JAMAICA, N.Y. - An earlier date and added purse money for the Carter Handicap, a tinkering with purses and dates for a handful of Saratoga stakes, and the return of New York Showcase to a one-day event highlight the changes to the 2002 New York Racing Association schedule.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Victor Lehman will attempt to keep his local record perfect on Saturday, when he heads a field of 10 $4,000 sprinters in the six-furlong feature at Portland Meadows.
Victor Lehman, a 4-year-old son of Vying Victor, was claimed out of a win for $4,000 by trainer Felimon Alvarado at Hastings Park in October. Moving here last month, he defeated $2,500 rivals at 5 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 10, then came back to down $4,000 foes on Nov. 18 with six furlongs in a rapid 1:12.85 under Loecca Margrave.
MIAMI - A pair of late-developing juveniles, Stormy Frolic and Rulebook, appear ready to close out their freshman campaigns in high style in Saturday's $100,000 Three Ring and What a Pleasure stakes. The two juvenile stakes are part of the Grand Slam I undercard at Calder, along with the Grade 3, $100,000 What a Charmer Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Penamacor, the Chilean-bred trained by Ron McAnally, has spent most of his first year in the United States completely turned around. With Penamacor winning only one race in six starts in California, an allowance race at Del Mar, McAnally admits there is a touch of disappointment that Penamacor has not made a stronger impact in California's older horse division.
Boston Common, a 2-year-old colt by Boston Harbor who races for Richard Englander, the nation's leading owner, looks like a standout in the $25,000 Alamo Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.
The seven-furlong race has drawn five others, including probable second choice Clever Coyote, a 9 1/2-length allowance winner last out over Wayne's Princess, who returned to win a stakes two weekends ago at Sam Houston.
As Henry Cochran sought a spot for Momentous to earn her first stakes win, the trainer thought seriously about the Falls City Handicap last month at Churchill Downs.
"Then it came up Breeders' Cup II," said Cochran, referring to a race that drew six Grade 1 winners.
Duly thwarted, Cochran awaited a more reasonable spot for Momentous, a talented 3-year-old Summer Squall filly owned by Gainsborough Farm. Momentous will rank among the top contenders Saturday in the $50,000 My Charmer Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
Training racehorses since 1970, Tom Tomillo has pretty much seen it all at the racetrack. That's partly why he does not get overly excited when he talks about running Cane Ridge as the deserving favorite Saturday in the $100,000 High Alexander Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course.
"It's a Stallion Stakes," said Tomillo, referring to the Illinois series of races for statebreds. "There ain't a whole bunch in there."
NEW ORLEANS - It is good for Louisiana breeders, good for Louisiana owners, and good for Louisiana racing in general. And Louisiana Champions Day is good for bettors everywhere. Horseplayers clamoring for large, bettable fields will find their cups overflowing on Saturday at Fair Grounds, where 116 horses have been entered on a 10-race smorgasbord of statebred racing.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - On Monday, Anthony Spadea saw Jini's Jet, the promising 3-year-old Massachusetts-bred colt he owns in partnership with Christine Wallace, prance home the easiest kind of winner at 1-10 in the $25,000 Massachusetts Derby. On Saturday, Spadea will again own a strong favorite in a Mass-bred stakes race as My Honeychild, the 2-year-old filly he owns in partnership with Joel K. Logan, looks to make her record 2 for 2 in the $25,000 Amelia Peabody Stakes.
NEW ORLEANS - Coach Rags won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf two years ago, the mare Sarah Lane's Oates won the race last year, and both horses are part of a 12-horse field entered in this year's Turf. But there may be a new boss in town, L'homme, a 3-year-old colt who will attempt to win the Turf coming off an eight-month layoff.