PORTLAND, Ore. - During Oregon-bred Championship Day on Dec. 13, trainer Delmer Webb had one of the best days of his long career, winning three stakes with as many starters, capped by a decisive victory in the Oregon Futurity by his own horse, Tom Won.
Less than two weeks later, the afterglow from that memorable day was abruptly extinguished when Tom Won died in his stall.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - An injury to Snake Mountain leaves a void in New York's handicap division this winter that the connections of will be more than happy to fill.
Danthebluegrassman, a multiple stakes winner at 3, will make his New York debut Friday in a $54,000 optional claiming race that could yield a starter or two for the $75,000 Aqueduct Handicap on Jan. 17.
A field of 10 was entered in Friday's mile and 70-yard race, including inner-track lover Classic Endeavor and stakes winners Free of Love and Super Fuse.
ARCADIA, Calif. - is one of the best-bred horses at Santa Anita, but so far his racing career has been a disappointment.
Arbitrate is by top stallion Deputy Minister and out of the star mare Serena's Song, who won 18 of 38 starts and $3,283,388. He is a half-brother to Sophisticat, a stakes winner in Europe.
Arbitrate has yet to emulate his sire, dam, or half-sister, winning just 2 of 15 starts and $77,470. On Friday, he starts in a $60,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles, a race that has drawn an oversubscribed number of horses, 13.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If wins Saturday's $75,000 Count Fleet Stakes, it will be a happy day for the Toscano family.
John Toscano Jr. is the trainer of Sinister G, a 3-year-old colt. His sons John III and Rob are majority owners, and another son, Paul, will come in from Florida to ride.
"It's a family affair, and we hope to get it done," the elder Toscano said Wednesday.
The two heavy favorites in the $100,000 co-featured stakes for Maryland-bred 2-year-olds at Laurel Park went down to defeat Wednesday afternoon.
Pour It On, the longest shot in a seven-horse field, rallied along the rail to capture the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship, paying $74.20. She ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.17.
"I thought there were a couple in here that she couldn't beat," said trainer Hamilton Smith, who has now won the Juvenile Fillies three of the last five years. "As it turned out they didn't run their race and our filly ran the way she should run."
All the Honor passed her class check and showed she could be a force to reckon with in the filly and mare turf division this winter at Gulfstream Park after leading throughout for a half-length victory over Born Something in Wednesday's $40,650 Auld Lang Syne Stakes at Calder.
Despite setting fast fractions of 23.38 seconds, 47.61, and 1:10.69, All the Honor ($11.40), ridden by Eddie Castro, was able to withstand the run of favored Born Something. Cocktailsanddreams rallied mildly to finish third, another 2 1/2 lengths behind Born Something, in a field of 10 fillies and mares.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Siphonizer, one of the top 2-year-olds in California in 2003, has been turned out for a month, effectively ending his chances of starting in the spring classics.
Siphonizer will spend 30 days at owner B. Wayne Hughes's farm in Malibu, Calif., recovering from a recent operation to correct a breathing problem, trainer Richard Mandella said.
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Carla Gaines knows that John Harris, one of her principal owners, likes to win races, and she's won a fair share for him over the years: 76 victories from 341 starts.
Gaines would like to get Harris a victory at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday when she enters in the $100,000 Work the Crowd Handicap at one mile.
"He gets excited about all of his wins, but this race has great sentimental value for him," Gaines said.
Zarb's Luck and Go Rail Go, who finished one-two last month in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds will have a rematch Friday night in the $50,000 Cypress at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.
But there is a twist - the Cypress, at 6 1/2 furlongs, is around two turns.
Zarb's Luck, who won the Champions Day Sprint by three-quarters of a length, goes for his third straight win. His streak began Nov. 15, when he won the $100,000 Gold Cup around two turns at Delta. A month later, he dueled throughout to win his second consecutive Champions Day Sprint.
Roman Chapa, who is the second leading rider at Sam Houston Race Park, plans to leave his comfort zone in the next week and move his tack to Oaklawn Park.
Chapa will be riding regularly at Sam Houston through Jan. 11, and will be at Oaklawn for the first time when the meet opens Jan. 23. The reason for the move is that , a promising 3-year-old, will be at Oaklawn. Chapa was aboard Mr. Jester last month when he won the $1 million Delta Jackpot at Delta.
With the win, Mr. Jester became a horse to watch for the Kentucky Derby.