All that Glacial needed when he started his career 42 races ago was a few more Turfway Parks in the world.
Glacial, a gray gelding trained by Dan "Speedy" Smithwick Jr., has won the Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway. He has won the Tejano Run Stakes at the Florence, Ky., track. And he has won the Dust Commander Stakes there, too. From a lifetime bankroll of $399,675, more than half has come from his starts at Turfway.
ALBANY, Calif. - Not surprisingly, northern California's leading trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, seems to have the one to beat in Saturday's $55,000-added Richmond Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
Hollendorfer will saddle three of the eight older fillies and mares entered in the six-furlong stakes race. They are Bullish Miss and My First Lady, who will run as an entry, and The Lord's Tune.
Rounding out the field are multiple stakes winners Hall of Gold and Phaenna, defending champion Rollette, Imadeed, and Selector.
NEW ORLEANS - For the last 13 winters Tony D'Amico has been huddled up keeping warm, grinding out a good living during a Turfway Park winter meet situated at the corner of Bleak and Gloomy. But northern Kentucky has given way this year to lush south Florida, and D'Amico's staple of Turfway winter claimers to a trio of heavy-hitting 3-year-olds.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Trainer Lori Lockhart's fortunes this year resemble a stock market chart. After bearish conditions to start the year, the bulls - and her horses - have been on the move the past two weeks. Expensive Verdict will try to keep things rolling for her Saturday in the $30,000 Hannah Dustin Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Gulfstream Park stewards have reduced jockey Eibar Coa's original 30-day suspension for his ride aboard Mr. Livingston in the Jan 26 Ft. Lauderdale Handicap to 15 days. The decision came after a re-hearing on the incident Thursday. Coa, who does not plan to appeal the latest ruling, will begin his suspension Sunday and can resume riding on March 7.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Shug McGaughey knows that the best chance Cat Cay has of beating speedsters Raging Fever and Tugger is if they "come back to her a little bit" at the end of Friday's seven-furlong Shirley Jones Handicap. And that might happen if those two fillies hook up in an early duel in the Grade 3 race.
Cat Cay rallied to finish second, beaten two lengths by Raging Fever, in the six-furlong First Lady Handicap four weeks earlier. And McGaughey figures the extra eighth of a mile may also enhance his filly's chance in Friday's rematch.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Despite a minor training mishap on Wednesday, Kedington has a good chance to win his second race in a $54,000 allowance race at Santa Anita on Friday.
After facing top 3-year-olds Labamta Babe and Siphonic in the Grade 2 Santa Catalina Stakes on Jan. 19, and finishing a well-beaten fifth, Kedington retreats to California-bred company in a first condition allowance race over a mile.
"That was a tough race," trainer Paco Gonzalez said of the Santa Catalina. "We didn't have any place else to go."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Now that Red Bullet has firmly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the handicap division this season following his huge effort in Saturday's Grade 1 Donn Handicap, his trainer, Joe Orseno, can begin focusing his attention on his other handicap star, Macho Uno.
Macho Uno worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 under exercise rider Keith Ricks here Wednesday. The move was the best of 33 on the morning tab.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Beaumes de Venise, whose career has been frequently interrupted because of injuries, won a $59,394 allowance race-optional claimer at Santa Anita on Wednesday, beating a field that included graded stakes winners Early Flyer and Skip to the Stone.
Beaumes de Venise finished six furlongs in 1:09.20, holding off a late run by Impressive Grades by 1 1/4 lengths. Rio Oro finished third, followed by Early Flyer, McCordnskuba, and Skip to the Stone. The first three finishers were entered to be claimed for $100,000, but were not taken.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Ben Cecil has two goals for Queenie Belle this season. "I'd like to try to get her to $1 million and I'd love to see her win a Grade 1," he said.
Queenie Belle is $379,210 short of the $1 million mark, but can make a significant dent into the difference with a victory in Sunday's Grade 1, $200,000 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita.