ARCADIA, Calif. - The field for Monday's Henry P. Russell Handicap at Santa Anita was spread around last year, racing in Europe, the Middle East, South America, South Africa, and California.
On Monday, the field of six starting in the restricted $75,000 race should offer clues as to which new faces bear watching in major stakes in coming months.
ELMONT, N.Y. - When the gates opened for the fifth race at Belmont Park on Sept. 9, many of those who made Bella Bellucci the 1-2 favorite surely let out a groan. A debuting juvenile filly, she fell out of the gate under Mike Smith, spotting her seven rivals at least one length in the six-furlong race.
The groans quickly turned to glee, however, as Bella Bellucci, without any encouragement from Smith, moved into contention around the turn and eventually drew clear for a 5 3/4-length victory, while racing five wide the entire trip.
GROVE CITY, Ohio - The highlight of Beulah Park's fall meeting takes place in a special Monday-afternoon card of racing, when the track plays host to the 15th annual Best of Ohio Championships.
The Best of Ohio series consists of five races for Ohio-breds with purses totaling $375,000. The series rotates amongst Ohio's three Thoroughbred tracks - Thistledown, Beulah Park, and River Downs - on a yearly basis.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Siphonic led every step of the way Saturday for a highly impressive victory in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, emerging as a top contender for the Oct. 27 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
With Chris McCarron aboard, Siphonic drew off to win the Grade 2, $454,400 Breeders' Futurity by six lengths over Harlan's Holiday. Metatron finished third, another two lengths back in a field of 11 2-year-olds, while Kamsack, the 3-2 favorite, was never a threat, finishing seventh.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel's dream year continued at Belmont Park on Saturday when Aptitude, the second-favorite in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, scored an impressive 10-length win over a field of seven.
The win was the second in a row for Aptitude, and the 13th Grade 1 win of 2001 for Frankel. The Hall Of Fame trainer has yet to win a Breeders' Cup race with 36 starters, but is in line to saddle serious contenders in seven of this year's eight Breeders' Cup events scheduled for Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Even while Tiznow's short-term objective remains the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 27, co-owner Michael Cooper and trainer Jay Robbins are looking beyond this season. Specifically, Cooper is considering postponing Tiznow's stallion career and racing him through next year.
Tiznow meets Skimming and four others Sunday at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 Goodwood Handicap, the last California prep for the Breeders' Cup. Tiznow's performance in the Goodwood and Breeders' Cup will go a long way in determining if he carries on next season as a 5-year-old racehorse.
ARCADIA, Calif. - At Del Mar, he is the king. And it's good to be the king, especially when the meet's biggest race is worth $1 million. But now summer is turning to fall, and Skimming has to venture from his castle. He is seeking to conquer new lands, and erase the widely held perception that he is a one-track wonder.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Blueprint, the winner of the Sunset Handicap and San Luis Rey Handicap earlier this year, is facing a time crunch to be ready for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park on Oct. 27.
On Friday at Santa Anita, Blueprint worked a mile on turf in 1:41.60, finishing visibly tired. Despite the modest final time, trainer Bob Hess Jr. is not overly concerned. With three weeks remaining until the Breeders' Cup, Hess said Blueprint has time to get fit for the biggest race of his career.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For Numbers Man, the number he needed to come up was five - as in the five-furlong distance of the $50,000 Morven Stakes Friday night at the Meadowlands.
Richard Malouf's 2-year-old colt broke his maiden at first asking at the five-furlong distance. His return to that distance on the turf under Jose Velez Jr. stopped a three-race losing streak at slightly longer treks and produced a 16-1 upset.
"We've been strictly looking for the chance to sprint him," said
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Spook Express made a bold move to win the $563,500 WinStar Galaxy at Keeneland Friday, charging from last place to take the opening-day feature by 1 1/4 lengths over Solvig.
But trainer Tom Skiffington probably made the smartest move a few days earlier, scratching Spook Express from the ultra-tough Flower Bowl to await the Grade 2 Galaxy. The turn of events may have earned Spook Express a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and a belated try against the one-two finishers in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl, Lailani and England's Legend.
