ANDERSON, Ind. - Marciann tries for a repeat in the $40,000-added Merrillville Stakes at Hoosier Park on Saturday. Eight Indiana-bred fillies and mares were entered in the six-furlong race.
Marciann was the best Indiana-bred filly in training a year ago, reeling off three consecutive stakes victories, including the Merrillville. A 4-year-old daughter of Speedy Cure, she posted a 5-1-0 mark from six starts last year, good for the majority of her lifetime bankroll of $166,716.
Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., drew full fields for the first half of its fourth annual Breeders' Festival, a two-day series of eight statebred stakes worth more than $360,000. The male divisions of the races are to be run Saturday, with the female ranks to follow Sunday.
If, as expected, 3-year-old filly Xtra Heat challenges older males in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, it will easily be the biggest race of her career. But trainer John Salzman is already looking beyond the World Thoroughbred Championships to next year.
Salzman said he wants to use the Sprint to help determine whether it's worthwhile to ship Xtra Heat to Dubai for one of the lucrative stakes on the Dubai World Cup program.
MIAMI - Christophe Clement, who has dominated late-season turf stakes at Calder for the past several years, begins his 2001 invasion in earnest Saturday when he ships in Sheppard's Watch as the likely favorite in the $200,000 Calder Oaks. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies is one of five stakes on the undercard for the 13-race Festival of the Sun program.
MIAMI - Since Ms. Brookski was defeated by 26 lengths in the opening leg of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Series, it might be hard to imagine that nine weeks later she even would be in the field for the series finale, the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, which will be run Saturday.
But Ms. Brookski is not only in the series finale with eight other runners, she is also likely to win it.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Valiant Halory has yet to find success outside the allowance ranks, but he will still be the favorite when he ships to Suffolk Downs for Saturday's $25,000 Topsider Stakes.
The Topsider will pit a field of 10 older horses at six furlongs. Valiant Halory gets in under 117 pounds and will be ridden by Taylor Hole.
Valiant Halory hasn't finished better than second in 10 starts this year but the change in company should work in his favor.
The $250,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic, to be run Saturday night at Charles Town, comes down to youth and talent versus age and experience. Confucius Say, a 3-year-old son of Eastover Court, will be favored against seven others, including Coolmars, who won the race last year, and Rebellious Dreamer, the winner in 1999.
PHOENIX, Ariz. - There have been more than a couple of times when it looked as if the shine was coming off Shot of Gold. Nevertheless, at age 6 he has proven as durable and consistent as an old Timex, and that makes him the horse to beat in Saturday's $30,000 Caballo del Sol Handicap at Turf Paradise.
The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and upward has lured a strong field of 10.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Top of Our Game tries to stretch her winning streak to three in Saturday's $50,000 Hillsborough Handicap for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Top of Our Game, trained by Carla Gaines, won a mile allowance race Aug. 17 at Del Mar, rallying from just off the pace to win by a head. She followed that race with a victory in the $125,000 Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar, defeating Hillsborough opponent Mimi's Cafe by 2 1/2 lengths.
ELMONT, N.Y. - There's no rain in the forecast, which is good news for the six older fillies and mares set to oppose Shiny Band in Friday's allowance feature.
The bad news is that Shiny Band has been unbeatable in one-turn races on fast tracks, too.
Shiny Band has compiled a perfect 4-for-4 record since trainer Allen Jerkens put her on Lasix in mid-June, graduating from the maiden ranks and moving steadily through her allowance conditions.