ELMONT, N.Y. - Jockey Heberto Castillo Jr. suffered a large laceration on his forehead when his mount, A Moment in Dixie, ducked through the rail during the stretch run of the final race at Belmont Park on Friday.
A Moment in Dixie, who had the lead when she bore in sharply and broke through the portable rail on the Widener turf course, was euthanized after suffering extensive trauma to the left side of her neck.
It appeared that Castillo was struck by a trailing horse.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Elana d'Amour could wrap up horse of the year honors in British Columbia with a win in Sunday's $175,000, Grade 3 Ballerina Breeders' Cup Oaks. It would be her sixth stakes win at the meet, including a 1 1/2-length win in the B.C Oaks. With a record like that, she should also be given national consideration for a Sovereign Award.
Given that she's the sixth foal out of a mare that has produced only two cheap winners, it's hard to believe that she has turned out to be this good.
CHICAGO - These last two weeks have been a transition period for Arlington Park. The Oct. 4 opening of Keeneland, with its astronomical purses, has lured many Midwest trainers to Kentucky, and between Sept. 29 and Oct. 25 the racing schedule here includes all of one stakes race, the $75,000 Manila on Oct. 12.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Macho Uno gave the Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes continent-wide recognition when he won it in 2000, before capturing the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in his next start.
This year's running of the Grade 2 Grey, worth $273,500, is also a legitimate BC Juvenile prep, with the connections of Wando, Gigawatt, and Grand all eyeing that race, to be run on Oct. 26 at Arlington.
MIAMI - Ivanavinalot has dominated the competition in each of her last two starts, winning the Susan's Girl Stakes by 10 lengths and the Brave Raj by five in her two-turn debut.
Trained by Kathleen O'Connell, she is ranked third on Daily Racing Form's list of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly contenders.
But despite Ivanavinalot's imposing presence, she has not scared away the competition for Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, finale of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The search for a firm turf course has brought the European star Banks Hill to California for Saturday's $500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes and an eagerly awaited confrontation with Golden Apples, the top female on turf in the United States.
Normally, racing fans would be denied such a matchup until the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Arlington Park on Oct. 26. Now, the Yellow Ribbon winner could inherit the role of favorite for the Filly and Mare Turf, which Banks Hill won convincingly at Belmont Park in 2001.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Summer Colony, the leader of the older filly and mare division on the East Coast, is part of an exceptional field in Saturday's $750,000 Beldame at Belmont Park.
The Grade 1 Beldame, a weight-for-age race, drew seven runners, including Ruffian winner Mandy's Gold, Gazelle winner Imperial Gesture, and Alabama runner-up Allamerican Bertie.
Older horses carry 123 pounds. Imperial Gesture and Allamerican Bertie, the only 3-year-olds in the field, tote 120 pounds. Three-year-olds have done very well in the Beldame, winning the race seven times since 1990.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The opposition tried to challenge Azeri at various points in Wednesday's $217,500 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita, but in the end it made no difference.
Winning her sixth consecutive graded stakes, Azeri pulled away in early stretch to win by 3 1/2 lengths and confirm her status as the favorite for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at Arlington Park on Oct. 26.
Azeri ($2.60) finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.10 under jockey Mike Smith. The 4-year-old Azeri carried top weight of 127 pounds and spotted her rivals from 11 to 15 pounds.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - After going unplaced in the $200,000 B.C. Derby, stakes winners No Time Flat and Ekati look for some class relief as they drop into a $50,000 optional race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on Saturday at Hastings Park. It didn't turn out to be an easy spot, though, as the field also includes Leloup and Eternal Odyssey, who have shown tremendous potential in their short careers.
