Monmouth Park has trimmed one stakes race and a total of $300,000 in stakes purses from its 2002 meet in order to maintain the $500,000 purse of the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap, according to the stakes schedule released Monday.
Four of the track's Grade 3 races were each targeted for $50,000 cuts. The Red Bank Handicap, Jersey Derby, Sapling Stakes, and Sorority Stakes will each have a purse of $100,000, down from $150,000 last year.
ALBANY, Calif. - Some classy older horses meet in Golden Gate Fields feature Wednesday when stakes winners Mellow Fellow and Highland Gold head a field of seven in a six-furlong $80,000 optional claiming race.
At one time, they were two of the West Coast's best sprinters - Highland Gold defeated Mellow Fellow to win the 2000 Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap at Hollywood Park. They are still tough customers. Mellow Fellow enters with a three-race win streak, including a victory in the Montclair Handicap over this track in his last start.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Dove Creek, who finished second to the stakes-bound Powder in her most recent start, is a standout in the featured eighth race Wednesday at Oaklawn Park. The six-furlong entry-level allowance has drawn eight fillies and mares, and is worth $27,000.
Dove Creek met winners for the first time in an Oaklawn allowance Jan. 27, and was beaten a length by Powder in what remains one of the fastest six-furlong races of the meet. Following the race, Powder's connections said she could turn up in the $50,000 Spring Fever here March 10.
ARCADIA, Calif. - You did not have the easiest journey in Sunday's $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes* at Santa Anita, but her wide trip was enough to put her on top of California's 3-year-old filly division.
You ($4.40) won by a length over Habibti, a reverse of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes on Dec. 16 when the two finished a head apart.
ALBANY, Calif. - Cappuchino continued trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's hot streak with 3-year-olds as he and entrymate Yougottawanna ran one-two in the $59,100 Golden State Mile at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
Cappuchino ($3) stalked pacesetter Lethal Grande and took the lead at the quarter pole. He opened a 2 1/2 length lead over his entrymate into the lane and maintained that advantage to the wire. He won the one-mile race in 1:35.57. Late-closing Arsen was third 1 1/2 lengths behind Yougottawanna.
NEW ORLEANS - If Sunday's Whirlaway Handicap* was any measure, it's going to take some kind of horse to beat Valhol three weeks from now in the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap. Running his best race in years, Valhol decisively beat nine rivals in the $125,000 Whirlaway and established clear supremacy in the local handicap division.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The beneficial scratch of expected favorite Hook And Ladder, coupled with a scalding pace that fried the front-runners, combined to propel late-running Fappie's Notebook to a narrow victory in Sunday's $100,000 Deputy Minister Handicap* at Gulfstream Park.
NEW ORLEANS - With the city of New Orleans heating to a fever pitch on Mardi Gras Day, one of the best stakes races of the season heats up Fair Grounds' special Tuesday card. Local turf stars Northcote Road and Where's Taylor face off in the $75,000 Mardi Gras Handicap, a race that also marks the turf debut of the talented colt Griffinite.
ALBANY, Calif. - Odds-on favorite Decarchy continued trainer Bobby Frankel's hot streak in stakes races with a two-length victory over Ninebanks in the $100,000 Tanforan Handicap (G3) at Golden Gate Fields.
Decarchy ($3.40) took back early off the uncontested pace of I'madrifter as jockey Russell Baze was content to stay in sixth while saving ground. When the field began to bunch up heading into the stretch, Baze shot Decarchy through a hole between entrymates Ninebanks and Sirpa, then quickly passed I'madrifter to assume the lead.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bettors on Saturday failed to conquer the Santa Anita pick six for the second consecutive day, resulting in a carryover of $505,816 for .
Only one favorite won during Saturday's pick six - Lord Sweeney in the ninth race. The winners of the other pick six races were Avenue of Royalty ($8), Seven Jillion ($13.20), Searcher ($19), Warm April ($16.20) and Summer Colony ($15).
Sunday's pick six covers races routh through nine. There are no changes in the fourth race, a sprint for 3-year-old maidens.
