As recently as August, Sonic West was racing at Ellis Park in an allowance race restricted to nonwinners of two. In October, Pay the Preacher was preparing to make his first start in more than a year - on the turf.
It seems unlikely, then, that either Sonic West or Pay the Preacher would be running in a dirt stakes race worth $100,000. In fact, they are two of the prime contenders in Saturday night's Mountaineer Mile at Mountaineer Race Track.
Unlike the Tri-State Futurity three weeks ago, Saturday night's West Virginia Futurity at Charles Town drew enough entries to be split into two divisions worth $25,000 apiece.
Unfortunately for horseplayers, the two best horses on paper won't be facing each other, so neither division shapes up as a good betting race.
The field for the $100,000 Gold Cup for Louisiana-breds at Delta Downs on Saturday night is like a grab bag. The full field includes top statebred sprinters Donna's Mailbag and Zarb's Luck; White Star, a leading older horse; and top Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds Spritely Walker and Witt Ante.
Aside from the rich purse, part of the race's allure is its distance. At one mile, the race catches a cross-section of horses, including sprinters who might be willing to stretch out over a six-furlong track like Delta.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - D. Wayne Lukas is homeless no more.
Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer who for nearly two decades has lived in Louisville hotels during most of any given year, has purchased a home in the prestigious Lake Forest neighborhood some 15 miles east of downtown.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Indiana-bred Pass Rush will meet several familiar rivals when he returns to his home state for Saturday's $100,000-added Michael G. Schaefer Mile.
Waiting to spoil his homecoming is last year's Schaefer winner, Crafty Shaw, who defeated Pass Rush by a neck in a Churchill Downs allowance race Nov. 4, and Cappuchino, a two-length winner over Pass Rush in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill on Oct. 26.
PHOENIX - Until he switched his base of operations to Southern California a couple years ago, Jeff Mullins dominated the training scene at Turf Paradise. He returns to the site of so many successes with new acquisition Demon Warlock in Saturday's $35,000 Paradise Valley Handicap. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race drew a full field of 10 and one also-eligible.
ALBANY, Calif. - Dennis Carr, a fixture in the top 10 of the northern California jockey standings from 1995-2001, is expected to arrive at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday and will take his first mounts of the meet Wednesday.
Carr, a native New Yorker, returned home after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. After taking two months off to visit family and friends, Carr began riding in New York but did not enjoy the same success he had in California, where he finished second to perennial leading rider Russell Baze 10 times between 1997 and 2000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The focus of Saturday's Display Stakes will be the Sovereign Award showdown between A Bit O'Gold and Smoocher, because either horse would virtually ensure himself of 2-year-old colt or gelding honors with a victory.
But the Display is more than a two-horse race, and another entrant who can't be thrown out is Third Sacker, who is a maiden after six starts but has shown more than a modicum of talent.
Third Sacker has finished second once and third four times while earning $100,936.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When Battle Group made his debut before a sparse crowd in the first race Oct. 26, those who had come out early were likely surprised by what transpired. What looked like a non-event, a five-horse $15,000 maiden race with no real standout, carried one of the more impressive performances at the meet.
PORTLAND, Ore. - After Houston Shuffle won the OTBA Sales Stakes on Nov. 1, putting himself in line to collect a $25,000 bonus with a score in the Oregon Futurity on Dec. 13, trainer Jonathan Nance spoke of skipping Saturday's $15,480 Bill Wineberg Stakes at Portland Meadows in order to give Houston Shuffle a better chance at winning the bigger prize.
He changed his mind.