HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A year ago Istintaj was the scourge of the Florida sprint division after winning the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector and Deputy Minister handicaps. But with six straight losses on his resume since those victories last winter, Istintaj will return to the allowance ranks for what could be a much-needed confidence booster in Wednesday's $46,000 feature at Gulfstream Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - "It's a long year and we've got to get started somewhere."
That's the standard line most trainers give the press when bringing a stakes horse back off a layoff in the early part of the season. The idea is, the horse won't be going into its first race cranked up for its best effort right off the bench.
But trainer Carl Nafzger has other ideas for his undefeated 3-year-old filly Belterra when she makes her anticipated 2002 debut at Gulfstream in the $250,000, Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes on March 15.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Corona Kool gave trainer Donna McArthur her 50th stakes win at Los Alamitos in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Winter Championship. Corona Kool ran 400 yards in 19.55 seconds. She led throughout and won by a length over Hes My Dasher. Chiarascuro finished third in the field of nine.
The victory gave Corona Kool an automatic berth in the $500,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 14. McArthur said that Corona Kool would be given a vacation to have a bone chip removed from an ankle.
Request for Parole and Perfect Drift showed their dominance over Turfway-based 3-year-olds with another 1-2 finish, this time in the $100,000 . Request for Parole edged out Perfect Drift by a nose in the 1 1/16-mile race over a sloppy track. Thunder on Land was third, nearly 14 lengths behind the top pair.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The connections of Private Emblem and Paloma Parilla, who each won a division of the $75,000 Southwest for 3-year-olds last Saturday at Oaklawn Park, would not commit their colts to the Grade 3, $100,000 Rebel here March 23, although the race is an option for both horses.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With three stakes wins at the current Santa Anita meeting, Snow Ridge may be headed to Kentucky to expand his reputation as a top sprinter.
On Sunday, Snow Ridge won his first Grade 1 in the $150,000 at Santa Anita. Previously at this meeting, Snow Ridge won the El Conejo Handicap over 5 1-2 furlongs and the Palos Verdes Handicap over six furlongs.
NEW ORLEANS - The question was whether to run Parade Leader in Sunday's $500,000 New Orleans Handicap or to wait for a softer spot, and even after the horse was entered Friday his connections weren't certain they would run.
"It was about 60-40," said trainer Neil Howard.
But run Parade Leader did, and the blossoming 5-year-old scored the first graded stakes win of his career with a runaway five and one-quarter length victory in the Grade 2 Handicap.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - John Oxley and John Ward completed a sensational stakes weekend Sunday when Snow Dance raced to a comfortable victory for the prominent owner-trainer team in the $100,000, Grade 3 Suwanee River Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Snow Dance, the 1-2 favorite under Pat Day, captured the 1 1/8-mile grass race under mild urging, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of late-running Step With Style. The previous day, Oxley and Ward won the Grade 2 Rampart Handicap at Gulfstream with Forest Secrets, also ridden by Day.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Before Saturday's $1 million , Milwaukee Brew was widely considered to be trainer Bobby Frankel's fourth-string contender for the richest race of the Santa Anita meeting.
Grade 1 winners Mizzen Mast and Lido Palace were waiting for summer racing; Euchre was Milwaukee Brew's entrymate and had better recent results.
After Saturday, those rankings may need to be reworked.
Milwaukee Brew ran the best race of his career in the Big Cap, rallying through traffic on the final turn to win by four lengths over pacesetter Western Pride.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.-Oaklawn Park canceled its 10-race program Sunday because of a frozen track. It marked the second time this meet freezing temperatures have forced Oaklawn to call off racing. A nine-race card was canceled Feb. 6.
Temperatures on Sunday morning were below 20 degrees, which forced the cancellation of training, and at about 10 a.m. Central, officials decided to call off the live card. The track did remain open for simulcasting, and is expected to resume live racing as scheduled on Wednesday.
