ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It should have been clear about 20 minutes before the running of the $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity that the Northern California shipper Publication was in town for good reason. Publication, a winner of his lone start, took heavy early betting action, although he drifted up to 5-1 by the time he won the Grade 3 Futurity by a neck over the late-running It'sallinthechase.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Came Home and Habibti, both morning line favorites, were withdrawn from Breeders' Cup preps for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita over the weekend.
Came Home, who was entered for Saturday's $250,000 Norfolk Stakes, was scratched after developing a filling in his right ankle, owner John Toffan said. Habibti, who was expected to start in Sunday's $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes for fillies, was diagnosed with a temperature on Saturday morning, trainer Bob Baffert said.
MIAMI, Fla. - The Florida Stallion Series has been a virtual closed shop through the first two rounds, with local-based juveniles making up nearly the entire starting lineups in both divisions.
But with $400,000 up for grabs in each of the finales, the In Reality for colts and geldings and the My Dear Girl for fillies, that figures to change.
In fact, an invasion already began earlier this week, with the arrival of Booklet for the In Reality.
The Florida Stallion Series finales are the highlight the
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sweetest Thing blew away her rivals as the heavy favorite in Saturday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara for Canadian-breds at Woodbine.
Sweetest Thing, trained by Roger Attfield, completed a unique double by winning the turf race. She beat males in her previous start in the Breeders' Stakes, the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.
FORT ERIE, Ont. - At Fort Erie, trainer Myckie Neubauer is beginning to be known as the queen of the quarter-milers. Three times she has entered runners in the infrequently carded but popular two-furlong races - and three times she has had the winner.
The dashes, one for the females and one for the males appear on the cards on Saturday and Sunday, after an absence of several weeks. Neubauer won the two most recent two-furlong races - one with the filly Appealing Allie Sept. 17 and the other with the colt Best of the Duck the next day.
FORT ERIE, Ont. - Trainers have expressed relief that a long overdue problem at Fort Erie has been addressed. The track surface was too hard and it was tough on then horses.
On Sept. 12 some 700 tons of soil was added to the surface, adding five- eighths of an inch atop the old surface.
MIAMI, Fla. - Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. would have preferred Saturday's $50,000 Convenience Stakes to have remained on the turf but the switch to a sloppy main track mattered little to Sara's Success who parlayed a perfect trip into an easy 6 1/2-length victory over Halo Reality and four other overmatched 3-year-old fillies.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Timboroa, who shipped to New York from California off a win in last month's Del Mar Handicap, went wire-to-wire to take the Grade 1, $750,000 Turf Classic Invitational Saturday at Belmont Park for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Timboroa was allowed to set slow fractions of :50.99, 1:16.54, and 1:41.39 under moderate pressure from Mutafaweq in the 1 1/2-mile race. He then had plenty left in the stretch to hold off the late challenge of favored King Cugat to win by three lengths in a time of 2:29.43 on a course labeled "good."
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Lailani made a strong case for favoritism in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with a dramatic three-quarter of a length victory over favored England's Legend and four others in the Grade 1, $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park on Saturday.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In a race where strategy and pace were key, John Velazquez had the best plan and executed it perfectly to get perennial bridesmaid Gander a graded stakes victory in Friday night's $500,000 Grade 2 Meadowlands Cup.
The big gray New York-bred broke on top and allowed Velazquez to put on an riding exhibition, using wide runs on both turns and slow fractions to stave off the onrushing favorites Broken Vow and Include to win by a head in 1:47.11.