ireland and England, but was still a maiden late last year when she reached the barn of trainer Ron McAnally. "Just like Bonapartiste; he was a maiden when he got here," McAnally said.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Tuesday, on a summer-like morning at Belmont Park, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for a child-care center, the country's first on-site facility for the children of backstretch employees.
Work on the 7,500-square foot building, which will cost $1.2 million to construct, will be completed over the summer, with the center opening in the fall. At full capacity, the year-round facility, located adjacent to
LEXINGTON, Ky. - If nothing else, Charles "Chuck" Simon learned well. A longtime former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, Simon has demonstrated with his work - not his words - that his horses can run with anyone's.
"That's the way 'The Chief' does things, and the way I prefer to conduct my business, too," said Simon, referring to Jerkens's nickname and silent-but-strong demeanor. Simon worked for Jerkens for 5 1/2 years.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Art Sherman hopes his hot streak will continue when he saddles Milagra in Thursday's feature race at Bay Meadows.
Milagra needed 12 starts to win her maiden but now has won two straight races. She will try to make it three in a row in Thursday's six-furlong $40,000 optional claimer against five other older fillies and mares.
Milagra is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss, who have begun sending horses to Sherman.
"The last three I've run for them have won," Sherman said.