Most Feared, who has not raced since finishing second to Dynever in the Grade 3, $500,000 Lone Star Derby on May 10, is working toward a comeback, with one of his possible goals the Grade 3, $150,000 Oklahoma Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Remington Park on Nov. 16, according to his owner-breeder Tom Durant.
Most Feared worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 last Saturday at his base at Retama Park.
Terry Thompson became Hoosier Park's all-time leading jockey with his winning ride aboard Big Pain in Monday's 10th race. Thompson entered the Hoosier season two wins behind Jon Court on the list of career victories at the track.
Thompson's record-setting ride came aboard Big Pain, who won by five lengths. The win gave Thompson 390 career wins at Hoosier, topping Court's mark on his 14th ride of meet.
Evangeline Downs near Lafayette, La., closed out its final meet without slot machines on Monday and experienced small declines in average daily attendance and handle. The track will open a slots casino at its new site in Opelousas in March 2004, but will race at its existing location for one more year.
The casino, expected to house about 1,600 machines, will start supplementing purses next year. Plans for the new site include a one-mile dirt track and a seven-furlong turf course. Long-range developments could include a convention center and hotel.
COLUMBUS, Neb. - Armando Martinez's feat of riding six winners on Friday's nine-race card seemed to fuel a flurry of streaks over the Labor Day weekend as this meet winds down to its Sept. 14 closing.
Martinez kick-started the meet for trainer Sean Foley by booting home both ends of the early double ($8.80) aboard Foley trainees. Foley sent out Love Jet ($4) in the first and Raniata ($5.20) in the second to collect his first wins of the meet.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Jockey Terry Houghton, hospitalized a year ago with a serious concussion, is back in the saddle, at least in the mornings, at Great Lakes Downs. The veteran rider has been exercising mounts with an eye toward a return to competition in the near future.
"I'm just going to see how it's going, but I feel great," Houghton said Wednesday morning from his Hazel Park, Mich., home. "I'm playing it by ear right now.
"I got on eight one day," Houghton said. "I've worked six so far."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Atto Mile, which has attracted some talented European invaders since being launched in 1997, will be without an overseas representative this year.
A total of 10 Europeans, including five from the stable of trainer Aidan O'Brien, were among the 44 nominees to the Grade 1 Atto Mile, a $1 million turf race for 3-year-olds and up here Sept. 14.
Up until Wednesday morning, Woodbine officials had been hopeful that Domedriver, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park, would be the marquee name in this year's Atto Mile.
MIAMI - Seven weeks ago Silver Wagon departed south Florida for Saratoga with little fanfare, an unheralded maiden who finished second in his only start. On Thursday, the son of Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Wagon Limit returned home here at Calder as the toast of the backstretch and one of the top-ranked 2-year-olds in the country, following his victory over the previously undefeated Chapel Royal in Saturday's Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga.
Miss Photogenic will be trying to keep up appearances when she goes for her third consecutive win in the 11th race Friday at Louisiana Downs. An overnight handicap for fillies and mares, the race will be run over 6 1/2 furlongs and carries a purse of $32,000.
Miss Photogenic started her streak July 18 with a front-running win in a money allowance. She returned Aug. 2 and used stalking tactics to win another money allowance. In both races, Miss Photogenic went off at odds of more than 6-1.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The blue Godolphin signs are still prominently displayed at trainer Eoin Harty's Arlington barn, but this is a different Godolphin operation than the one that first came to Arlington in 2001.
For starters, the horses do not even run for Godolphin any more: They start in the name of Darley, a sort of proving ground for Godolphin horses. And the Darley horses have run more this year - and won more this year - than during Godolphin's first two seasons at Arlington.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Printemps is in the twilight of a successful North American campaign. Two other Group 1-winning imports from South America, Eclipse de Luna and Kiana, are about to start their second acts. Those three, along with graded stakes performers Adoration, Rhiana, and Royally Chosen, make Thursday's featured $75,000 Piedra Foundation Stakes a significant cut above the usual weekday offerings at Del Mar.
