Horse Racing News

Is Flat Out the best runner Charles "Scooter" Dickey has ever trained?

Manofmanymissions is favored to go into the record books as the 30th winner of the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands, which began hosting the prestigious event in 1981.

Canford Cliffs has been retired on veterinary advice due to a near-fore pastern injury which he suffered during the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last week. The brilliant miler will stand at Coolmore Stud for the 2012 season.

The Grade 1 winner Zazu has been supplemented to Saturday's $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, and may start in that race against older fillies and mares instead of being sent to Saratoga for the Alabama Stakes later this month.

In-the-money finishes in 33 graded stakes races held in Canada will now earn points toward qualifying for the races held by the Breeders' Cup during its year-end event, the Breeders' Cup announced on Wednesday.

The handicap division has taken its lumps this year for not being especially deep, but its competitive nature has led to one of the more intriguing recent editions of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap, which drew a large field of 11.

Undaunted by Turbulent Descent's defeat as the odds-on choice in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, Southern California trainer Mike Puype returns to New York to try his filly in the Grade 1, $250,000 Test Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 6.

Decisions by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to have its drug testing performed by a new laboratory and to revamp the manner in which it conducts its drug testing are having positive results.

California invaders Prayer for Relief and Dreamy Kid, both recent graded stakes winners, headline a field of 10 in the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

After watching Uncle Mo breeze five furlongs Wednesday morning at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher said last year's 2-year-old champion is "on target" to make the Grade 1, $250,000 King's Bishop here on Aug. 27.