EDMONTON, Alberta - The big story here last weekend was the performance of A Shaky Start in the $40,000 Sonoma for 3-year-old fillies and mares on Saturday afternoon.
For the second time in three trips, A Shaky Start upset overwhelming favorite Raylene and put a damper on the Canadian Derby hopes of Raylene and her trainer, Rodney Haynes.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The pace scenario in Wednesday's second race at Woodbine didn't look too promising for speedy Spring Barley when the overnight came out Sunday, because there were two other rapid runners in the field - Mr. Epperson and Continentalsuccess. But things changed dramatically at scratch time Monday, when both Mr. Epperson and Continentalsuccess were withdrawn, leaving Spring Barley as the main speed in the seven-furlong turf race for $80,000 claimers.
Bossier City, La. - Mr. Jester, defeated at odds-on in an entry-level allowance race July 24, made amends on Sunday by winning the Pioneer Stakes. Heavy favorite Afternoon Charlie finished second, followed by Esteban Miguel.
Mr. Jester ($6.40) was taken off the early pace in the Pioneer by Roman Chapa as the leaders zipped through an opening quarter-mile in 21.32 seconds. Chapa eased Mr. Jester to the outside on the turn, and Mr. Jester got up in the final strides to win by a neck. The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:05.73.
Mr. Jester has now won two of three starts.
Woodbine-based Spanish Decree, who had finished second at five furlongs on turf in the Rainbow Connection at Fort Erie July 19, returned Sunday to capture the Golden Horseshoe at 6 1/2 furlongs over a muddy main track.
Spanish Decree, a 4-year-old owned, trained, and bred by Frank Huarte, was running back just six days after finishing third in Woodine's Victoriana at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
In the Golden Horseshoe, a filly-mare race originally scheduled for seven furlongs on turf, Spanish Decree rallied from off the pace to prevail by a half-length under Jake Barton.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Mike Farro moves slowly, and his head, knee, and side still ache. Yet he considers himself himself lucky.
The trainer hit his head on the windshield in a car crash Friday night near Monmouth Park and took some hard knocks. The car might be totaled, but Farro was able to walk away.
He gets three opportunities Wednesday at Monmouth Park to see if his luck holds.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - His Canadian Triple Crown mission accomplished, Wando now will have a short break while plans for his immediate future are mapped out.
While the general assumption has been that Wando would head south, to run on the main track and establish his viability as a candidate for the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic, there is an interesting alternative right here in his backyard.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - So this is what it's like to have a Triple Crown winner.
It had been a relatively short time since Peteski became the last Canadian Triple Crown winner by capturing the Breeders' Stakes here in 1993.
And while there have been many great moments in the interim, it seemed like a revival of racing's wonder years here last Saturday as the clock ticked down to zero hour for Wando, the wonder horse, in his bid to become Triple Crown winner No. 7.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Forget "Seabiscuit." Azeri is the feel-good story of the summer. She won her 11th consecutive race, delighted an on-track crowd of 20,613, took care of the plungers who dived head first into the place pool, gave jockey Mike Smith a welcome birthday present, and brought trainer Laura de Seroux to tears of joy, all by winning Sunday's Grade 2, $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar.
HENDERSON, Ky. - Rafael Bejarano roused Vicki Vallencourt to the lead in the upper stretch before guiding the gray 4-year-old filly to her first stakes victory Sunday in the $102,050 Ellis Park Breeders' Cup Stakes.
Vicki Vallencourt, owned by Ron and Ricki Rashinski, was always prominent in the six-furlong race, stalking Don't Countess Out from the start. Once asked, Vicki Vallencourt quickly drew off, winning by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:09.92.