Horse Racing News

A yielding turf was just fine with favored Cape Blanco, who registered his second straight grade I score on North American turf in fine style for Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) Aug. 13 at rainy Arlington Park.

Just two weeks and a day after her win in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, Goldikova seeks her 15th Group 1 win in Monday's Prix Jacques le Marois in France over the same course.

At Monmouth Park, Belmont Stakes winner Rule On Ice drilled five furlongs in 58.80 seconds, the fastest of 28 breezes at the distance.

Treasure Beach wore down his fellow European shipper, Ziyarid, to post a neck victory Saturday in the 35th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park.

On Friday at Saratoga, Big Blue Kitten won his fifth race in six starts with a mild surprise in the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, for 3-year-olds on the turf.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was the man of the hour on Aug. 12 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies, the only human on a list of contemporary honorees that included fillies Open Mind, Safely Kept, and Sky Beauty.

Blind Luck worked six furlongs in 1:13.40 at Del Mar on Wednesday, but trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said he has to finalize plans about where the champion 3-year-old filly will start on Aug. 28.

Teaks North will be in search of his third Grade 1 victory of the year as well as a little respect when he takes on seven horses in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga.

In a poor economic and racing climate over the past few years, many trainers have seen their stables dwindle in numbers, if not in quality - as owners have eliminated or downsized their stables.

The American Graded Stakes Committee has approved a measure to require that the diuretic furosemide be banned in 2-year-old stakes in 2012 for the races to remain eligible for the grades it assigns.