SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - All eyes will be on rider Tim Moccasin at Marquis Downs Saturday as he seeks to extend his streak of 10 consecutive wins. Moccasin set a North American record when he won the final three races here last Friday and then swept Saturday's seven-race card.
This Saturday, the next program at Marquis Downs, Moccasin has mounts in all seven races.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Jonathan Sheppard continued his dominance of the New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap steeplechase on Thursday by sending out It's a Giggle to upset odds-on choice Praise the Prince in the $107,800, Grade 1 race.
It was the 11th time a Sheppard-trained horse has won the Turf Writers Cup, which has been run 60 times.
DEL MAR, Calif. - For the second time, Forest Camp is attempting to revive a career that began with such promise in 1999.
Now a 4-year-old, Forest Camp tries to defend his title in Saturday's restricted $70,000 Pirate's Bounty Handicap over six furlongs at Del Mar, which will be his first start in 10 months.
At least Forest Camp is returning to his favorite track.
Forest Camp is unbeaten in three starts at Del Mar, including the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity in 1999. He has never won at any other track.
DEL MAR, Calif. - With runners in stakes at Del Mar, Louisiana Downs, and Saratoga over the holiday weekend, trainer Al Stall knows exactly which successful trainer he hopes to emulate.
"We've got a Bobby Frankel weekend coming up - with a few zeroes missing," he said.
While Frankel enjoyed a banner August, with major stakes wins at Saratoga and Del Mar on consecutive weekends, Stall would be content with a win at any of the three venues this weekend.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The promising colt Dream Run is set to make his return to racing Sunday at Arlington in the $55,000 Native Dancer, an overnight handicap for 3-year-olds at one mile.
Dream Run, owned by John Murphy and trained at Churchill Downs by Paul McGee, hasn't been out since finishing second in the April 28 Derby Trial at Churchill. Before that start, Dream Run finished third in the Illinois Derby, fourth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and second behind Hero's Tribute in a fast Gulfstream Park allowance race.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Sure Shot Biscuit, the two-time defending Iowa-bred Horse of the Year, headlines the eighth annual Iowa Classic Night at Prairie Meadows on Saturday.
Iowa Classic night is a 10-race program consisting entirely of stakes for Iowa-breds, worth a total of over $450,000.
Sure Shot Biscuit will be a prohibitive favorite in the 1 1/16-mile, $75,000-added Ralph Hayes when he faces six rivals, including his entrymate My Baby. A 5-year-old gelded son of Miracle Heights, Sure Shot Biscuit is the richest Iowa-bred ever, with earnings of $862,073.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - John Simms jumped at the chance two years ago, at age 50, to take early retirement from the Toronto police force. Simms had planned for years to open a public stable, and retirement allowed him to start a new career on the racetrack.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Saturday's Niagara Handicap at Woodbine, which attracted a field of nine, stands as this year's major local stepping-stone to the $1.5 million Canadian International.
That function usually is filled by the Sky Classic Handicap but with the Grade 1 Canadian International, the 1 1/2-mile turf race which generally goes on the third Sunday of October, being held this year on Sept. 30 the Niagara takes over the prep role.
John's Call and Cetewayo, who have won two runnings of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational, are the headliners among the 11 grass runners entered in Saturday's $100,000 Sussex Handicap at Delaware Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Sussex is the fifth of sixth races in the 3-year-old and up turf division of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series. Neither John's Call nor Cetewayo has competed in the other events in the division.
Broken Vow's victory in the $350,000 Iselin Handicap was the biggest win of the weekend for trainer Graham Motion. What made the day even more special was his feat of going 4 for 4 at two different tracks.
In addition to winning the Grade 2 Iselin at Monmouth Park, Motion scored with all three horses he ran on last Sunday's card at Delaware Park.
"I've never been 4 for 4 in a day before. Things like that just don't happen," said Motion, who has 16 winners in 78 starts at Delaware this season.