Summer officially ends on Tuesday. No horse will be happier to see the seasons change than the 3-year-old filly Maliziosa.
During the spring, Maliziosa showed great promise, winning back-to-back turf stakes in Kentucky and Illinois while earning Beyer Speed Figures in the low 90's.
But when trainer Bill Mott stepped her up to face classier company during the summer, Maliziosa suddenly went sour, finishing off the board in three consecutive starts in California and New York.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is sending Tarnished Lady from her Belmont Park home across the Hudson River to The Meadowlands on Saturday evening for one reason: to get a stakes win.
Tarnished Lady will be the top money earner in a field of nine set to go in the $50,000 Summit Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and 70 yards.
Also on the card, August Storm and Libby's Halo top a 12-horse field in the $50,000 Egret for 3-year-old fillies at five furlongs on the turf.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. - Horsemen's Atokad Downs roars back to life Saturday with more than $125,000 in purse money on the line for its one-day, eight-race meet. More than 145 horses were entered on Tuesday, but only 80 (10 per race) will start on one of Nebraska's richest days of racing.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - A short field and the presence of Ifufeelfroggyleap has prompted track management to run the $30,000 Emerald Necklace Stakes as a nonwagering exhibition race.
The race, for Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies, drew only five, including three maidens. Ifufeelfroggyleap has won two stakes.
Ifufeelfroggyleap has won three of her five starts, including the six-furlong Loyalty here and 5 1/2-furlong Tah Dah at River Downs. Her maiden win came going 4 1/2 furlongs at Arlington Park.
Sea of Tranquility is a New Jersey-bred who has had 52 starts, only six of which have come at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Of those six races, however, Sea of Tranquility has won four of them, including the 2000 Marfa Stakes and its prep race.
Saturday, fresh off a victory in the Sept. 4 prep, Sea of Tranquility will go for another Turfway victory when he starts from post 12 in a full field of older horses in the 17th running of the $75,000 Marfa.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - The field of seven Manitoba-bred 3-year-olds for Saturday's $35,000 J.W. Sifton Stakes at Assiniboia Downs includes three maidens and leaves much to be desired.
Beau Pip, who was beaten 34 lengths while finishing last in the Harry Jeffery Stakes, should be favored in the 1 1/8-mile Sifton.
Trained by Raymond Liu, Beau Pip's lone win came in the restricted Manitoba Stakes four starts ago but he finished fourth in both the Derby Trial and Manitoba Derby before the Harry Jeffery. Beau Pip will break from post 4 under Juan Crawford.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Win City, Canada's reigning horse of the year who is winless in seven 2002 appearances, will not see action again this season.
"I don't want to get into specifics on that matter," said Bob Tiller, who trains Win City for owner Frank DiGiulio. "He's gone to the farm. He won't race again this year."
Win City had been entered in the allowance prep for the Durham Cup here last Sunday but was a vet scratch.
In his last start here, on Sept. 2, Win City had tried turf for the first time in his career and finished a nonthreatening ninth.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Shippers Tails of the Crypt and Salt Grinder are the big guns in the 57th renewal of the Grade 2, $200,000 British Columbia Derby on Saturday at Hastings Park. The 1 1/8-mile derby drew 13, and Boomslang will need a scratch in order to run.
The locals are headed by Shacane and Silver Donn, who finished one-two while separated by a nose in the Richmond Derby Trial.
Iowa-bred Cowboy Stuff and graded stakes winner Windward Passage head a field of 10 entered in Saturday's $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby.
Cowboy Stuff, a son of Evansville Slew, has won 6 of 9 starts this year, including four stakes. Three of those stakes wins came against statebred company but Cowboy Stuff proved he could beat open rivals with a two-length gate-to-wire victory in the Round Table at Arlington on July 27 at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Prairie Meadows Derby.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Several trainers will have to choose between the $150,000 Violet Handicap, Friday's feature at The Meadowlands, and Saturday's $100,000-added Noble Damsel Handicap at Belmont Park, for their filly and mare turf runners.
The Grade 3 Violet drew a field of 12, plus four also-eligibles. Nine of the horses in the main body of the race are also nominated to the Grade 3 Noble Damsel, which was to be drawn Thursday.
