VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The Terry Marshall-trained entry of No Time Flat and Thundering Herd figures to be favored in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity on Sunday at Hastings Park. The 6 1/2-furlong race attracted eight 2-year-old colts and geldings.
AUBURN, Wash. - There will be a distinctly international flavor to this Sunday's $125,000 Emerald Downs Breeders' Cup Derby, as three of the eight entrants have shipped down from Canada to contest the 1 1/8-mile event.
Hastings Park stakes winners Diglett and I'm Free are joined by budding star Thurston, who made his last start at Edmonton's Northlands Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - After taking the summer off to recover from a respiratory infection, John Paul Too made a successful return to the races Friday, taking the $81,175 General Douglas MacArthur Handicap for New York breds by 1 1/4 lengths before an opening-day crowd of 4,779 at Belmont Park.
No Bad Habits outfinished Impeachthepro by a head for second. Mount Intrepid, Duplicitous, and Pure Harmony completed the order of finish. Say Florida Sandy, the morning-line favorite, scratched, presumably to run in Friday night's Paterson Handicap at The Meadowlands.
The takeout rate for all bets at Keeneland's fall meet this year will be reduced from 19 to 16 percent, Keeneland announced Friday.
The cut will make exotic and superexotic bets at Keeneland the cheapest in the country.
Nick Nicholson, Keeneland's president, said Friday that the track was influenced by the New York Racing Association's decision this summer to reduce the takeout on most of its bets.
ELMONT, N.Y. - With few Grade 1 opportunities for 3-year-old fillies on turf, and with no dominant horse in the division, it came as no surprise that 14 were entered for Sunday's $250,000 Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.
Only 10 will be permitted to run in the Garden City, run at nine furlongs on the inner turf course.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - American shippers Louve Mysterieuse and Miesque's Approval should be tough in Sunday's supporting features at Woodbine, the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap and the Grade 2 Summer Stakes.
Louve Mysterieuse ships in from California for the $235,000 Canadian, a 1 1/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares. A French import, Louve Mysterieuse hasn't been worse than fourth in six starts this year for trainer Neil Drysdale, who sent her out to win an optional claimer at Santa Anita in February.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Alberta's top 3-year-old filly will meet Saskatchewan's top 3-year-old filly in Sunday's Assiniboia Oaks at Assiniboia Downs. The 1 1/16-mile race has attracted a field of seven and will carry a purse of $30,000.
Representing Alberta will be Little Lolitta, who is trained by Don Gilkyson.
Little Lolitta has won 5 of 9 lifetime starts, including victories this year in the Sonoma and Northlands Oaks at Northlands Park as well as a dead heat for the win in the Lilac at Stampede Park.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - For a horse bidding to become the Atto Mile's first two-time winner, besides being locally based and Canada's reigning horse of the year, Quiet Resolve certainly isn't getting much respect.
Quiet Resolve, now 6, was making his stakes debut when part of a Sam-Son Farm entry sent off at 44-1 in the 1999 Atto Mile, but he wound up taking home the top prize being placed first upon Hawksley Hill's disqualification.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The odds would seem to be against Numerous Times in Sunday's Atto Mile.
Although undefeated in five career starts for The Committee Stable and trainer Sid Attard, the 4-year-old Numerous Times will be making his stakes debut in the Atto in particularly testing company.
But then Numerous Times has prevailed in a much tougher battle, as he won his fight for life after coming down with enteritis here last fall.