Big races in East this weekend

While the Los Angeles County Fair racing continues at Fairplex Park in Pomona, major races will be aplenty this weekend east of the Mississippi and north of the border.

Ten added-money events will dot the Saturday and Sunday racing action. Belmont Park will stage half of the stakes buffet over the two-day run with three on Saturday and a pair on the sabbath. Also on Sunday, Canadian racing will offer the Woodbine Mile.

But perhaps the most unique events will take place on Saturday at Kentucky Downs. Formerly known as Dueling Downs located in Franklin, just north of the Tennessee border, the European-type layout will present the $700,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Festival. The all-grass 1 5/16ths-mile undulating course is as close to "over-the-pond" racing as one could get in the United States.

Live racing hasn't been conducted at the bluegrass track since 1995 and has changed ownership and attitude. The track will sport many new and needed improvements and the Turf Festival has attracted some big hitters for big purses.

The four-series races will be highlighted by the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Turf contested at 1 1/2 miles. Designed as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Turf at the same distance on Nov. 7, this event has attracted the interest of Legend of Russia, Storm Tropper, Parade Ground and the fine race mare Maxzene.

The $200,000 Kentucky Cup Mile, again designed as a steppingstone for the Breeders' Cup Mile, has Clure, Delay of Game, Via Lombardia, Mufattish and Comic Strip on its nominations list.

The Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf at $100,000-added, has Song of Africa, B.A. Valentine, Freeport Flight and Pomona as aspirants.

Finally, The Kentucky Cup Turf Dash goes at 6 furlongs for $100,000. Heading up the list of speedsters is Bet on Sunshine, Cyrano Storme, Heckofaralph and Nor'easter.

The following Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions will be conducted for runners in six divisions on the dirt for total purses of $1,150,000.

Of course, the Saturday centerpiece will be at Belmont Park in the Woodward Stakes. Easily billed as the race of the year for the handicap division, the 1 1/8-mile race on the main will bring together 3-year-old sensation Coronado's Quest, multi-Grade I winner Gentlemen, the gray power house Free House and leading Horse of the Year contender Skip Away. Need we say more?

The undercard features the $250,000-added Ruffian with Sharp Cat leading the contention, and the $150,000 Jerome Handicap that will see Scatmandu take on Lil's Lad.

Sunday, the world's largest track has a twin bill in the Matron for fillies and the Futurity that will bring out the freshman class leader Yes It's True.

Sunday's $750,000 Woodbine Mile will bring out Labeeb and other top milers north of the border.

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