LEXINGTON, Ky. - The two horses surrounding him in a crowded photo in the Meadowlands Cup have been deemed good enough to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic. But for Broken Vow, trying the world's best handicap horses Saturday at Belmont just didn't present the right set of circumstances.
NEW YORK - The New York Racing Association will make significant renovations to Aqueduct in order to house thousands of video-lottery machines at the racetrack next year, NYRA officials said Thursday.
Although even basic details have yet to be worked out, NYRA officials are certain that an area of the track will be set aside for VLT players. VLTs are nearly identical to slot machines - including the bells and whistles.
Even with three winners paying less than $6, no one hit the Pick Six at Belmont Park Thursday, creating a carryover of $122,828.96 into Friday's program.
The highest payout in the six-race sequence came in the seventh race when My Request paid $27.40 to win.
The only other double-digit payoff came in the fifth race when Proper Gamble returned $12.20.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Suffolk Downs on Saturday will present seven live races before the simulcast of all eight Breeders' Cup races. Post time for the first live event is 10:15 a.m.
Headlining the local fare is the $25,000 Mom's Command Stakes. The six-furlong race drew a field of nine 2-year-old fillies topped by As Told.
Wild Again Again, a front-running sprinter who won his comeback from a nine-month layoff in a restricted stakes last out, will attempt to carry his speed around two turns Saturday night in the $25,000 No Le Hace Stakes at Retama Park near San Antonio. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race closes out the track's 51-night stand for Thoroughbreds.
Leading trainer Danny Pish, who won the meet's opening-night stakes, hopes to end his season on the same note with Wild Again Again. "I'm going to see if I can make him a route horse on grass," said Pish.
Triple Card, whose last win came over the main track at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., gets back to racing over that surface Saturday when he takes on older rivals at 6 1/2 furlongs in the $25,000 Island Whirl Handicap.
Triple Card's most recent win came against his fellow 3-year-olds in the $40,000 Airline at Louisiana Downs on July 21. Following that race, the gelding competed on turf, finishing fourth in the Bossier City Handicap on Aug. 11, then second in the $25,000 Tejas Stakes at Retama Park near San Antonio on Oct. 6.
Anderson, Ind.- The biggest obstacle between Red's Honor and a third straight stakes victory may be distance when the speedy 3-year-old heads a field of eight entered for Saturday's $40,000-added Benjamin Harrison Stakes at Hoosier Park.
A winner of six races from 12 starts, Red's Honor will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles off six days' rest. Last Sunday he defeated older statebreds with ease in the six-furlong Brickyard Stakes in a rapid 1:09.53. Before that he was a romping six-length winner of the Fort Wayne Stakes, also at six furlongs, over a surface labeled good.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - For a while Tuesday morning, it looked like the $50,000-added Michigan Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Great Lakes Downs on Saturday was going to be a walkover.
Born to Dance's entry slip sat alone in the box for most of the morning before four more entries appeared in time for the draw of the mile and 70-yard race. The Michigan Juvenile Fillies will be the ninth race on a 10-race card, which starts at 4 p.m.
ELMONT, N.Y. - On Kentucky Derby Day, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. snuck into Churchill Downs and came home with two nice allowance purses. Saturday, Breeders' Cup Day, Dutrow hopes to sneak into Belmont from his cross-town Aqueduct barn and take the two Grade 3 stakes on the undercard.
Dutrow will be live in the $100,000 Stuyvesant with Burning Marque, and in the $100,000 Sport Page Handicap with Late Carson. Both horses have won their last two races.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Bruce Headley's main objective while he is in town is to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint with Kona Gold, but while the California trainer is here, he also wouldn't mind winning Friday's $150,000 First Flight Handicap with Kalookan Queen.
Kalookan Queen is one of seven fillies and mares entered in the seven-furlong First Flight, a Grade 2 race. Dream Supreme, the 121-pound highweight, is the likely favorite.