NEW ORLEANS - French Assault was withdrawn from Sunday's Louisiana Derby because of an illness. Fourth in the Risen Star Stakes, his first start this season, French Assault is suffering from an intestinal disorder.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux said he noticed that French Assault wasn't in peak physical condition late in the week, but hoped that his problem was minor. "I was reading his symptoms as reacting to the quick change in weather," Desormeaux said. "It went from cold to hot so fast."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Booklet, the colt who will be shooting for an unprecedented three-race sweep of Gulfstream Park's premier races for 3-year-olds, had his final work before the $1 million Florida Derby on Saturday, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20.
The speedy colt took another 14 seconds or so to gallop out another furlong under exercise rider Allen Rennie, but trainer John T. Ward Jr., who watched the work alongside regular jockey Jorge Chavez, said he was very pleased.
"He's coming into this the same way he did the Fountain of Youth," said Ward.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - From all early indications, Sunday's Tampa Bay Derby could feature the strongest field of 3-year-olds the race has attracted in a long time.
The presence of Booklet and Harlan's Holiday in Saturday's Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park will prompt the connections of several solid 3-year-olds to come in from Miami for the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Bedanken conquered two turns in her first attempt when she overtook pacesetter Cozy Susie into the stretch, and went on to a 2 1/2-length win the Grade 3, $75,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. It was a nose back in third to Sarah Jade.
NEW ORLEANS - During what was supposed to be a routine morning of training on Friday at Fair Grounds, Repent did his best impression of Fusaichi Pegasus and Point Given by refusing to cooperate with his exercise rider, Helen Pitts.
"It was adventurous," Pitts said.
At one point, Repent, jogging near the outer rail, was on a collision course with trainer Dallas Stewart, who was astride his pony.
Stewart nimbly avoided an accident. "He almost ran me over," Stewart said.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Aqueduct ushers out winter Sunday with its 69th and final card of racing over the inner track. Racing switches to the main track on Wednesday and post time moves to 1 p.m. Eastern.
One of the 17 stakes run over the main track during the spring is the $100,000 Next Move Handicap at nine furlongs on March 29. Two of the likely major players for that Grade 3 race meet Sunday, when With Ability faces Zonk and four others in a $54,000 classified allowance race at 1 1/16 miles.
NEW ORLEANS - Making his first start since the Travers Stakes last summer, Dollar Bill won a hard-fought victory in the ninth race at Fair Grounds on Friday.
Remington Park in Oklahoma City has asked the Oklahoma Racing Commission for permission to shorten its Thoroughbred meet from the awarded 102 days to 76. The season, which was to begin Aug. 3, would now start Aug. 10 and run through Dec. 23, if the request clears the commission at its March 28 meeting.
TORONTO, Ontario - The $100,000 Alberta Derby, the richest race and the only graded race on the Stampede Park calendar, heads a list of 12 stakes scheduled to be run this year at the Calgary, Alberta, racetrack.
The purses for the first eight stakes on the schedule, beginning with the May 4 Stampede Park Sprint Championship, have been raised by $10,000 to $40,000. But Barry McGrath, Stampede Park racing secretary, said that their actual increase in value will be less than $10,000 because the stakes were added-money offerings last year and now are guaranteed.
