Horseplayers who complain about field size shouldn't have many beefs during the 70-day meet that opens Friday night at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind.
Eleven races, all but two with full fields of 10 starters, are on tap for the opener, a card that track officials believe is a sign of things to come. In recent seasons, Hoosier has become a bettor's delight, primarily because of the allure of the purse structure.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Suddenly, because of the 5-year-old gelding Promise of War, the Pat Cuccurullo stable requires a new tool.
"We had to dig out a national stakes condition book," Cuccurullo said Wednesday morning, having finished training his barn full of claiming stock. "We finally found one, and it was from the second quarter of 2000. It's not something we usually use."
MUSKEGON, Mich. - The track record for seven furlongs of 1:26.42 fell three times over the holiday weekend, as a new series of four seven-furlong $25,000 stakes races were run.
Last year's top 3-year-old filly at this meet, Flyinghannah, won the Great Lakes Handicap on Saturday in a track-record 1:25.72.
The ink was barely dry on Flyinghannah's record when Above the Wind won the Beau Genius Handicap in 1:25.67. Secret Romeo lived up to his star billing in the Wink Novotny Memorial for 3-year-olds, winning despite trouble in 1:24.77.
Tic N Tin was a surprise entrant in Monday's Labor Day Sprint, coming off a nose defeat in the $100,000 Arlington Sprint to Breeders' Cup hopeful Bet on Sunshine.
According to trainer Ron Brandenburg, "he needed a blowout anyway so we thought this would serve the purpose." The "blowout" turned turned into a track-record performance under leading rider Vincente Flores. His time of 51.40 eclipsed the 23-year-old standard of 51.60 for 4 1/2 furlongs. Tic N Tin, who is stabled locally, usually races in Chicago but is perfect in three starts here. He returned $2.80.
COLUMBUS, Neb. - The small size of the jockey colony was evident Monday afternoon when only nine riders were in the room for the nine-race card. Six horses scratched for lack of a rider.
Leading rider Jerry Carkeek won four races on both Saturday evening and Monday afternoon. He owns a 42-25 advantage over Armando Martinez in the standings. Also on Monday, newcomer Alex Granda had three wins and Dennis Baxter two. Carkeek, Granda, and Baxter accounted for all the races Monday.
Apprentice jockey Carlos Castro is still learning English. Meanwhile, he's allowing his riding to do all his talking.
Castro, 19, moved ahead of the injured Travis Dunkelberger last week as Charles Town's leading rider at the summer meet. Castro rode his first winner in his native Puerto Rico last January and has 37 winners in 256 mounts since coming to West Virginia.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - There was a storybook ending to the meet when Canterbury Park Hall of Famer Dean Kutz rode Binalegend to a half-length victory in Monday's $40,000 Minneapolis Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Binalegend ($4.40) and the 44-year old Kutz edged Be My Friend in 1:42.25. Binalegend is trained by Carl Nafzger, who also is a member of Canterbury's Hall of Fame.
Binalegend was Kutz's second winner since he began his comeback from throat cancer surgery Aug. 8 at Ellis Park.
Years ago, Louisiana Downs was known as being very kind to inside speed. In recent seasons, however, that bias has diminished to the point of track position rarely affecting the outcome of a race.
All that changed Labor Day, when the old bias returned with a vengeance. Winner after winner came from along the rail, and the first eight winners made the lead soon after the start. Most drew off down the stretch after being used early, which seemed implausible.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The newest member of the local jockey colony is J.G. Matos, who was a hot apprentice in Southern California a few years ago but has been in Puerto Rico since March 1998.
He arrived in northern California just before the opening of the current fall Bay Meadows meet, and got off to a flying start. He won three races last Saturday, the second day of the meet, and came into Wednesday's program with five winners from 16 mounts.
"I'm very happy" said Matos about his fast start. "I have a good agent, and I'm getting along real good with the people here."
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer James Chapman said he will not run Caller One in Saturday's $150,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint because of the colt's 125-pound weight assignment.
"I'm going to find some track that will treat us right on the weights," Chapman said. "There's a race at Turfway Park at the end of September [Kentucky Cup Sprint], and there are a couple of races in New York, including the Vosburgh. Or, I could just train him into the Breeders' Cup."