When they met five weeks beforehand in New York, La Verdad was able to hold off an oncoming Wavell Avenue. But not this time – and not on a far bigger stage.
In a result that exemplified the true international spirit of the Breeders’ Cup, Mongolian Saturday outlasted a game Lady Shipman by a neck to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on a chilly Saturday at Keeneland. Bobby’s Kitten, the defending Turf Sprint champion, finished fourth.
Songbird turned a confrontation into a coronation, romping by 5 3/4 lengths over Rachel's Valentina in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Saturday at Keeneland to certainly clinch – with emphasis – the Eclipse Award divisional championship.
Excluded Friday from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Sheikh of Sheikhs came through as an 8-5 favorite before a still-gathering Breeders’ Cup Saturday crowd at Keeneland by winning the $100,000 Juvenile Dirt Sprint.
Hebbronville snuck up the rail under jockey Joe Bravo to kick off Saturday's card at Keeneland with a flying finish, stealing the $100,000 Perryville Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters in the final strides. The race was one of three stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard.
Catch a Glimpse, the winner of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, was doing well Saturday morning, trainer Mark Casse said, along with stablemates Airoforce and Conquest Daddyo, who ran second and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Todd Pletcher certainly was going to enjoy the victories recorded Friday by Liam’s Map in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Race Day in the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland.
Forest Lake defeated older stakes rivals Friday night, pulling clear late for a 1 1/4-length win over Heatseeker Sharon in the $100,000 Magnolia at Delta Downs. It was another neck back to Lady Grantham in third, while the favored Afternoon Tango finished fourth in the one-mile race restricted to fillies and mares bred in Louisiana.
On a night of stars at Hoosier Park, the sport’s leading pacer Wiggle It Jiggleit hooked up with Breeders Crown champion Freaky Feet Pete for the third time. The rubber match looked like it could develop into a battle at the head of the lane, but ultimately Freaky Feet Pete was too good and handed Wiggle It Jiggleit his second straight head-to-head loss.
Smokey Image deserves his unbeaten record after five starts. In Friday’s $200,500 Golden State Juvenile for California-breds at Del Mar, Smokey Image overcame a troubled trip on the turn to win the seven-furlong race by three-quarters of a length over Found Money. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Smokey Image ($3) was timed in 1:22.94.
