ARCADIA, Calif. - Paga's workmanlike win Monday in the Grade 3 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita established the South American mare as a potential star for the year 2002. Plagued by foot problems that prevented her from starting since late September, Paga won the "about" six and a half-furlong turf race by a length and a quarter over Twin Set. It was a half-length back to longshot third-place finisher Impeachable.
ARCADIA, Calif. - From 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile, Jeweled Pirate has proven in the last year that she is among the top California-bred fillies and mares, scoring wins in two turf stakes.
Wednesday, the 5-year-old Jeweled Pirate tries a new distance and surface as the likely favorite in the $100,000 Survive Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt at Santa Anita.
Her trainer, Ray Bell, is optimistic that she can handle the shorter trip and surface in her first start since winning the California Cup Distaff on the hillside turf course on Nov. 3.
MIAMI - The long Calder season, which began in May, comes to a close Wednesday with a 12-race program that in all probability will not settle the Tropical-at-Calder training title until the official sign goes up on the afternoon's final race.
Trainers Manny Tortora, Dan Hurtak, Eddie Plesa Jr., and defending champion Bill White all still had a shot at winning the title going into the 52nd and final day of the Tropical at Calder meet.
NEW ORLEANS - You can see why trainer Josie Carroll wins about one out of every four stakes races she enters.
A perfectly spotted and prepped pair of Carroll-trained horses finished one-two Monday at Fair Grounds in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl Handicap, with Mapp Hill beating Lead by Example by 1 3/4 lengths.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela won his first race in nearly two years when Rich Musique led throughout the third race at Santa Anita on Monday.
Valenzuela, whose career has been plagued by substance abuse problems that have led to suspensions, returned to a rousing reception from the crowd gathered near the winner's circle.
"That lifts you up so much," he said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The 63rd Gulfstream Park meeting opens Thursday with an 11-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. Post time for opening day, the first of 90 programs in an expanded meet that runs through April 24, is 1 p.m.
A total of 97 horses were entered for a program that includes only one turf race. Heavy rain fell over south Florida on Monday and scattered showers were in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. The forecast for opening day is mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 70 degrees.
MIAMI - Since returning from bypass surgery two years ago, trainer Scotty Schulhofer began to cut back his workload. Beginning New Year's Day, Schulhofer will have cut it back completely.
Schulhofer, whose Hall of Fame training career spanned four decades, officially retired from training as of the new year, turning the reins over to his son Randy.
"I'm getting to the age where I'm tired of doing it all," Schulhofer said Monday from Aiken, S.C., where he was visiting his grandchildren. "Randy is going down as the trainer, I'm just going to manage things."
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who finished third in the nation in victories in 2001, has entered the two horses to beat in Wednesday's feature at Golden Gate Fields.
Hollendorfer sends out Bullish Miss and Most of All in a six-furlong, $40,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares. The race drew a field of six. Call Me Soon, Victory Serenade, Angies Kin, and Monrow round out the field.
Both Bullish Miss and Most of All come into the race off victories. But you can't get them both for the price of one. They race as individual entries.
Dancing Missile immediately went to the lead from his outside post, and then gamely held off a sustained inside run from Personal First for the first stakes victory of his career in the $50,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
Dancing Missile, a 3-year-old Canaveral colt owned by Joe Haller, prevailed by a half-length in the six-furlong Holiday Cheer. Ridden by Justin Vitek, he returned $10.80 as fourth choice in a field of eight.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Interminable Gold, who had a nightmarish trip in his trial for the Riley Allison Futurity, got it right when the big money was on the line at Sunland Park. He settled far off a quick early pace, circled the field into the stretch just as the front-runners were wearing down, and drew off to score by 4 1/4 lengths.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Interminable Gold ($5.60), a 2-year-old Gilded Time colt, earned $75,282 from the purse of $148,305. He covered 6 1/2 furlongs over a fast track in 1:16.88 under jockey Luis Quinonez.
