ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Highland Legacy got the better of Devil Valentine last fall in the prestigious Coronation Futurity, and was crowned champion 2-year-old at year's end on the strength of that victory.
Circumstances have changed dramatically this year, however. Devil Valentine has evolved into one of the top Canadian-bred 3-year-olds at Woodbine, and will be odds-on in his rematch with Highland Legacy in Saturday's Sir Barton Stakes.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Cashel Castle and Handsome Hunk, both of whom have won their last two races, head a field of six entered for Saturday's $100,000-added Hoosier Juvenile at Hoosier Park.
Handsome Hunk, trained by Dale Romans for the Jacks or Better Farm, is coming off a victory in the Oct. 18 Fort Springs Stakes at Keeneland. He led throughout that day to defeat a field of only three other rivals. Before that he drew off for a two-length win against nonwinners-of-two allowance company, also at Keeneland. Justin Vitek will ride from post 4.
Maysville Slew and It'sallinthechase will both drop from graded stakes company Saturday to headline Remington Park's closing day features: the $75,000 Governor's Cup Handicap and the $75,000 MEC Mile. Special post for the first race at the Oklahoma City track is 2:30 p.m. Central.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - As much as trainer Vladimir Cerin would like to forget the 2000 Hollywood Derby, it still pops up in occasional conversations.
Last November, the Cerin-trained Designed for Luck was first past the wire at 58-1, but was disqualified for causing interference in deep stretch.
"I've had people as recently as two months ago show me the tickets from that race," Cerin said. "It's like they want me to pay them. There's no reason to carry those tickets. Maybe they want to commiserate. It's history."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Paxtecum is the only runner in the $200,000 Generous Stakes for 2-year-olds at Hollywood Park Saturday with an unbeaten record.
Following impressive wins by Paxtecum in a maiden race and an allowance race on turf at Santa Anita in October and November, his owner John Waken and trainer Mike Machowsky saw reason to supplement him to the one-mile turf stakes at a cost of $10,000.
"It's all kind of worked out," Machowsky said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Galadriel will be stepping up in class when she goes to the post here in Sunday's Ontario Lassie Stakes.
While she is the only stakes winner in the field, and her success came at the Lassie's 1 1/16-mile distance, Galadriel was defeating Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies here in the South Ocean, and the Lassie is open to all Canadian-breds.
But trainer Roger Attfield believes Galadriel is ready for the sterner test.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - In the last 10 years, the Remsen Stakes has produced two Kentucky Derby winners, a Preakness winner, and the multiple Grade 1 winner Skip Away.
Come Saturday afternoon, someone will have visions of roses dancing in their head after nine 2-year-olds go in the $200,000, Grade 2 Remsen Stakes for juvenile colts at Aqueduct. The Remsen, run at nine furlongs, is one of three stakes on the last big day of racing of the year in New York.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - The promising Proxy Statement, undefeated in two starts, gets her first important test in Saturday's $200,000 Demoiselle at Aqueduct.
The waters get significantly deeper for Proxy Statement, who makes her stakes debut and her first start around two turns while facing seven other 2-year-old fillies in the Grade 2 Demoiselle.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Last fall, coming off two Breeders' Cup wins and a Preakness victory in the spring, Joe Orseno was being mentioned as the likely winner of the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding trainer.
And even when Bobby Frankel edged him in the voting, Frankel was quoted as saying that Orseno deserved to have won.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Highland Legacy defeated Devil Valentine last fall in the prestigious Coronation Futurity, and was crowned champion 2-year-old at year's end on the strength of that victory. But circumstances have changed dramatically this year. Devil Valentine has evolved into one of the top Canadian-bred 3-year-olds at Woodbine, and will be odds-on in his rematch with Highland Legacy in the Sir Barton Stakes at Woodbine.
Only two others, Indian Dan and Ruff Tuff Stuff, entered the 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds, worth $125,125.