Track should be good for the fair

Published online on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009

Lucky for the fair, Tuesday and Wednesday were scheduled off-days for horse racing -- good timing considering the deluge that hit Tuesday.

Track Superintendent Steve Wood said Wednesday afternoon that the track, which had 100 tons of sand and 800 cubic yards of redwood added to it this year, was drying "great" and would be ready for today's racing.

The track was sealed Monday evening to protect the foundation from the rain.

Wednesday afternoon, the surface was dry except for a few yards next to the front-stretch inside rail. The sharp slope of the front stretch combined with the height of the grass just inside the rail caused rainwater to pool near the rail -- there was no place for it to drain into the infield.

By Wednesday evening, even the soft spots on the front-stretch inside rail were well on their way to being solid.

- After four days, Jorge Ayarza leads all jockeys with five wins.

- Russell Baze, North America's winningest jockey, is scheduled to ride three mounts here Friday. In the third race, Baze will be on Late Nite Devil; in the fifth, he'll be on Tuscan Sunset; and in the $50,000 Harvest Stakes, he'll be on King City Kitty.

Rob's Play of the Day: Race No. 8, Organic

Rob's Long Shot: Race No. 5, Real Lift

How Rob's top selections have fared: So far this meet, Rob has offered top picks (he usually lists three per race) in 60 races. Those picks have produced 35 wins, 35 seconds and 31 thirds.

HORSE RACING 101: TERMINOLOGY

Exacta: You collect if you select two horses in the same race to finish first and second in exact order.

Trifecta: You collect if you select three horses in the same race to finish first, second and third in exact order.

Superfecta: You collect if you choose four horses in the same race to finish first, second, third and fourth in exact order.

Daily double: You collect if you pick the horses that win in two consecutive races.