PORTLAND, Ore. - Eight sharp fillies and mares, six of whom have won already this year, will square off in Friday's one-mile feature for $4,000 claimers at Portland Meadows.
Even the two entrants without a 2002 win are racing in good form. Salty Looker just missed the cut-off, defeating $4,000 runners at a mile on Dec. 29. Tangerine Girl is coming off a second and a third against $2,500 starter allowance foes in her last two outings.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Definite Edge will come from off the pace in Friday's $75,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita. This time, that is the game plan for the promising colt trained by David Hofmans.
Last month, the Hofmans-trained Siphonic was a heavy favorite in the Santa Catalina Stakes. Expected to be near the pace early, he broke poorly and trailed the field until the final turn, eventually finishing second.
NEW ORLEANS - Finally there's no Bonapaw, no Abajo, no Robin de Nest. Crucible will appreciate that. Making his first start outside stakes company since last fall, Crucible deserves to win Fair Grounds's featured race Friday, a high-end sprint allowance.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Saratoga Blues's 3-year-old debut has been delayed a couple of times, but it appears all systems are go for the colt to start in Saturday's $75,000-added Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct.
The future looks bright for the undefeated *, a Twining colt out of a Manila mare, who is owned by Alvin Akman and trained by Tony Dutrow. The lightly raced Saratoga Blues has already shown a liking for a distance of ground by impressively winning a pair of starts around two turns last year.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Arromanches, a winner of his last 10 starts, and trainer Arthur Wendel, mired in a 0-for-94 slump, make for an unlikely couple, but the two are now a team.
Wendel claimed *, a 9-year-old who is taking a run at Cigar, Citation, and Hallowed Dreams's mark of 16 consecutive wins, for $50,000 at Aqueduct last Saturday. Arromanches won that six-furlong race as the heavy favorite, extending a streak that began on May 27, 2001.
PORTLAND, Ore. - The closing of the Portland Meadows meet Sunday, 2 1/2 months ahead of schedule, has local horsemen in a quandary. Most trainers here usually move on to Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., but that meet does not open until April 19. What will local horsemen do in the interim?
At least three trainers have decided to ship to Fonner Park in Nebraska. Trainer Mel While secured 20 stalls for the Fonner Park meet that runs from Feb. 9 through May 11. Trainer Lynn Homer landed 12 stalls there and Cliff Balcom has six.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn Park canceled its nine-race card Wednesday after more than four inches of snow fell overnight in Hot Springs. The track also canceled training, and was not open for simulcasting. The last time Oaklawn canceled racing because of the weather was Feb. 13, 1997.
Officials decided to call off the card Wednesday morning.
"We have a lot of wet snow on the track and some potentially hazardous driving conditions in the region, which make it very unwise for us to even try to get open today," said Eric Jackson, the track's general manager.
VINTON, La. - The long-awaited slot casino at Delta Downs opens Wednesday. The casino will house approximately 1,500 slot machines.
"We are so excited that the date has finally been set," said Delta Downs general manager Jack Bernsmeier. "We are happy to have an opportunity to provide a boost to the horse racing industry, the town of Vinton, and the local economy."
The casino will open at 1 p.m., followed by a Mardi Gras-style celebration with live music. Live racing will continue on Thursday through Sunday evenings.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Two impressive Sunland Park maiden winners Tuesday could be worth following.
In the fifth, trainer Clifford Lambert sent out Sky Sprite, a 3-year-old Skywalker filly who was making her third start after having broken poorly in her first two races. Sky Sprite got away cleanly this time and demolished a special weights field by nearly 11 lengths. A $45,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2000, Sky Sprite, who is owned by Clarence Bogle, covered the six furlongs under jockey Jorge Bourdieu in 1:12.96 and returned $3.60.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream's maintenance crew worked on the racetrack Tuesday, and the result was a noticeably faster surface on Wednesday. For most of the meet, the track has been deeper and race and work times significantly slower than in recent years, leading to complaints from some horsemen.