Headlines: April 9
– America’s top fillies are running today. There’s Sweet Catomine, in the Santa Anita Derby; Ashado in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn; and Summerly, Letgomyecho, and Sharp Lisa meet in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes. (LAT)
– The buyer of the $8 million Storm Cat colt last September has been revealed. Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed that the owner is Fusao Sekiguchi and that the colt is in training at Santa Anita. (TT)
– New York horsemen are urging Governor George Pataki to veto legislation allowing video lottery terminals at Aqueduct. “This is a far cry from the VLT setup at Saratoga Raceway, where the horsemen there put up money out of their accounts to help get it started in January of 2004 and now are enjoying the profits,” writes Jerry Bossert. (NYDN)
– The NTRA reported Friday that total handle and purses are down this year. In the first quarter of 2005, handle was down more than 6% compared to the same period in 2004. (BH)
– Buy picks. Better yet, sell your picks and see how you compare to other handicappers. TrackInsiders.com, a web site that’s both a handicapping contest and a tip sheet market, launched yesterday with Keeneland’s opening.
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com
