Trainer Chad Brown saddled the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct, as Goldy Espony grabbed the early lead and held off stablemate Danza Cavallo in the final graded turf stakes of the year for fillies and mares in New York.
The rapidly improving 3-year-old Saraguaro registered his second consecutive stakes victory, holding off Nauset Beach by 1 1/4 lengths to capture the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Preview, the co-feature Saturday on the Sunshine Millions Preview program at Gulfstream Park West. East Hall finished a non-threatening fifth as the 7-5 favorite.
The 5-year-old mare Deniro’s Saint, winless in five starts this season while facing the two best Ohio-breds in training, scored as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s $75,000 Ohio Debutante Handicap at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Want to back a “sure winner” Sunday at Del Mar? Races 6 and 7 are perfect for that.
The baton was passed from California Chrome in 2014 to American Pharoah in 2015. American Pharoah has been retired from racing, but California Chrome has returned to serious training, with designs on getting that baton back in 2016.
Trainer Monte Thomas saddles Get a Room (#2, ML 8-1) in Saturday's third race at Gulfstream Park West, the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Filly Sprint Stakes. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Thomas is winning at a 30 percent clip when saddling a horse coming off a win, for a return on investment of $3.98. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
The Keeneland November breeding stock sale’s Book 3 portion opened with mixed returns Friday as the top of the market remained strong, evidenced by the presence of prominent buyers, but the session posted declines in some economic indicators.
Sunday's card at Aqueduct features a pair of maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds, the fourth on dirt and the ninth on turf, that appear to be interesting wagering events.
Suddenbreakingnews split horses late for a half-length win over Cash Bonus in Friday night's $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes for 2-year-olds at Remington Park. Donnie Von Hemel, who trains the winner, also trained the race's namesake, a Grade 1 winner who accounted for the inaugural Remington Park Derby in 1989.
Texas racing is in business through at least the month of February. The state’s legislative budget board on Friday gave the Texas Racing Commission authority to temporarily fund its operations for 90 days. The new extension will follow the current funding plan that ends Nov. 30.
