ALTOONA, Iowa - Miner's Prize heads a field of seven, which includes a Niall O'Callaghan-trained entry, in Saturday's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap.
Miner's Prize, a 5-year-old gelded son of Miner's Mark, comes to Prairie Meadows off a fast-closing third-place finish in the Omaha Handicap at Horsemen's Park on July 21. He was beaten a length in that race by Catniro, who is also entered in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - There will be a trainers' race at the Bay Meadows Fair this year.
The reason is, the track announced Thursday that it would put up $15,000 for the Bay Meadows Trainer Challenge, beginning Saturday.
With that incentive, races filled better for Saturday's card after the scheduled $40,000 Floral Fiesta Handicap at a mile on turf was cancelled because only four 3-year-old fillies were nominated.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Vernon Invader stole the show on B.C. Cup Day as he upset heavily favored Lord Nelson by 2 3/4 lengths in the $72,267 B.C. Cup Classic.
The win was the first in a stakes for apprentice Nicola Wright and she received high praise by Vernon Invader's trainer Alex Murray. "She did exactly what we told her to do," said Murray. "It's not easy to be as patient as she was riding a good horse like Vernon Invader. He only has one move and a lot of times riders will think they have a lot of horse under them, and move too early. She timed her move perfectly."
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Karl Frayne, a trainer at Fort Erie for 20 years, died last Sunday following a heart attack.
Frayne, who was 64, had given up his vocation in June of last year after recovering from a similar attack. Justin Nixon took over his few remaining horses.
"We'll certainly miss him," said Nixon. "Karl was quiet but he always had a joke or a one-liner for everyone. When he won the trainers' title [in 1990] he was often asked how he accomplished it. His usual reply was 'I use Theo-rye-o-mine' [theory of mine]."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The last two runnings of the Grade 3 Duchess Stakes have attracted some special 3-year-old fillies from south of the border.
Last year's visitor was Gold Mover, who finished second to the ill-fated Meadow Gem but has gone on to establish herself as one of the top female sprinters on the continent and even boasts a recent decision over the seldom-beaten Xtra Heat.
Penn National Gaming, the owner of two racetracks and several casinos, will buy casino operator Hollywood Casino Inc. for $347 million, the companies announced Wednesday.
Hollywood Casino owns casinos in Illinois, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The deal will nearly double Penn National's revenues to $1 billion annually, a statement from the company said.
Penn National will pay $12.75 for each share of Hollywood Casino stock. The company will assume $569 in debt held by Hollywood Casino, and receive $136 million in cash, making the deal worth $780 million.
The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that Prairie Meadows and two greyhound tracks in the state have been taxed unfairly, qualifying Prairie Meadows for a $50 million state tax refund, track officials estimate.
The court had earlier ruled that the state could not tax riverboat casinos and racetracks at different rates. Riverboat casinos are taxed at 20 percent, while Prairie and two greyhound tracks are taxed at 32 percent. That rate was scheduled to increase to 36 percent by 2004.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Buffythecenterfold is the filly everyone will have their eyes on in Saturday's $150,000 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar.
Attempting to win her second stakes, and push her unbeaten record to three victories, Buffythecenterfold will be favored in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.
HENDERSON, Ky. - Although the name of the race sounds better than something like the Soybean Stakes, and more authentic than the Western Kentucky Derby, no one at Ellis Park seems able to come up with a good reason why the track's signature race is called the Gardenia Handicap.
Not that it matters, for these are far more relevant facts: $200,000 purse, solid field of fillies and mares, best race of the meet.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Buckeye Bates stands out over six other older horses in Saturday's feature race at Hastings Park, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for $20,000 claimers.
Buckeye Bates doesn't make it to the races very often - seven times in the last three years - but when he does he's tough to beat. He has won 5 of his 7 races and beat a very tough Mister Cy in a $25,000 sprint June 15. He's going for his fifth straight win and if he holds up he will likely get it.