Always B Miki made the first start of his 2015 campaign a winning one as he cruised to a dominant victory in the $20,000 Indiana Sires Stakes elimination for aged pacing stallion and geldings at Hoosier Park on Saturday. With trainer Jimmy Takter in the bike, Always B Miki stopped the timer in 1:49 under wraps.
The first of two divisions for the $220,000 Bluegrass 3-year-old colt trot went to Crazy Wow off a pocket trip in 1:55 4/5. Muscle Diamond defeated the 1-5 favorite Uncle Lasse in the second division of the Bluegrass, charging from the back of the field to a 1:56 victory.
Alexis Tangier won her first stakes in slightly more than year in Saturday’s $74,800 Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on Santa Anita’s turf.
Wild Dude is financing his way to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Saturday, Wild Dude won the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, the second time this year he has won a race that featured a berth to the BC Sprint through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.
Not much surprise seeing trainer Stanley Gold and owner-breeder Fred Brei standing in the winner’s circle after Saturday’s $500,000 In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park. What was surprising is the horse they were posing next to, the 12-1 Fellowship, who rallied from last to first to post a convincing 4 1/2- length victory over stablemate Abercorn in the final leg of the open division of the Florida Sire Stakes.
The 6-year-old No Silent won his first graded stakes in the $101,500 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. The Grade 3 Eddie D was No Silent’s third consecutive win, the longest winning streak of his 23-race career.
Going into all of Tonalist’s races this year, trainer Christophe Clement said he wouldn’t have traded places with any of his rivals. On Saturday, for the first time in five months, Clement could say the same thing – and mean it – after the race.
Long prices came home in the two $150,000 Florida-bred and -sired 3-year-old stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park, with Saraguaro winning the Foolish Pleasure at 19-1 and Moment of Delight coming home at 13-1 in the Meadow Star.
Under a well-judged ride by Javier Castellano, Nickname went from a maiden winner to a Grade 1 winner Saturday in the $400,000 Frizette at Belmont Park.
Breaking last after being impeded leaving the starting gate, Greenpointcrusader recovered nicely and rallied six wide in the stretch to record a dominant 4 1/2-length victory in the $500,000 Champagne and earning a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
