Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

Look out: Stylish returns in form

SALEM, N.H. - Sunday's $100,000 Spicy Living Stakes will likely give trainer Bill Mott a sweep of the major stakes at Rockingham this year. The Mott-trained Stylish, who won the Rock Breeders' Cup Handicap a month ago, is scaring away most challengers for the 1 1/8-mile turf race.

The return to New Hamsphire will give several horses another chance to try Stylish after her four-length win in the July 4 Rock Breeders' Cup. But it's faint hope for those trying to keep her from becoming the fifth runner to pull the Rock B.C./Spicy Living double.

Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

Columbus: End of an era

COLUMBUS, Neb. - The last of the Nebraska Breeders' Sweepstakes races will be run Sunday. The Sophomore and Sophomore Fillies, each with a $15,000-estimated purse, will end the series that began in 1990 at Ak-Sar-Ben.

The Breeders' Sweepstakes program has been in the process of being phased out over the past few years. Sunday's fields of 3-year-olds represent the final foal crop registered under the old program.

Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

Canterbury: Ode to Joy

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Impressive maiden winner Joy Shannon faces five other Minnesota-bred 2-year-olds in the $35,000-added Minnesota Juvenile Sprint at Canterbury Park.

The 5 1/2-furlong sprint serves as a prep for the Minnesota Northern Lights Futurity and Minnesota Northern Lights Debutante, which will be contested as part of Minnesota Festival of Champions Day Aug. 25.

Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

River Downs: Doubly good

Doubly Fun and Lady Cherie are hard to look past in Sunday's $45,000 Ms. Southern Ohio Stakes at River Downs in Cincinnati. Eleven will start in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for statebred fillies and mares.

Doubly Fun, the winner of the Ms. Southern Ohio the last two years, appears to be better than Lady Cherie on the grass. In addition to her Ms. Southern Ohio wins, Doubly Fun also won an allowance race over this course on June 28. Coming off of an eight-month absence, Doubly Fun won by 5 1/4 lengths.

Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

Itsmybag isn't the only Rebel speedster

Speed, speed, speed. There will be no shortage of it Sunday at Louisiana Downs in the $40,000 Rebel, a six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies that drew a field of front-runners, including the promising Itsmybag.

Itsmybag has won her last two starts by a combined 11 lengths, and with a 2-for-3 career record is the winningest member of the six-horse Rebel.

In her most recent race July 21, Itsmybag set a pressured pace in an allowance race before drawing out to a 6 1/2-length win. Before that race, she wired Louisiana-bred maidens by 4 1/2 lengths July 7.

Fri, 08/02/2002 - 00:00

Gilchrist confident, but not overly so

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist cringes when someone suggests he has a sure thing with Taraval in Sunday's $40,000-added Redwood Empire Stakes at the Sonoma County Fair.

"Obviously, I'll be the favorite," he said of the likely betting on the 5 1/2-furlong race for

2-year-olds.

On paper, Taraval looks as strong a favorite as Black Ruby, who will try to avenge last year's loss to Taz in the $12,500 Santa Rosa Mule Championship.

Thu, 08/01/2002 - 00:00

Saint Verre thickens plot for Whitney

Horsephotos
Left Bank no longer will have the luxury of setting an uncontested pace

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher's worst fears were realized while Bobby Frankel's greatest concern was alleviated on Thursday at the post position draw for Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.

The Grade 1 Whitney drew the expected stars Street Cry, Lido Palace, Macho Uno, Left Bank, and Unshaded. But, it was the inclusion of Saint Verre that gave Pletcher, the trainer of Left Bank, angst, while providing Frankel, trainer of Lido Palace, relief.

Thu, 08/01/2002 - 00:00

Street Cry: From whisper to a scream

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Two years later, you can still hear the irritation in Eoin Harty's voice.

Harty was the trainer of Street Cry during his 2-year-old season. After winning his maiden by seven lengths in his second career start, Street Cry was narrowly defeated in a pair of graded stakes by the Bob Baffert-trained Flame Thrower.

Automatically, Street Cry was branded as a hanger, a horse who wouldn't go by other horses in the stretch.

Thu, 08/01/2002 - 00:00

Mayakovsky returns as strictly a sprinter

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mayakovsky, who began his career sensationally at Saratoga last summer, looks to begin the second half of his 3-year-old campaign in similar style when he takes on seven rivals in Saturday's $150,000 Amsterdam Handicap. The Grade 2 Amsterdam will be decided at six furlongs.

Thu, 08/01/2002 - 00:00

Generous Rosi needs a turnaround

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - An August allowance last year at Arlington put Generous Rosi on the path to a Grade 1 placing in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. But the path Generous Rosi has taken since the Oct. 6 Gold Cup has been a troubled one.

With only an eighth and a fifth in two starts this season, Generous Rosi tries to get back on track Saturday at Arlington when he faces five rivals in the Buckpasser Handicap, a $50,000 overnight stakes at nine furlongs on dirt.