Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

New role keeps Baez in the action

EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Suffolk Downs has named many of its stakes for local legends, past regional champions, and prominent figures in the track's history. Rudy Baez is all of those things, and he is still leaving his mark on the local sport despite being confined to a wheelchair for the past 2 1/2 years.

Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

Davila's broken body back in shape

OLDSMAR Fla. - It's usually not cause for great celebration when a rider wins twice in a week. But when Mike Davila Jr. captured a race Tuesday at Tampa Bay Downs, then came back Friday with another tally, he might just as well have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

Perfect Fantasy repels challenge

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Perfect Fantasy found another gear when challenged briefly in the stretch by Snowball King to win the $61,000 Rainbow Stakes by five lengths over a sloppy main track at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. It was another length back in third to My Good Trick.

Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

Magic Doe proves age no object

CICERO, Ill. - Between them, owner William Cortesi and trainer James Eckrosh have spent 175 years on this planet. Saturday, Magic Doe won them a trophy in the $100,000 Chicagoland Handicap.

Leading from start to finish, Magic Doe set a fast pace and narrowly held off Classic Appeal and Freeway Ticket in deep stretch to win the Chicagoland by a neck under Randy Meier. He paid $10.80 to win and ran six furlongs in a meet-best 1:09.73.

Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

Derby hopefuls work

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Kentucky Derby contenders Repent and Booklet got in their final south Florida works of the season Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park. Both 3-year-olds were scheduled to leave their winter home and ship to Kentucky on Sunday.

Repent, with jockey Jerry Bailey aboard, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 seconds. Booklet went a half mile in 49.20 seconds with exercise rider Allen Rennie up.

Sat, 03/30/2002 - 00:00

Raging Fever keeps Hennig-Evans hot

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Aqueduct's winner's circle was a familiar spot for owner Edward P. Evans and trainer Mark Hennig during the holiday weekend. After winning Friday's Next Move Handicap with With Ability, Evans and Hennig won Saturday's $142,300 with Raging Fever.

Raging Fever, the 6-5 favorite and 120-pound highweight of the Grade 2 Distaff, was a 3 3/4-length winner over Prized Stamp. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to La Galerie in third. Cat Cay, the second choice, finished fourth. Shiny Band and Two Item Limit completed the order of finish.

Fri, 03/29/2002 - 00:00

Lord Juban likely to sit a good trip

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - If the starting lineup for Sunday's $75,000 Caltech Handicap looks familiar, it should. Three of the seven entrants, including likely favorites Lord Juban and Worldly Victor, scratched from Friday's Gravelines Stakes.

The Gravelines, like the Caltech, was carded for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, but unlike the Caltech it was restricted to Florida-breds and run under allowance, not handicap, conditions.

Fri, 03/29/2002 - 00:00

Rare Friends may be a work short

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The march to the $1 million Queen's Plate begins Sunday at Woodbine for most of the eight Canadian-bred

3-year-olds in the $164,700 Achieve-ment Handicap, but the likely favorite in the six-furlong dash, Rare Friends, probably isn't headed for June 23 Plate.

Bob Tiller, who trains Rare Friends, last year's champion 2-year-old, feels he has a crack sprinter on his hands and says he isn't seriously considering the 1 1/4-mile Plate at this time.

Fri, 03/29/2002 - 00:00

Santa Lucia acts as stepping-stone

ARCADIA, Calif. - The eight fillies and mares in Sunday's $75,000 Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita have raced against the circuit's top females on both dirt and turf this year.

The only thing missing from their collective portfolios is the stakes win that one will claim in the restricted Santa Lucia. Run over 1 1/16 miles, the Santa Lucia is designed as a confidence-booster for fillies and mares who have been racing or an easy start in stakes company for less-experienced fillies launching their stakes careers.

Fri, 03/29/2002 - 00:00

A heater in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Beau's Town and Kings Command both surged late to win the $50,000 in a dead heat at Oaklawn Park on Friday. Chindi rallied for third in the six-furlong race, which was decided before an ontrack crowd of 11,334.

Beau's Town ($3.40) and Kings Command ($3.60) both raced off a hot early pace, which was set by Boots On Sunday with Slider in close pursuit. The winners covered the distance over a fast track in 1:09.14. The win was Beau's Town's fifth in a row, and the fourth on the card for his trainer, Cole Norman. He was ridden by Anthony Lovato.