SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel says he can't do it again. Don't believe him.
In 2001, Frankel was 10 for 21 at Saratoga, winning six stakes, including three Grade 1's and three Grade 2's. "I'm not going to have that kind of meet," said Frankel, who already has won 30 stakes races this year, 22 of which were graded. "If I can do half as good I'll be happy. Everything fell into place, like the way I won the Diana."
CHICAGO - Arlington's Million Preview Day may come closer to living up to its name this season. The three Saturday stakes here should be strong races, and some horses headed to the Modesty and the Arlington Handicaps are legitimate hopefuls for Grade 1 races on the Aug. 17 Arlington Million card.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - TVG will offer a mix of studio and ontrack telecasts for its two-hour simulcasts on Fox Sports Net during the Del Mar meeting.
The plan is a switch from the network's format during Hollywood Park, when only ontrack programming was offered.
"It's just too cost-prohibitive," said Tony Allevato, executive producer for TVG.
For the third time in the past 2 1/2 months, jockey David Flores rode five winners on a single card at Philadelphia Park. Four of the winners came on horses trained by Scott Lake - Highland Dream ($6) in the second race, Father Mark ($2.80) in the third, Spectacular Kim ($2.80) in the fifth, and Ruskin ($2.60) in the eighth.
Flores wrapped up the day by riding Judge's Valentine ($7.80) to a head victory over 40-1 longshot Brief Statement in the 10th.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In 2001 at Saratoga, John Velazquez played Sammy Sosa to Jerry Bailey's Mark McGwire.
While both riders broke the Saratoga record for wins in a meet, Velazquez's 52 victories fell three short of Bailey's 55. It was Bailey's third straight Saratoga riding title and his seventh in the last eight years.
Included in Velazquez's total was the first six-win day recorded by a jock at Saratoga, which Velazquez accomplished on closing day. Still, it took some reflection for Velazquez to appreciate the feat.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park set a record for all-sources handle and posted a strong increase in attendance at the 65-day spring-summer meeting that ended Sunday.
Overall handle rose 5 percent to a record average of $10.6 million, which surpassed the 1999 mark of $10.4 million. Much of the growth came from interstate simulcasting, which rose 7 percent, and from telephone and Internet wagering, which became legal in California in January. Betting from those sources averaged $352,865.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - No horse has won the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park and then gone to Monmouth Park to win the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. Although history will be weighing against him, Came Home will try to break the schneid.
Trainer Paco Gonzalez confirmed Sunday that Came Home, winner of the Grade 2 Swaps on July 14, will return off a three-week layoff to face War Emblem in the $1 million Haskell here on Aug. 5. Gonzalez said Came Home would probably ship three days before the race.
OMAHA, Neb. - Catniro, claimed for $40,000 in his last start at Churchill Downs, earned back his purchase price, and returned dividends, with a gutty half-length victory in the $100,000 Omaha Handicap at Horsemen's Park.
Trained by Randy Morse, Catniro set all the pace and held off late charges from Baker Road and Miner's Prize to take down the winner's share of $58,800. Terry Thompson was aboard as Catniro ($13.60), who covered a mile in 1:37.20 over a fast track.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Sherpa Guide rallied from last to win the restricted $81,475 Evan Shipman Stakes by three lengths on closing day at Belmont Park. Turnofthecentury, who set the pace until deep stretch, finished second, a neck in front of Mount Intrepid.
It was the third consecutive victory and first career stakes win for Sherpa Guide, a 4-year-old New York-bred gelded son of Ends Well owned by Berkshire Stud and trained by Tom Walsh.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sambuca on Ice ($16.20) split foes in deep stretch and defeated Saratoga Prince by three-quarters of a length in the $133,375 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine.
Parose ($8.80) won the $106,000 Izvestia Stakes for older Canadian-breds. Parose finished 1 1/4 lengths clear of favored Win City, last year's Canadian Horse of the Year.