ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - One is a filly who never showed great ability in her training but has turned out to be a runner. The other is a filly who dropped hints she could be any kind of horse, but disappointed in her first couple of starts.
The first is Souris, the other Ashraaf, and one of them probably will be favored Saturday in a chaotic edition of the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Silver Nithi, who ran well in all three legs of this year's Canadian 3-year-old filly series, heads Saturday's $141,375 La Lorgnette Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Silver Nithi made her stakes debut on June 8 in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, and closed steadily to end up second to favored Ginger Gold. She turned the tables on that rival on July 1 in the second leg of the 3-year-old filly series, the Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, blowing by her in deep stretch to win and earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Falcon Flight was unlucky here last fall when he was forced to check in the stretch of the Canadian International.
He was unluckier last month, when he was all fired up with nowhere to go approaching the finish of the Arlington Million.
Now Falcon Flight's trainer, Don Burke, can only hope the trip falls his way in Sunday's Canadian International, over 1 1/2 miles on the E.P. Taylor turf course.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Suffolk Downs opens its autumn meeting Saturday with purses up 10 percent from the end of the spring meet. The meeting runs for 56 days, ending Dec. 23.
The purse increase comes from a racing bill passed last year. There were two increases earlier in 2002, and more than $3.3 million has been generated by the legislation in the 10 months since it was signed. Track management is hoping this shot in the arm will result in a boost to the bottom line.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer John Simms had trouble getting someone to ride Original One in the mornings when the gelding came into his barn in the spring of last year.
Original One, nicknamed Jack - he has one eye - was a 5-year-old maiden with 18 starts.
The horse had been kicked in the head by his dam as a weanling, leading to the loss of the eye, and also suffered from a bad back.
The combination of ailments caused Jack to develop a funny way of moving, because he always had his head cranked sideways.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The Hillsborough Handicap used to be one of the highlights of the racing calendar at Bay Meadows.
With its $100,000 purse and Grade 3 status, the Hillsborough usually attracted its share of top turf runners.
Although the purse has been dropped to $60,000 added, Saturday's edition of the Hillsborough Handicap will be as contentious as ever as a full field of 12 fillies and mares were entered for the 1 1/16-mile race over the turf.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Pedro Alvarado, who is on his way to his first riding title in just his second season of riding at Hastings Park, has clearly found a home in Vancouver.
Alvarado, a 37-year-old from Mexico, counts himself fortunate, because a home was exactly what he needed when he landed here early last year after riding out a six-month contract in Macau, an island off the south China coast.
April's Lucky Boy, whose last win came against open company in the $50,000 Bossier City Turf Handicap on July 20, should like the return to statebred ranks in the $30,000 Red Earth Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
The one-mile turf race has drawn a field of 12, including the filly Frilly Fun.
April's Lucky Boy is the most accomplished member of the field as a two-time stakes winner. Don Pettinger has the mount on the Ide colt for owner Kelly Thiesing and trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
Horrible Evening, coming out of back-to-back wins in open company at Arlington Park, holds an edge in class and Beyer Speed Figures over seven rivals in the $50,000 Escaped Stakes for New Jersey-breds at a mile and 70 yards.
Horrible Evening hasn't raced at The Meadowlands since December 2000, but he likes the track, as evidenced by a win, place, and show in his three local starts.