Here and There...

Saga Novel, a 2-year-old daughter of Boundary, raced six furlongs on grass in track-record time of 1:07 4/5 when she won the Fairy Stakes (Jpn-III) at Japan's Nakayama Racecourse on Sunday. Trained by Fumio Koga for owner Koji Maeda, Saga Novel has won both career starts. Produced from the Alydar mare Thunder Maid, Saga Novel was purchased by North Hills Management for $100,000 from the Leprechaun Racing consignment to this year's Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds in training...Tony Ayna, a 50-year-old exercise rider for trainer Joe Petalino at Oaklawn Park, was in critical condition at St. Joseph's Regional Health Care Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Sunday night as a result of injuries he sustained during an accident in the stable area earlier in the day. According to the track, Ayna was taking an unraced 2-year-old to the track when the horse wheeled and ran off. Ayna was bucked off the horse and landed head first near barn 33. The horse only had superficial wounds... Hamid Benzerrouk of France won the 2001 "Seven Stars" competition sponsored by Godolphin Racing. The on-line racing competition, in which entrants picked seven Godolphin racehorses who were awarded points for finishing first, second or third, with extra points for higher quality races, concluded with Sunday's Hong Kong International. Entries were made through the Godolphin Internet site between March 1, 2001 and March 23, 2001. Benzerrouk will receive a $150,000 first price, a trophy valued at $50,000, and two first-class return flights to Dubai and seven nights at the Burj Al Arab Hotel for the $6-million Dubai World Cup on March 23, 2002.