ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher was mulling over a couple of options Tuesday for two of his graded stakes winners, Left Bank and Balto Star, who are nominated to stakes at Belmont Park this weekend.
Pletcher said he had not decided whether he will run Left Bank in Saturday's $300,000 Vosburgh, a Grade 1 prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 27, or await the $250,000 Forest Hills Handicap, another prep on Oct. 7.
POMONA, Calif. - Claiming horses regularly win stakes at the Los Angeles County Fair, but the $50,000 Gateway to Glory Stakes on Thursday at Fairplex Park is shaping up as an exception.
The 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds drew a field of six, including four from the claiming ranks. On paper, the race appears to revolve around two horses who have never raced for a tag. One is a colt who won a Fairplex maiden race eight days earlier, and the other a shipper from Arapahoe Park who may be best of a weak lot.
CHICAGO - Two fillies from the fringes of Thoroughbred society have found their way to trainer Steve Asmussen's barn, and so far, neither has had trouble fitting into blue-blooded circles. While the Michigan-bred 2-year-old filly Cashier's Dream trains her way toward the Grade 1 Frizette next month, the Indiana-bred Miss Indiana will ship from Asmussen's Belmont string to Arlington for Saturday's Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Lassie, Chicago's most important 2-year-old filly race of the year.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Last Reputation, who beat much tougher the last time she sprinted on the turf, heads a field of five fillies and mares in the $34,000 allowance/$40,000 optional claiming feature at 4 1/2 furlongs on the grass Thursday at Bay Meadows.
MIAMI - For the majority of the horses in Saturday's $100,000 Brave Raj Stakes for juvenile fillies at Calder Racecourse, the question is whether or not they can stay the mile-and-70-yard distance in a race that for most will serve as a final prep for the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes on Oct. 13.
But the neither Phil Combest, the owner of Ms. Brookski, nor his father, trainer Reed Combest, have any doubts about their filly's ability to handle two turns. Not after Ms. Brookski, a daughter of Monbrook won her two-turn debut by 11 lengths on Sept. 1.
ELMONT, N.Y. - After waiting a week for New York to regroup from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, racing resumes Wednesday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 1 p.m.
Belmont, 23 miles east of the twin towers that were destroyed by hijacked jetliners on Sept. 11, has not conducted racing since Sept. 9. The New York Racing Association has run only three programs since Saratoga ended on Sept. 3. Wednesday's card features a pick six carryover of $56,238.
POMONA, Calif. - Rarely has the color of money been linked so firmly to the patriotic fervor of red, white, and blue. Stymied by a weekend of canceled sports events, gamblers were drawn instead to horse racing at Fairplex Park, where weekend handle soared to near-record levels.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Milicia, who has been pounding on the door in straight maiden races, may rate a narrow edge in Wednesday's Bay Meadows feature, a $32,000 starter allowance for fillies and mares at a mile on the grass.
Milicia has not started since June, but she has been working well for trainer Chuck Jenda, and she raced well off a layoff once before. She may lack a winning spirit - as evidenced by her career record of six seconds from 10 starts - but she has been close to some nice fillies.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Owner Darlene Denchuk and trainer Steve Bryant are hoping that "lightning" will strike twice as they send out a formidable entry consisting of Perth Lassie and Lilsisterlightning in a $25,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares at Hastings Park on Wednesday evening. The 6 1/2-furlong race drew eight horses.
With Turfway Park officials saying Monday that they have not been informed of any defections from the Kentucky Cup series because of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the eighth annual series appears to be coming up with short but solid fields.
Horses such as Guided Tour, Spain, City Zip, and Ecstatic are expected to take part in the five-race Kentucky Cup, which will be run Saturday at Turfway in Florence, Ky. The races will be telecast on a one-hour show on ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern.