ARCADIA, Calif. - Tiznow may soon be on the road again. Depending on how well Tiznow bounces out of his second straight win in the Breeders' Cup Classic, trainer Jay Robbins said Tuesday he was in favor of another start this year for Tiznow, providing he returns from Belmont Park in good shape.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Search Party was nominated to Saturday's $100,000-added Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct, but apparently trainer Shug McGaughey has found a spot more to his liking on Thursday.
Search Party is the likely favorite among the seven fillies and mares entered in Aqueduct's eighth race, a $56,000 allowance race at one mile on the main track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After a productive summer at Ellis Park, Advanced Edition started running into heavy hitters. But he acquitted himself well in his latest start, finishing second in a Keeneland allowance to the stakes-savvy In Frank's Honor, and another big try would make him a solid contender in the Thursday feature at Churchill Downs.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The problem with the field for the seventh-race feature on Thursday at Santa Anita is they all look the same.
Mpenzi won her most recent start, but lost to La Jolla Shores the time before. Dynamistic has outrun both La Jolla Shores and Jalisco, though she required six starts before winning. Thursday, Dynamistic threatens to extend her latest losing streak to four starts. Pick a name, any name.
Local Review takes a big drop into $12,500 claiming company and looms a strong favorite in Thursday's featured seventh race at Bay Meadows. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds will offer a purse of $16,000 and drew a field of seven.
Local Review has made ten starts already this season with a win, two seconds, and two thirds to his credit.
He was claimed by trainer Brian Koriner for $12,500 in August and has made two starts for his new owners against much tougher competition.
Delta Downs in Vinton, La., received unanimous approval for a gaming license to operate slot machines from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board at a special meeting Tuesday. The track's bid for the license was opposed by officials representing area riverboats, who contested the number of machines planned for installation at Delta Downs.
Handle from all wagering sources was down significantly at the fall meet that ended Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., primarily because of the decision by New York OTB not to accept wagering throughout the meet.
Total handle on the 17-day meet was $88.4 million, down from $99.5 million for the corresponding 16-day meet in 2000. The daily average handle of $5.2 million represents a 16 percent decrease.
Steve Bourque, the all-time winningest jockey at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, will be looking for his fourth Sam Houston riding title when the track opens for its ninth season of racing Thursday night.
Bourque has won the last two titles at Sam Houston in record performances, setting a new standard for wins last year, and setting the record for earnings the year before. He won his first riding title at Sam Houston in 1996.
So long, Sundays. Sam Houston Race Park in Houston has dropped Sunday racing from its calendar for its 82-night Thoroughbred meet, which starts Thursday, and will replace the weekend date with Wednesday-night racing starting in December.
The track has also replaced its pick three wager with a rolling pick three that will be offered on seven races. There will be a reduced, 12 percent takeout on the wager for the entire meet, which runs through March 30.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Trainer Mark Hennig said Unrestrained is finally getting around to showing the talent he knew the 3-year-old filly possessed. On Saturday, Hennig will see if Unrestrained, who became a stakes winner in her last start, is ready to take it to the next level and become a graded winner in the $100,000-added Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct.