NEW ORLEANS - Loose on the lead with his ears pricked and an easy first quarter-mile behind him, Where's Taylor could already start to celebrate Mardi Gras Day as he ran down the backstretch in the Mardi Gras Handicap Tuesday at Fair Grounds.
But it turned out that Where's Taylor needed all of his early edge, as he narrowly held off King Slayer to win the $75,000 Mardi Gras by a nose.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - The last two weeks have been kind to trainer John Terranova, whose New York barn has four wins, two seconds, and a third from its last seven runners over Aqueduct's inner track.
My Heart's Deelite, who started the run, will look to keep the good times rolling when she runs in a second-level allowance race at a mile and 70 yards, the featured event on Thursday's nine-race card.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Spain will carry high weight of 119 pounds in her second start of the year Sunday in the Grade 1 Santa Maria. Trainer Wayne Lukas expects an improved effort from her as she stretches to 1 1/16 miles following a third-place finish in the seven-furlong Santa Monica on Jan. 26.
"She's better going long, and she had a super-nice workout [Monday]," Lukas said. "It was the best work of the spring for her." Spain was timed in 1:01.40 for her five-furlong work.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Angel Angelique will hover at even money Thursday in the seventh-race feature at Santa Anita. Her attributes hit you on the head.
She is the only front-runner in the field. She finished second under virtually identical circumstances one month ago. She is drawn outside, racing at a sprint distance that favors speed, and facing only five rivals at the first allowance condition. Duh.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer John Dowd was looking for an easy spot to get Astrid started on her 2002 campaign and may have found one in the third-level optional claiming and allowance race that is the feature on Thursday's 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.
MIAMI, Fla. - Calder Race Course will offer a record $8.3 million in stakes purses during its expanded racing season this year. A total of $5.5 million in stakes purses will be offered during the Calder meet and another $2.8 million will be up for grabs during the Tropical-at-Calder meet.
Calder will open its doors on April 26, four weeks earlier than usual, with the spring-summer meet running through Oct. 25. The Tropical meet begins Oct. 26 and continues through Jan. 2, 2003.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Bay Monster, who was beaten by a nose by eventual Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Repent in a maiden race last September, returns from a three-month layoff Thursday in the featured ninth race at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile allowance, for 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, has drawn 10. Also in the field are Cope With an Image, second to the dominating Paloma Parilla two weeks ago for trainer Lynn Whiting, and Contested, a promising maiden winner for trainer Gary Hartlage.
ALBANY, Calif. - If Thursday's third race at Golden Gate Fields had been held three months ago, it wouldn't have been the handicapping challenge it is now.
Handicappers looking at the one-mile $12,500 starter allowance turf race for fillies and mares probably would have settled quickly on Deli Dancer. After all, she had won four straight, including her first two starts on the turf.
But Deli Dancer may no longer be the "now" horse in a field with six rival 4-year-old fillies.
ALBANY, Calif. - After coming to California during the summer of 2000, jockey Jason Lumpkins enjoyed great success. He was able to maintain the high winning percentage he had shown while riding to championships in Ohio. Last spring at Bay Meadows, Lumpkins gave perennial leading jockey Russell Baze his first real challenge for a riding title in his 20-year reign.