JAMAICA, N.Y. - Horse-for-course players will be in a quandary Friday when it comes to handicapping Aqueduct's feature, a $56,000 classified allowance race for fillies and mares at nine furlongs.
Both Strolling Belle (3 for 4) and Stop for Schnapps (3 for 5) have shown an affinity for Aqueduct's inner track that makes them the main contenders in a highly-contentious allowance event, which serves as a prep for the $100,000 Ladies Handicap on Dec. 22.
NEW ORLEANS - Littleexpectations made a splash at Fair Grounds two seasons ago. District did the same thing last year. But when District and Littleexpectations meet in Friday's Fair Grounds feature it will be in a $38,000 sprint allowance, with both horses in need of a revitalizing race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Despite having lost her first eight starts, Sehra began sending positive signals to trainer Simon Bray at the end of the Del Mar meeting.
Three months later, Sehra has won two races in a row and will try for a third in a $46,000 optional claimer at Hollywood Park on Friday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Concern about the condition of the Hollywood Park turf course has led two trainers to point their top-class fillies and mares to the Bayakoa Handicap on Dec. 15 instead of the Dahlia Handicap on turf the same day.
Tout Charmant, a multiple stakes winner who has not run on dirt since June 1999, and Starrer, who was fifth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Belmont Park on Oct. 27, are being pointed for the Bayakoa. Both the Bayakoa and Dahlia are run over 1 1/16 miles and are worth $150,000.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two stakes have been added to the 2002 stakes schedule at Churchill Downs and purses have been increased for three Kentucky Derby weekend stakes.
As always, the highlight of the stakes schedule, which was released Wednesday, is the Kentucky Derby. The 128th running will be held May 4.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - The exploits of Xtra Heat and Hallowed Dreams, two fillies who have compiled extraordinary winning percentages the past few years, have been well chronicled. But here in New Mexico, Yulla Yulla has quietly put together a remarkable record of her own, though few people outside of the state have heard of her.
Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla., which was scheduled to close out its mixed meet Sunday, has extended its season two days by adding Dec. 15-16 to its live racing calendar. The track added the dates to make up for some of the Fridays it lost earlier in the meet, said racing secretary Burt Cheek.
A full field of 10, including stakes winners Oswayo, Adam's Tribe, and Chambord Liqueur, will run seven furlongs in Saturday's $40,000 St. Nick Stakes for 2-year-olds at Charles Town.
The likely favorites are Oswayo and President Butler, who finished a neck apart two starts ago in an allowance race at Laurel Park. Oswayo came back to win the Pennsylvania Futurity at Philadelphia Park.
Adam's Tribe is a three-time winner against West Virginia-breds and Chambord Liquer beat Virginia-breds at Delaware Park.
Trainer Bret Thomas, best known for sending out Zarb's Magic to win the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby in 1996, won four races from six starters last week at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., to move into third place in the standings behind leader Don Cormier Jr.
Thomas is new to Delta. He moved his 27-horse stable to the track because of its improved purse structure, which was boosted to $80,000 a day this meet in anticipation of a slots casino opening at the track. Thomas's main clients are multiple Eclipse Award-winning owner John Franks, and Bill Boorhem of Foxwood Plantation.
