ALBANY, Calif. - Saturday's $200,000 Golden Gate Breeders' Cup Handicap is coming up light.
Only four horses are listed as definite for the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 turf race after trainer Laura deSeroux indicated Agol Lack would pass the race.
"I really wanted to run, but things just didn't work out," said deSeroux, whose Azeri won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita last Sunday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - As men who have spent virtually all of their adult lives in the sport, owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward have an especially deep appreciation of horse racing history.
So it is not difficult to understand why they are excited about the prospect of becoming only the second owner-trainer team to win back-to-back runnings of the Florida Derby.
"That, to me, would be quite an accomplishment," said Ward.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Search Party will try to go out a stakes winner Saturday in the $200,000 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup for fillies and mares. The 1 1/16-mile race is the richest of two Grade 3 stakes on the program at Oaklawn Park, the other being the $100,000 Razorback Handicap, which matches Crafty Shaw, a winner of his last four races, against Mr Ross, a winner of $1 million.
Search Party, a graded stakes-placed earner of $250,254, was flown from Miami to Oaklawn on Wednesday morning, and will be making her career finale start on Saturday.
Jockey Terry Houghton made a successful visit to Sportsman's Park last Saturday, winning on both of his mounts, including Secret Romeo in the Lost Code Handicap. It was so rewarding for Houghton, the leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs this winter, that he is considering switching his base from Great Lakes Downs to Chicago for all or part of this summer and fall.
GROVE CITY, Ohio - The hottest horse on the grounds this winter at Beulah Park is also one of the oldest.
On Sunday, the 11-year-old gelding Yarny's Star scored his third straight victory in a 30-day period for owner-trainer Kerny Hancock by defeating a field of $7,500 claimers. Rex Stokes III has been aboard for all three of the wins. Overall, Yarny's Star has 22 career victories - 21 of them at Beulah - and has earned more than $210,000.
VINTON, La. - With four more weeks remaining in the mixed meeting, six track records have been lowered between the Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.
The latest record to fall was the 22-year-old mark of 1:38 for a mile, set by Norm's Promise. This past Sunday, Freon Flier ($3.20) eclipsed the previous time, defeating a good group of allowance rivals by five lengths in 1:37.52.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Beehay equaled a 39-year-old track record of 1:15 for 6 1/2 furlongs on the way to his third stakes win of the meet in Saturday's $33,700 Bill Thomas Memorial Handicap.
Owned by John Bidwell and Carl Dyer, Beehay paid $15, largely because of his effort in the Curribot Handicap in his previous start. Beehay, who is trained by Dyer, is now in the running for horse of the meet honors with a month left in the season.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Eleven 3-year-olds, including a few surprise entries, were entered Wednesday for the $1 million Florida Derby, which will be run for the 51st time Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
As expected, the field for the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile race is headed by Booklet and Harlan's Holiday, the respective one-two finishers in both the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth Stakes. But three horses who had not been announced as probable starters also were entered: Smooth Jazz, Monthir and Peekskill.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Stephentown was not entered in the Florida Derby Wednesday because of a minor injury incurred during a routine gallop Tuesday at Gulfstream Park, said trainer Tony Reinstedler.
"He jammed up his shoulder," said Reinstedler. "It's the kind of thing that he'll be fine by Monday, but unfortunately, the Florida Derby is Saturday. It's really nothing serious, but the bottom line is you have to take care of the animal."