Horse Racing News on August 20, 2010

Free Fighter has been zigging when horseplayers are zagging. The Team Block colorbearer won the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes at Arlington Park last September at nearly 11-1 and the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs this spring at 12-1.

Not too long ago, Noosa Beach was regarded as a one-trick pony, a sprinter who couldn't win an important race around two turns.

Trainer Graham Motion believes Check the Label continues to improve. If that trend continues, Check the Label's five opponents in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga could be in serious trouble.

Windward Islands won his return from a 14-month layoff July 24 in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes. The penalty he'll pay for that surprising score is high weight of 123 pounds in Sunday's Grade 2, $250,000 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine.

Sunday is redemption day for Free Flying Soul, who must win the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar to reclaim her ranking as top female sprinter in California.

Awesome Gem can no longer be taken for granted in major stakes.

Ice Box has shown enough in his last two workouts to convince his trainer, Nick Zito, to give the Kentucky Derby runner-up another shot at the big-time in next Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes.

Workin for Hops will try to pull off a rare sweep of Arlington's Mid-America Triple when he starts in the Grade 1 $400,000 Secretariat on Million Day here Saturday.

Evening Jewel was a restless filly at trainer Jim Cassidy's stable earlier this week, just days before Saturday's $300,000 Del Mar Oaks.

A day after the California Horse Racing Board rejected the Oak Tree Racing Association's plan to race at Santa Anita this fall, officials with Oak Tree and Hollywood Park intensified the process of moving the meeting to Hollywood Park for the first time.