The Transylvania Stakes, a 1700-metre race for three year-olds, was switched from grass to the polytrack at Keeneland Racecourse on Friday, opening day of the spring campaign. Four inches of rain had made the grass track unsafe. Boss Laffitte, a Dynaformer colt, won the race and Robbie Albarado was aboard. Tom Amoss trains the winner.

Seven ran in the Transylvania Stakes and Prussian, the public choice, ran fourth. Barrier Reef, the Godolphin runner and nominated to the Triple Crown, was the 2-1 second favourite and ran poorly. It is possible that Barrier Reef, who was making his first start on the polytrack, was not comfortable over the synthetic surface.

Boss Laffitte was winning for the third time in nine outings and winning in graded company for the first time. The tote return was $21.20 and the race was run in one minute and 44.43 seconds.

Trainer Larry Jones has confirmed that Eight Belles will race in the Grade II $250,000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Sunday. The Fantasy Stakes, for sophomore girls, is over 1700 metres on the dirt. Trainer Jones had been considering the Arkansas Derby on April 12. He explained the decision. “I can’t take a chance on missing the Fantasy. I’d rather win the Fantasy than run second in the Derby.”

Eight Belles, a roan filly, comes off a win in the Honeybee on March 16. Ramon Dominguez rides.

Aqueduct did not race on Friday. Rain in the New York area prompted the cancellation. The key concern was to make the track conducive for racing on Saturday when four Graded races will be contested.

Ten three year-olds will go to the gate in the Wood Memorial. With the possibility of rain staying on, the track is likely to be on the soft side. War Pass is the 12-10 morning line favourite.

The other three major races at Aqueduct are the Grade I Carter handicap, the Grade III Bay Shore and the Grade III Excelsior handicap.

Trainer Doug O’Neill’s Spring At Last, who won the Donn handicap at Gulfstream Park in early February, is the likely favourite in the Carter handicap. The race is over 1400 metres and a step-down in distance for Spring At Last.

The Ashland Stakes at Keeneland is a tossup between Country Star and Proud Spell. The Ashland has, more often than not, provided a pointer to the Kentucky Oaks. Country Star skipped the Breeders’ Cup filly juvenile race last October. She makes her 2008 debut. She has post six in the seven horse field.  Robbie Albarado will ride Country Star. Proud Spell will have Gabriel Saez aboard and checks in sharp and with strong credentials. The Ashland is a 1700-metre event to be run on the polytrack.

Denis Of Cork, to be ridden by Julien Leparoux, is the morning line pick at 2-1 in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne in Chicago. Z Humor is at 3-1 and will have Rene Douglas in the saddle. Atoned lost to Big Truck narrowly in the Tampa Bay Derby and is a 4-1 proposition. Joe Bravo will be the rider. The Illinois Derby is over 1800 metres and will be on the dirt track.

Four Grade I winners go postward in the $500,000 Oaklawn handicap on Saturday. Heatseeker is the 2-1 choice. Circular Quay won the New Orleans handicap on March 8 and is listed at 3-1. It is a wide open race.

Jockey Russell Baze had five winners on Thursday at Bay Meadows in northern California. All the five horses were favourites. The highest-priced winner paid $4.60. It is 13-10 in Indian terms. Baze had seven rides.

We now move to England. The Grand National will be run today. It is scheduled to go off at 4 15 P M. The going will be good to soft. The Grand National carries a purse of 450,640 pounds. The race is over 7200 metres, yes, 7200 metres. Forty horses go. Cloudy Lane is the 5-1 favourite. I believe you will be able to see the Grand National in India.

David Smith, 49, made a 32-pound Tote jackpot bet. He came away with 510,956 pounds. He picked longshots and made the wager on the internet. He said, “this is the first time I have used the Betfair facility, It is convenient. It is done with the click of a button. I am going to celebrate tonight, that is for sure.”

The Tote company runs the Jackpot (six winners) and Betfair is one of the betting outfits that handle the Jackpot wager.

Courtesy:NTRA, Racing Post and other sources