ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The connections of Guided Tour have chosen Arlington's Washington Park Handicap over the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.
Guided Tour beat Captain Steve and won the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill in his most recent start, which makes him the star attraction in Saturday's Grade 2 Washington Park, which has had a purse raise to $400,000 and a distance shift to 1 1/4 miles this year.
ELMONT, N.Y. - California-based trainer David Hofmans has come to New York in search of a Grade 1 victory for the filly Starrer in Saturday's $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on closing weekend at Belmont Park.
Starrer, the winner of the Grade 2 Princess in June at Hollywood Park, arrived at Belmont last week and worked for the first time over the main track Monday. Starrer's five-furlong work in 1:00.10, handily, was the second-fastest move at the distance on Monday's work tab.
Trainer John T. Ward Jr. said Tuesday that either Beautiful Pleasure or Darling My Darling will run in the $600,000 Delaware Handicap on Sunday, but not even he knows which one.
"That's Donna Ward's call," said Ward, referring to his wife and training partner. "I've told the Delaware folks that we'd all know by entry day."
An old friend who needed someone to pick up a mount on his filly called upon Anthony Black in the Delaware Park jockeys' room. As it turned out, it was the friend who was doing Black a favor.
Black agreed to ride Florida shipper Light Dancer and the filly rewarded him by scoring a convincing 2 1/2-length victory in Tuesday's $55,000 Spicy Living Stakes. Light Dancer ($23.80) covered about 1 1/16 miles of turf in 1:44.93.
AUBURN, Wash. - Playfair has asked the Washington Horse Racing Commission to reconsider its order of July 5, which would strip the Spokane track of its license if it does not raise $300,000 in new capital by midnight on Wednesday, July 18.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Laurie Silvera unveiled a serious prospect last week named On the Game, a 3-year-old colt by Prospect Bay.
On the Game came from just off the pace to win his debut Thursday in a six-furlong maiden special weight dash by 5 1/4 lengths. His time of 1:10.60 was good for a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.
Silvera said On the Game would have been ready to run earlier had he not torn off part of his foot during the winter when he was training at the Classic Mile Training Center in Florida.
TORONTO, Ontario - In most years, the prospect of a rematch between top two Queen's Plate finishers would be reason enough to look forward to the $350,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.
But Sunday's running of the 1 3/16-mile second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, which features Plate one-two finishers Dancethruthedawn and Win City, also will showcase a very significant new player in Wild Years.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Talent has never been a concern with Gerosa. What has been a concern is his susceptibility to injury.
Gerosa, a 4-year-old trained by John Forbes for Phantom House Farm, returned to the races on June 10, and improved to 3 for 3 in his career with an allowance victory. He won his maiden and an entry-level allowance last summer, but then suffered a hairline fracture to his cannon bone.
When Gerosa returned to the barn after his comeback victory in June, it was clear that something was wrong with him.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - To cheers of "Viva Laffit!" from railbirds, Laffit Pincay Jr. won the 15th riding title of his Hall of Fame career on Monday at Hollywood Park, clinching the feat with a victory in the final race of the spring-summer meeting.
Pincay, 54, who through Monday had 9,183 wins, finished the meet one win in front of Alex Solis, 64-63.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar's newly renovated turf course was open for business for the first time Monday morning, two days before opening day, and 16 horses gave it a test run. They included the top middle-distance turf horse Irish Prize, who could make his next start in the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap on July 28. He was timed in 1:04.40 for five furlongs.
Keemoon, like Irish Prize a Neil Drysdale trainee, looked particularly sharp working a half-mile in company with Sign of Hope. She was timed in 49.20 seconds, and clockers deservedly labeled it breezing.