ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Quiet Resolve drilled five furlongs in 59.40 seconds on the turf training track at Woodbine Friday morning in his final major tune-up for next Sunday's Atto Mile.
The Atto Mile, a turf race for
3-year-olds and upward, is a Grade 1 stakes with a purse of $1 million.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. ? Dream Run is out, but the Native Dancer Handicap still came up a good race.
With Dream Run, the Florida Derby fourth-place finisher, opting instead for a second-level sprint allowance Sunday at Arlington, the $55,000 Native Dancer, for 3-year-olds at a mile, still drew a good field of eight, led by Compendium, Horrible Evening, and San Pedro.
Mumtaz and Voladora, whose biggest career wins have come at a mile on turf, will meet under those conditions Sunday in the $50,000 Ricks Memorial Handicap at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
Mumtaz comes into the Ricks Memorial off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Eatontown Handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Monmouth Park on Aug. 5. Trainer Tom Amoss shipped Mumtaz, a winner of $370,005, to Oklahoma because of the distance of the Ricks Memorial.
Lady Viriginia, who has won four races from eight starts this year, can become a stakes winner in her turf debut Sunday if she can hold off the powerful closing kick of Chausson Poire in the $50,000 Lyrique Handicap at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies has also drawn Mountain Kitten, third to Chausson Poire in last month's Chapel Belle, and Caustic Remark, third to older rivals in the Margarita Breeders' Cup at Retama Park.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Secret Romeo, last year's champion Michigan-bred 2-year-old, is set to face eight other 3-year-olds in Sunday's $25,000 Wink Novotny Memorial at Great Lakes Downs. A new stakes, the seven-furlong race is named for Ed "Wink" Novotny, the popular jockey agent who died during the 2000 racing meet.
Secret Romeo is owned by A. A. C. Stables and is trained by Gerald Bennett, who was a close friend of Novotny. A 3-year-old son of Service Stripe, Secret Romeo is 6 for 8 this year, with four stakes wins, including the Dowling, Lansing, and Spartan over this surface.
COLUMBUS, Neb. - Irish Flyer will take on older rivals in Sunday's $7,000-added Bill Callihan Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Owned by Dale Kurtz and trained by Terrell Hemmer, Irish Flyer, a 3-year-old, has won six of nine starts, all this year. She won her maiden at first asking this spring at Fonner Park, won the Princess Stakes at Lincoln in May, and the Inaugural Stakes here opening night. She most recently beat older rivals in an allowance Aug. 18. Jose Figueroa rides at 116 pounds from post 6.
He was competitive against open 3-year-olds after dominating his classmates in the Ohio-bred ranks. Now it's time to see whether Unbridled Time is the equal of some of the older state-breds.
The $75,000 Governor's Buckeye Cup, to be run Sunday at River Downs in Cincinnati, is the forum in which Unbridled Time will try his elders for the first time. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the gray colt easily won two Ohio stakes earlier this summer before being beaten a nose in his last start, the Aug. 12 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bel Serenata, who tested Grade 2 foes at Del Mar on July 29, looks tough to beat at a short price when she drops into a first-level allowance race in Sunday's feature at Bay Meadows.
Six entered the mile turf race, which is restricted to 3-year-old fillies who have not won $3,000 other than maiden or claiming. The purse is $32,000.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The top three contenders in Saturday's $150,000 Palomar Handicap at Del Mar have something to prove in advance of the autumn's top races for female turf stars.
Paga, a star in Argentina, can confirm she fits in graded stakes in this country. Tout Charmant is attempting to regain her outstanding form of 1999 and 2000, while Tranquility Lake is trying to win consecutive races for the first time since last fall.
The trio gives the Grade 2 Palomar, which is run over 1 1/16 miles on turf, the feel of a Grade 1.
