ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A pair of trainers paid overdue visits to the stakes winner's circle at Woodbine last weekend, as Sid Attard greeted Ginger Gold after Sunday's Shady Well and Cliff Hopmans hailed Alexis following Saturday's Dance Smartly.
Attard, 50, who consistently is among the leaders here, had not tasted stakes success since Princess Alicia won the Classy'n Smart in 1999.
In-state handle on Maryland races during the Pimlico Race Course meet, which ended Saturday, plunged nearly 16 percent compared to last year, according to figures from the Maryland Jockey Club, which owns Pimlico and Laurel Park.
Betting in state on Maryland races was $37.5 million for 71 live race days at Pimlico, a decrease of 16 percent compared with betting of $47.6 million during a comparable period last year.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While all-sources wagering at the Churchill Downs spring meet established another track record, ontrack numbers showed slight declines, again giving this historic track equal doses of good news and bad news.
Total wagering for the 52-day meet that ended Sunday exceeded $522 million, yielding a daily average of $10,046,471. The 5.1 percent increase over corresponding 2000 dates was largely attributable to a still-expanding simulcast market.
ALTOONA, Iowa - The 53-day Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred meeting saw declines in ontrack and total handle.
Ontrack handle for the meet, which ended Saturday night, averaged $84,633 per day, down more than 8 percent from the corresponding meet last year. Total handle averaged $670,093 per day, down more than 18 percent from last year. Prairie Meadows, which also has a casino, does not charge an admission fee or release attendance figures for horse racing.
The meet had a record purse distribution. Average purses per day were over $200,000, including Iowa-bred supplements.
ELMONT, N.Y. - It may not be the North American race Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum covets, but Sunday's $150,000 Dwyer Stakes could be an important step for his Godolphin Racing Inc.
E Dubai officially stamped himself as a 3-year-old on the rise Sunday with an emphatic 5 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Dwyer over a sloppy Belmont Park main track. In avenging his defeat to Hero's Tribute in the Peter Pan, E Dubai established a stakes record of 1:40.38 for the 1 1/16-miles.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Super Tuesday led for one jump of Sunday's $100,000 California Sires Stakes at Hollywood Park - the one that crossed under the finish line.
Closing from third at the top of the stretch, Super Tuesday ($4.80) rallied to win by a nose over Dena's Diamond and Ace's Valentine, who dead-heated for second in the field of six 3-year-old fillies. No Equity, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth.
Super Tuesday ran 1 1-16 miles on turf in 1:42.74. The California Sires Stakes was her first stakes win for owners Harris Farms and Sheila Williams.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Rudirudy raced wire-to-wire to win the $50,000 John McSorley for three-year-olds and up at five furlongs on a muddy track before a crowd of 13,185. Slated for the turf, the race was moved to the main track, and resulted in a field of five.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Euchre saved ground to the stretch under Garrett Gomez and rallied for a 1 3/4-length victory over pacesetter and 4-5 favorite Dixie Dot Com in the Grade 3 $400,000 Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A string of midpriced longshots has created a pick six carryover of $170,673 for Sunday's nine-race program at Hollywood Park. There are no early scratches in Sunday's pick six, which covers races four through nine, but there are several jockey changes in races that do not have large
ELMONT, N.Y. - King Cugat proved he could win beyond nine furlongs, but he still has a way to go to prove himself worthy of being a true candidate for the Breeders' Cup Turf.
At least that's the impression his connections gave Saturday after King Cugat rallied from last to earn a hard-fought, half-length victory over Slew Valley in the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap before 8,629 at Belmont Park. It was six lengths back to Man From Wicklow, who nosed out State Shinto for third. Forbidden Apple, winner of the Manhattan last out, finished fifth, beaten 9 1/2 lengths.
