ARCADIA, Calif. - An impressive allowance win Saturday by Last Minute Detail has propelled the 3-year-old into the Santa Anita Derby picture. Trainer Don Chatlos said the allowance "was one race too late, but we got there."
Last Minute Detail did more than just get there. One start after an ordinary fourth-place finish in the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes, Last Minute Detail stretched to seven furlongs Saturday and powered to a two-length win in 1:22.11. He earned an outstanding 93 Beyer Speed Figure and will target the San Felipe Stakes on March 13.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With a few more races like Thursday's seventh at Santa Anita, the whole process-of-elimination handicapping technique may need to be scrapped. Horseplayers who begin the handicapping process by identifying horses not qualified to win will have a difficult time crossing out any in the feature race.
NEW ORLEANS - Olmodavor will leave New Orleans on Wednesday and return to trainer Dick Mandella's Southern California base, but he might return. Mandella said Monday that he would seriously consider shipping Olmodavor back to Fair Grounds for the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap on Feb. 29.
If Olmodavor comes, he could once again meet Spanish Empire, whom he beat by a half-length here Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Whirlaway Handicap. Spanish Empire, still improving as a lightly raced 4-year-old, appeared to come out of the Whirlaway in good shape.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After three starts and two wins in six-furlong races, Quick Action will be asked to stretch his speed in Saturday's $75,000 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct.
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who won the 1 1/16-mile Whirlaway last year with Boston Park, Quick Action was a 7 3/4-length winner of the Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes on Jan. 19. Before the Capossela, Quick Action finished fourth in the Maria's Mon, an overnight stakes, on Dec. 26. In his career debut on Nov. 15, Quick Action won a maiden race by 4 1/4 lengths over Aqueduct's main track.
The 2004 Fort Erie meeting, originally scheduled to end on Nov. 22, will now end Sept. 6 to allow for the construction of a new main track.
The new schedule, which will have to be approved by the Ontario Racing Commission, will include 81 live racing days. Original plans had called for a 117-day meet.
Butch Passero, a racetrack consultant, will assist in the project. Fort Erie's main track was a source of some concern last year, when three full cards plus most of two others were canceled.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There is one striking similarity among most of the starters in Thursday's featured ninth race at Oaklawn, a six-furlong conditioned allowance for fillies and mares: They are coming off layoffs.
Glacial Victoire, who in her last start was fourth in the 2002 running of the Grade 3 Arlington Lassie, has been away from the races the longest. Others in the 10-horse field returning from extended layoffs include Bonita Rose, who last raced in March; Onda Ray, whose last out was in May; and Cahill Holy and Mavoreen, both of whom have not raced since July.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Gary Hartlage and jockey Joe Johnson have combined to win with four of nine starters this meet, and they have two good chances to pad their stats Thursday.
Hartlage and Johnson, who have worked together since 1987, will team with possible favorite Southern Stepper in the first race and leading contender Contested in the sixth, an entry-level allowance for 4-year-olds and upward. Both are returning from layoffs, but both have won at Oaklawn.
ALBANY, Calif. - Thursday starts what could be an exciting four days for trainer Lonnie Arterburn.
He runs the recently claimed After the Run in Thursday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a $40,000 claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
On Friday, Lava Man, a much-improved 3-year-old who has won two straight on the turf, will meet Cal-bred rivals in a Santa Anita allowance race.
And over the weekend at Golden Gate Fields, Arterburn will start two of his best runners, Club Forty One in Saturday's Tanforan Handicap and Kilgowan in Sunday's Golden State Mile.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - January was a nice, relaxing month for trainer Nick Zito. He won a few races, put his top 3-year-olds back into serious training, and even picked up an Eclipse Award along the way with 3-year-old filly champion Bird Town.
But all that changes Wednesday when , one of Zito's three main Kentucky Derby hopefuls - along with Birdstone and The Cliff's Edge - swings back into action going seven furlongs under second-level allowance conditions at Gulfstream Park.
