DEL MAR, Calif. - Disturbingthepeace, with three stakes wins the top sprinter in California this summer, will not start again until the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Arlington Park on Oct. 26, trainer Darrell Vienna said.
Vienna was considering a start in the Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap at Oak Tree in early October, but has decided to train the 4-year-old Disturbingthepeace up to the nation's richest sprint.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A year ago, Shine Again caught everyone by surprise when she won the Grade 1 Ballerina at 21-1 in a field that included 1-2 favorite Dream Supreme and the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner, Spain.
On Sunday at Saratoga, Shine Again seeks a Ballerina repeat. Shine Again, whose odds won't be as generous as last year, will have her work cut out for her in the $250,000 Ballerina, which drew eight fillies and mares, including multiple Grade 1 winner Raging Fever.
Could this be the big one for The Judge Sez Who?
Trainer Milton Wolfson, who had considered running The Judge Sez Who in the Pennsylvania Derby, hopes Sunday's Grade 3, $250,000-added Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Sunday will be the breakthrough race he has been anticipating.
"Of the races around, this looked like the best spot," Wolfson said. "But they're all tough. They all have runners in them."
AUBURN, Wash. - Sunday's Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile took an intriguing turn on Friday morning when Redattore, the 123-pound highweight and certain favorite for the 67th Mile, drew post 11 in the 12-horse field.
Only Bolulight, who won the 1992 Mile, has been successful from the 11 post and only Coldwater, who won the inaugural Mile in 1935 from post 12, has been successful from farther out in the gate.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Grey Tobe Free looks like a standout in the $35,000, 1 1/16-mile Senate Appointee, but it will be hard to choose a favorite in the $35,000, 6 1/2-furlong Lassie Stakes on Sunday at Hastings Park. The Senate Appointee drew only four horses and will go as the first race, while the Lassie drew a full field of 11 2-year-old fillies and goes as the seventh of 13 races.
AUBURN, Wash. - Any objective handicapper who studies the past performances for Sunday's Longacres Mile will quickly conclude that Redattore is the best horse, just as his 123-pound highweight assignment suggests.
Redattore, a 7-year-old Brazilian from the barn of recently inducted Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, won last year's Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap, and he is coming off a sharp third to Sarafan and Beat Hollow in this year's Eddie Read. Those two reversed order last weekend, when Beat Hollow came back to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million, with Sarafan second.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Chris Loseth and Hastings Park were made for each other. Loseth, who has an excellent chance of notching his 200th Hastings stakes win on Sunday, is the perfect rider for the just-over-five-furlong oval.
In order to be successful riding at a smaller track, a jockey needs to be aggressive, and Loseth has been riding that way since he got started in 1974. He's been the leading rider at Hastings Park eight times and is the all-time leader in wins here with 2,671 going into the weekend. His 199 stakes wins also tops the all-time list at Hastings.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Bragging rights are at stake as Kalookan Queen and Go Go, two of the top sprinting females in the nation, meet for the fifth time in Sunday's $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar.
In four meetings over the last 14 months, each has finished in front of the other twice. Go Go and Kalookan Queen were 1-2 in the Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2001, while Go Go won the 2001 A Gleam Handicap with Kalookan Queen only fourth.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Milwaukee Brew is a millionaire with something to prove in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
A 5-year-old with two major stakes wins in Southern California this year ? the Santa Anita Handicap and Californian Stakes ? Milwaukee Brew is seeking to restore his reputation after a third-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 14.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Advancing Storm and Wild Snitch have been raising eyebrows since winning their maiden races impressively 18 days ago, but the the top two 2-year-old fillies here at Monmouth Park have to yet cross paths. But that soon will change.
