EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Live Doppler will be aiming for another upset Tuesday afternoon as the Thoroughbred meet at The Meadowlands heads into its final week.
The New Jersey racing season concludes Saturday night with a final post of 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
With time running out, turf opportunities have dwindled to a precious few, including Tuesday's $24,000 optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Awesome Humor and Yell have competed against virtually every top 3-year-old filly in North America. Between them, they have racked up six stakes wins and over $1.2 million. But they have never raced against each other, a curious truth that is scheduled to change Saturday in the $200,000 Churchill Downs Distaff, a Grade 2 handicap that highlights the coming weekend here.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If things had gone according to plan, Loving Kindness wouldn't be eligible for Tuesday's $65,000 Trampoli at Aqueduct, an overnight turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies who have not won a stakes race in 2003.
Since arriving from Dubai in the spring, Loving Kindness has encountered numerous setbacks. The Trampoli marks Loving Kindness' first start since Feb. 20, when she finished fifth behind Danuta in the Moonshell Mile at Nad al Sheba.
She has not faced strictly fillies since her debut race.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - There were few surprises on Halloween at The Meadowlands, as favorites or second choices won the three featured events Friday night.
Tangier Sound ($7.20) took the $40,000 Witches Brew, Gimmeawink ($5.80) prevailed in the $45,000 Paterson Stakes, and He Flies ($5.80) rallied to take the $25,000 Grey Ghost Starter Handicap.
Believe Im Special set a track record at Delta Downs on Friday night when he defended his title in the $40,000 Racino Inaugural, winning by a neck over Front Nine. The five-furlong race was the opening-night stakes at the Vinton, La., track, and Believe Im Special covered the distance in 57.53 seconds. He paid $35.80.
Joyful Tune dueled through the stretch with Believe Im Special and finished third, a half-length behind Front Nine. Ricky Faul rode the winner for the partnership of Davis, Davis, and Defrates and trainer Thomas Sam.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With two months remaining in the season, trainer Bobby Frankel established a single-season earnings record of $17,854,877 on Friday when Golden Rahy won an optional claimer at Santa Anita.
Frankel entered the day with stable earnings of $17,826,077. Gold-en Rahy's win was worth $28,800.
Frankel surpassed the previous mark of $17,842,358 set in 1988 by fellow Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Frankel almost broke Lukas's record last year when his stable earned $17,748,340.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A front-runner most of her career, Pocus Hocus demonstrated the ability to rate on Saturday and it led to the first stakes victory of her career in the Grade 3, $107,500 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct.
Under Jose Santos, Pocus Hocus sat off the pace-setting Miss Linda until the five-sixteenths pole, then spurted away from the field in the stretch to win the Turnback the Alarm by 5 1/4 lengths. Nonsuch Bay rallied for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Miss Linda.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One for Rose probably clinched the Sovereign Award as this year's champion older filly or mare with a front-running triumph as the favorite in the Grade 3, $196,250 Maple Leaf Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.
One for Rose set slow, uncontested fractions of 24.47 seconds, 49.19, and 1:13.71 in the 1 1/4-mile race, while being tracked by Winning Chance and Clouds of Gold. She opened up a daylight lead on the far turn before drawing off in the stretch to score by 6 1/4 lengths, in a final time of 2:03.50.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Tough luck has followed Mystery Giver this season, but fortune swung to his side late Saturday afternoon at Hawthorne Race Course. Getting a clean run from the back of the pack, Mystery Giver swooped to the lead in mid-stretch and captured the $150,000 Robert Carey Memorial Handicap by a half-length over Al's Dearly Bred, who took the worst of things around the far turn and at the top of the stretch.
