HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In any other sport, the fans might go so far as to throw tomatoes at the person they believe responsible for poor performance. Or heckle, or boo.
But after Pleasant County burned nearly $400,000 in show wagers by finishing fifth in the seventh race Feb. 15 at Gulfstream Park, trainer Mark Hennig was not subjected to any such vengeance.
"I think that guy was too far away," Hennig quipped Wednesday.
NEW ORLEANS - It wouldn't be a huge stretch to call Fair Grounds's Friday feature the second division of the New Orleans Handicap. Had their winters gone in a slightly different direction, both Dollar Bill and Connected might have run Sunday in the New Orleans Handicap. It turned out neither was ready for that race, and instead they face off Friday in the strongest Fair Grounds allowance of the meet.
"The New Orleans Handicap was in our plan," said David Carroll, Connected's trainer. "But it took him longer to come around. We didn't want to force things."
TORONTO, Ontario - Streakin Rob, upset winner of the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity at Woodbine last October, is the 4-1 winter book favorite for the 143rd running of the Queen's Plate.
A total of 181 Canadian-bred 3-year-olds are eligible for the $1 million Queen's Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race to be run at Woodbine on June 23. The winter book, a hypothetical exercise, was compiled by Jennifer Morrison-Learn, Woodbine's oddsmaker.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Romanzo is entering uncharted territory when he starts as a leading contender in an allowance race/optional claimer on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Friday.
"I don't know how he'll do," trainer Dean Greenman said. "I've never run him back in three weeks before. It's usually two months between races."
A series of injuries have limited the 5-year-old Romanzo to six starts in 19 months, but he has won three times, including his turf debut in an allowance race/optional claimer on the hillside course on Feb. 13.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The lure of the Triple Crown has yet to be felt by the connections of Menacing Dennis, who, with a victory in an allowance race on Wednesday at Santa Anita, is unbeaten in two starts.
Making his first start since winning a maiden race at Monmouth Park last July, Menacing Dennis ran six furlongs in 1:10, beating longtime leader True Monarch by two lengths.
The allowance race was a prep for the $100,000 Zany Tactics Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds over 6 1/2 furlongs on April 7 and not a major prep for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Jeff Bonde said.
NEW ORLEANS - Though his transportation plans hit a snag Tuesday, Publication will make it to New Orleans for Sunday's Louisiana Derby after all. Publication, based at Bay Meadows with trainer Terry Knight, will fly from Oakland to Memphis, then on to New Orleans early Thursday on a FedEx plane.
The lone shipper from the West Coast, the lightly raced Publication makes his first start since he finished fifth Dec. 15 in the Hollywood Futurity. Last fall, Publication finished fourth, beaten just more than four lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Stanley Roberts and Rick Turman, whose Hwy. 1 Racing Stable topped the owner standings last year at both Hoosier Park and Prairie Meadows, are in a good position to add an Oaklawn title to their collection. Heading into the races Wednesday, the partnership led the standings at the meet with seven wins, two more than runner-up Ted LaTour.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Smooth Jazz, undefeated in two starts, including a victory in the Best Turn Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 23, has been purchased privately by Michael Tabor from owner-trainer Tony Dutrow and turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Harlan's Holiday, beaten by Booklet in the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 here Wednesday as he remains on target for another rematch with his arch-rival in the $1 million Florida Derby on March 16.
Trainer Ken McPeek had exercise rider Lorna Vanderford breeze on Wednesday. Edgar Prado, who will be aboard Harlan's Holiday for the first time in the Florida Derby, is serving a seven-day riding suspension and is out of town.
Dan Chandler, a transplanted Kentuckian living in Las Vegas, knows a lot about the Kentucky Derby winner's circle, where he hopes to be standing with his namesake, Danthebluegrassman, in a couple months.
"My daddy gave away more Kentucky Derby trophies [eight] than any other man last century," said Chandler, who is the son of the late Kentucky governor, senator, and Major League Baseball commissioner Albert B. "Happy" Chandler.