FORT ERIE, Ontario - John Simms jumped at the chance two years ago, at age 50, to take early retirement from the Toronto police force. Simms had planned for years to open a public stable, and retirement allowed him to start a new career on the racetrack.
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DRF Past Performances
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Saturday's Niagara Handicap at Woodbine, which attracted a field of nine, stands as this year's major local stepping-stone to the $1.5 million Canadian International.
That function usually is filled by the Sky Classic Handicap but with the Grade 1 Canadian International, the 1 1/2-mile turf race which generally goes on the third Sunday of October, being held this year on Sept. 30 the Niagara takes over the prep role.
John's Call and Cetewayo, who have won two runnings of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational, are the headliners among the 11 grass runners entered in Saturday's $100,000 Sussex Handicap at Delaware Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Sussex is the fifth of sixth races in the 3-year-old and up turf division of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series. Neither John's Call nor Cetewayo has competed in the other events in the division.
Broken Vow's victory in the $350,000 Iselin Handicap was the biggest win of the weekend for trainer Graham Motion. What made the day even more special was his feat of going 4 for 4 at two different tracks.
In addition to winning the Grade 2 Iselin at Monmouth Park, Motion scored with all three horses he ran on last Sunday's card at Delaware Park.
"I've never been 4 for 4 in a day before. Things like that just don't happen," said Motion, who has 16 winners in 78 starts at Delaware this season.
The anticipated match between Carey's Gold and O'Rocky, winners of split divisions of last month's Dr. Fager Stakes, will have to wait after the promising juveniles drew into opposite divisions of Saturday's split Affirmed Stakes. The seven-furlong Affirmed will share the spotlight with its filly counterpart, the Susan's Girl Stakes. All three races will be worth $125,000.
Lakeside Cup might always be more accomplished than the seven fillies who will face her in the $100,000 Bassinet Stakes. Or she might not be.
But as far as Steve Flint is concerned, the right here and the right now is what will count most Saturday when Lakeside Cup, already a seasoned veteran with six races behind her, goes as a solid favorite in the Bassinet, the six-furlong race that begins the richest weekend of racing this year at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Steve Asmussen will have the shoe on the other foot Saturday when he sends Goodness to Monmouth Park to take on likely favorite Forest Heiress in the $150,000 Grade 3 Sorority Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
"It's an ambitious spot, but she seems to have a tremendous amount of ability," said Asmussen. "But we've got Cashier's Dream up here," he said by phone from Saratoga.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Slewsbox, who has won four consecutive stakes over a period of slightly more than a year, deserves to be favored in Saturday's $50,000 Mae De Vol Sprint for fillies and mares at Bay Meadows.
Eight entered the six-furlong race, including the Jeff Bonde-trained entry of De Goddaughter and Two on the Aisle. Slewsbox is the 121-pound highweight and will spot from three to 11 to her rivals.
When last they met, the home team won. That was when Golden Antigua, based at Arlington Park with Wayne Catalano, pulled a mild upset over the invading Star Queen in a July 21 race at Arlington.
On Saturday, Star Queen, a Kingmambo filly, will be on more familiar turf when facing Golden Antigua and nine other fillies and mares in the $50,000 Dade Turf Classic at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. Star Queen, trained at Churchill Downs by Pete Salmen Jr., clearly has the credentials to turn the tables in a well-matched race, which goes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.