ARCADIA, Calif. - Senure needs a career-best performance in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship at Santa Anita Sunday to earn a trip to the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park on Oct. 27.
Following Senure's dismal eighth in the Arlington Million, trainer Bobby Frankel is expecting to see a turnaround by the 5-year-old in the Grade 1 Hirsch. It's Senure's last chance to convince the trainer to try the Turf.
"He has to win," Frankel said. "It's as simple as that."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mutamam and Daliapour head a strong European contingent in Sunday's Grade 1, $1.5 million Canadian International at Woodbine. A field of 12 was drawn for the 64th running of the International, which is the sixth leg of the 2001 Emirates World Series.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A wide-open claiming race for older horses entered for a top claiming price of $15,000 headlines a nine-race card at Hastings Park on Sunday.
The 6 1/2-furlong race drew eight horses, including the classy 8-year-old gelding J V Bennett, who figures to be one of the favorites off of his smart win going 1 1/16 miles Sept. 16.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Many of the top prospects for the Oct. 27 World Thoroughbred Championships will have their final preps next weekend at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, where the 17-day fall meet opens with 10 stakes, six of them graded, during the first three days of the meet.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It was no easy task filling Sunday's $50,000-added overnight stakes feature at Arlington Park. Only 13 3-year-olds were even nominated to the 6 1/2-furlong race, named the Sauce Boat, and of those, four had started in the last 10 days, one was injured, and another entered an allowance race on Saturday's card.
In the end, only six horses could be found to run, yet the field is by no means dull, with the comebacking Meadowminer facing Bet on Joe and Winnie's Pooh Bear. Also slated to start are mud-lover Don Regino, Ballado's Devil, and One Special Judge.
The Oklahoma Racing Commission has given preliminary approval to a racing calendar for next year that would eliminate the winter-spring meet at Remington Park in Oklahoma City and expand that track's fall meet from 65 days to 102.
Dates for next year are expected to be made final in October.
In other changes next year, Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa will push its spring Thoroughbred meet to November, running 12 days from Nov. 1 to Nov. 24. Those dates overlap with Remington, which will run its fall Thoroughbred meet from Aug.3 to Dec. 23.
The $31,487 Sugar Loaf Juvenile Quarter Horse Futurity on Sunday at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla., is a battle of the sexes.
Rare Cat Man, a gelding who set the fastest qualifying time, and Tera Jos Trick, a filly who was the second fastest qualifier by one-hundredth of a second, meet in the 350-yard finale.
Jockey Debbie Freeman has the mount on Rare Cat Man for Rex Brooks, while Rodger Smith will ride Tera Jos Trick for trainer Eddie Willis.
Voladora, whose biggest career win is the $200,000 WinStar Distaff Turf at Lone Star Park in May, gets back to racing on dirt Sunday in the $25,000 Black Mesa Handicap at Remington Park. A seven-furlong race for statebred fillies and mares, it has drawn a deep field of 10, including Naturalingredients and Devout Sinner.
Dancing Dreams must overcome added distance as well as invaders Miss Ritz and Taylor's Queen to win her fifth consecutive race Sunday, in the $40,000-added Princess Futurity at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La. A 6 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies, the Futurity has drawn a field of nine.
Dancing Dreams has established herself as the meet's top 2-year-old filly. She has won all three of her starts at Louisiana Downs, including the $40,000 Rebel by 3 1/2 lengths on Aug. 18, and the $40,000 Delta Miss Stakes by a length on Sept. 9.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - A field of 11 older turf horses go in Sunday's featured eighth race at Bay Meadows. The 1 1/16-mile, second-level allowance/optional claiming race carries a purse of $34,000 and will be run over the Longden Turf Course.
Flo the Blo is shipping in for Sunday's headliner and should be the choice. Flo the Blo finished fifth last out in the 1 3/8-mile Let It Ride.com Handicap at Del Mar after setting the pace to midstretch.