DEL MAR, Calif.- Craig Dollase, the trainer of Futural, on Monday morning was at a loss to explain why his horse, favored in Sunday's Pacific Classic, ran last throughout and lost by 22 1/2 lengths.
"I thought he might have bled, but we scoped him, and he didn't," Dollase said. "We'll have to wait for the medication to wear off and have the vet go over him. That wasn't him. Something must be wrong, but I don't know what it is yet."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The Round Table program was much shorter this year than in the past, clocking in at 92 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission. In the past, it has stretched toward the 120-minute mark, if not beyond.
In the previous three years, presentations by a stream of National Thoroughbred Racing Association executives dominated the Round Table, as The Jockey Club, a founding member of the NTRA, allowed the association to trumpet its progress and brief industry officials on upcoming projects.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The International Festival of Racing was supposed to become another afternoon of American muscle-flexing. In the days before the Arlington Million, Beverly D., and Secretariat, the European contingent was said to be so weak that a United States sweep would not be surprising.
So how could anyone have guessed that last-gasp heroics would be required to salvage just one triumph for the U.S.? On a day when bettors across America helped establish an all-time wagering record in Illinois, the biggest winners indeed were foreigners.
HAKOPEE, Minn. - Trainer Dave Shepherd, a Canterbury Park regular over the past several seasons, died last week at Abbot Northwestern Hospital. The 64-year-old trainer was being prepared for bypass surgery when he went into cardiac arrest.
A native of Stockdale, Ohio, Shepherd had campaigned a large string of claiming horses in Ohio over the years and had recently made summers at Canterbury part of his regular circuit. The trainer is survived by his parents, two sons and a daughter. His 38-horse string is now being supervised by Ronnie Kirklan
Lady Cherie, the 3-2 favorite after several top contenders scratched, won Sunday's $50,000 Vivacious Handicap at River Downs by four lengths. The Vivacious, for Ohio-bred fillies and mares, was switched from the turf to the dirt.
Prizes finished second, nearly four lengths ahead of Ms. Quimet.
Trained by Michael Nance, Lady Cherie covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.20 over a good track. Jockey Julio Felix was aboard.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Watch Me Fire made the lead with a bold move entering the stretch and widened out to a 6 1/2-length tally over 1-20 favorite Joanies Bella in the $30,000 Loyalty Stakes on Saturday at Thistledown. Dinkers Millennium finished third, 3 1/2 lengths farther back in the field of six Ohio-bred 2-year-olds.
Watch Me Fire ($26.80) was ridden by William Troilo and is trained by William J. Napier. He got the six furlongs in 1:10.86 over the fast racing strip and returned $26.80 to win.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Horrible Evening ($3.60) rated kindly under substitute jockey Glenn Corbett and drew off through the lane for a 2 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby.
Corbett, the meet's leading rider, picked up the mount on Horrible Evening just 20 minutes before post after jockey Ray Sibelle's flight from Chicago was cancelled.
Corbett nursed Horrible Evening through a half-mile run in 48.53 seconds, the pair turned back a bid from Take Me Up entering the stretch, and widened the lead to the wire, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.57.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Nuclear Assembly ($3.60) ran his record to four wins from five starts with a hard-fought victory over longshot Whambam in Saturday's Pioneer Stakes for 2-year-olds. Abagfullofit reported home third.
Glen Murphy broke Nuclear Assembly with the field, and they settled well off the inside behind early leaders Tricky Storm and Abagfullofit. Whambam, with V.L. Smith aboard, slipped through along the rail and took the lead entering the stretch. But Nuclear Assembly got up in the final strides to prevail by a neck as the favorite.
Kirk LeBlanc, who earlier in the day won three races at Louisiana Downs, capped off a big day Saturday by riding Two Punch Sunny to an upset win in the $75,000 Evangeline Mile at Evangeline Downs.
Oak Hall finished second, two lengths back, followed by the 9-10 favorite, Unrullah Bull, who could muster only a mild rally.
Two Punch Sunny pressured early leader White Star through an opening half-mile of 48.20 seconds before taking the lead into the far turn. He covered the distance in 1:38.80 over a fast track.