Churchill Downs Inc. reported record quarterly revenues for its second quarter ended on June 30.
Net revenues were a record $163.3 million, a jump of 24 percent over the same period last year. Net earnings were a record $21.9 million, a 20 percent increase over 2000.
Tom Meeker, Churchill's president and chief executive officer, attributed the company's record gains in part to good business at Arlington Park, which Churchill acquired last year. Arlington's 2001 meet opened on June 13.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - If there is a horse for the course in Saturday's Grade 2 Monmouth Oaks, the premier race for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park, Astrid is the one.
Astrid has come into her own here this summer, beating a tough allowance field and then romping in the Serena's Song Stakes on July 4, her first race around two turns. The Oaks, which carries a purse of $250,000, will be a move, but trainer John Dowd knows his filly will be up to the challenge.
"This is a big step for her," he said. "But we have to give her a chance to step up. You don't know until you try."
MIAMI - The Calder invasion of Saratoga will start in earnest on Monday when trainers Marty Wolfson and Eddie Plesa Jr. send out their top 3-year-old fillies, O K to Dance and Sara's Success, in the $100,000 Lake George Stakes, a Grade 3.
Wolfson is less concerned about the competition than he is the activity in the Saratoga paddock for O K to Dance, who finished a disappointing seventh in the Honeymoon Breeders' Cup at Hollywood Park earlier this month after losing her cool in the saddling enclosure.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel has found the ideal prep race to get Flute ready for the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes here Aug. 18.
Frankel, who scratched Flute out of last Saturday's Grade 3 Delaware Oaks because she drew an outside post position, has entered Flute in a second-level allowance race at nine furlongs here on Friday. Flute will face six rivals.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - You could just about set your calendar by the 4-year-old filly Megans Bluff. When she starts Saturday as the 118-pound highweight in the Modesty Handicap at Arlington, the amazingly durable Megans Bluff will be racing for the 17th consecutive month. She has made at least one start per month since February 2000.
And when Megans Bluff races, she shows up. It took her six tries to win her maiden, but since that time she has won 7 of 14 starts, and in her 20 career races she has finished worse than third only twice.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The expected fields for the Eddie Read and San Diego handicaps this weekend have helped trainer Richard Mandella decide which race to start Redattore in.
Mandella said the 6-year-old Redattore will be entered in both Saturday's $400,000 Eddie Read over 1 1/8 miles on turf and Sunday's $250,000 San Diego Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on dirt.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Bumbeling Bert will try to make it 2 for 2 at Assiniboia Downs in Friday's featured seventh race, where seven runners are scheduled to start in a seven-furlong conditioned allowance event.
In his local debut July 12, Bumbeling Bert beat a field of $6,250 claimers at this distance.
A 4-year-old Iowa-bred who is trained by Greg Tracy and ridden by Brian Harding, Bumbeling Bert should secure a good trip from post 4 behind likely pace setters Gloria's Buck and Royal Mac.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Roger Attfield didn't make the winner's circle with four stakes starters last weekend.
But it wasn't as if he came away empty-handed, as each of his four horses earned big paychecks. A Fleets Dancer earned $80,000 for his second-place finish in the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington. Muntej made $54,700 for running second here in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy. Poetically picked up $16,000 after finishing fourth in the Delaware Oaks, and Torrid Affair took home $5,500 for her fourth in Delaware's Light Hearted.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer John Terranova is looking forward to Thursday, and it has little to do with the fact he turns 31 that day.
Terranova hopes to have another reason to celebrate when he sends out Heavyweight Champ in Thursday's $100,000, Grade 2 Sanford Stakes for juvenile colts. A field of six was entered in the six-furlong race that goes as race eight on a nine-race card.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Get out your pronounciation gazetteer from last year. The same connections who brought you Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner, have returned to trip tongues nationwide with Fusaichi Zenon, a rare Japanese import who makes his first start for trainer Neil Drysdale in Thursday's feature race at Del Mar.
