Runaway Magic seems to have a slight class edge over the competition in Saturday night's $25,000 Jiffy Lube Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares is the first of 35 stakes to be contested at the meet, and has drawn a well-matched field of 12.
Saratoga Games has had the misfortune of running into a couple of monsters in his last two starts, but in Saturday's $70,000 Mountaineer Mile Handicap at Mountaineer Park his opponents are considerably less scary. Saratoga Games, a 3-year-old making his first start against older horses, is part of a field of 12 in the Mile.
The running line for La Reine's Terms in his last race sure looks ugly. Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the Maryland Million Turf, La Reine's Terms beat only one horse and finished 18 lengths behind wire-to-wire winner Elberton.
If you watched the replay of the Turf or read the detailed chart notes, however, it's apparent La Reine's Terms had a legitimate alibi.
East Rutherford, N.J. - A 3-year-old filly race at this time of the year is much like a college football all-star game.
Some sure-fire, can't-miss prospects show off one last time before heading into lucrative careers in the pros. Others are making last-ditch attempts to impress against their peers.
A compact group of fillies headed by Mystic Lady will put on a similar show in Friday night's Grade 3, $200,000 Honey Bee Handicap at The Meadowlands.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Blue Grass winner Millennium Wind, who has not raced since finishing 11th in the Kentucky Derby in May, returns in Friday's $74,000 Skywalker Handicap at Santa Anita.
Trainer David Hofmans is using the Skywalker to launch Millennium Wind's fall campaign, which is tentatively scheduled to include the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 24. Wintertime goals include the Strub series at Santa Anita, which starts with the Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26.
"I think I've got him ready for a winter campaign," Hofmans said. "Hopefully, we'll continue on."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The first win will come soon enough, maybe even by Friday afternoon. Steve Flint, having recently taken over the talent-rich stable owned by the Klein family, was a bit downhearted Wednesday after his charge Exotic Wager lost in the third race at Churchill Downs.
"That's 0 for 6 right there," said Flint, who assumed the Klein horses from his father, Bernie, after Outofthebox won the Grade 1 Super Derby on Sept. 23 for the Kleins.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tails of the Crypt could put a post-Halloween scare into his five opponents in Friday's sixth race at Woodbine, a $58,100 allowance for 2-year-olds.
Late-running Tails of the Crypt should have plenty of speed to run at in the one-mile turf race, with Union Place, Funny Soldier, and Excellabet likely to be battling on the front end. Tails of the Crypt nearly won his lone turf race in a one-mile maiden special Sept. 16, coming from four lengths back to miss by a nose.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Purses for the current Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting have been increased by six percent, retroactive to opening day, Sept. 26, track officials said Wednesday.
The announcement was made at the draw breakfast for the California Cup by Sherwood Chillingworth, Oak Tree's executive vice-president. The increase adds approximately $480,000 to purses, or $15,000 per day. The meeting concludes Monday.
"I thought with all the horsemen there I wanted to give them a shot in the arm," Chillingworth said of the timing of the announcement.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Although it generated a relatively small pool, Hawthorne's $50,000 guaranteed pick six was hit Wednesday on the first day of the track's fall meet.
The pick-six pool of $8,920 was way short of covering the guarantee, and Hawthorne was forced to make up the difference. One winning ticket, worth $37,606.80, was sold. The guaranteed pool is taxed at a 25 percent rate.
