Catch a Flight beat Appealing Tale by a head to win Saturday’s $200,500 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, a race in which the winning move was arguably a decision jockey Gary Stevens made on the backstretch.
Hold the Giant inherited the win in the $49,920 Edmonton Juvenile at Northlands Park on Saturday when his stablemate Awesome Slate bolted at the top of the stretch.
In the final three-sixteenths of a mile, John Velazquez had to get Hard Not to Like to accelerate and the 6-year-old mare did just that, lengthening her stride and rallying to nail Tepin on the wire by a nose to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes at Saratoga.
Dust Alert, the higher-priced of two unbeaten fillies, won the battle in Saturday’s $165,771 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity for New Mexico-bred 2-year-old fillies at Ruidoso Downs.
George Krikorian loves movies, but on Saturday, Big Book was better. Big Book, a homebred, gave Krikorian’s stallion Mr. Big a significant stakes win when she remained unbeaten by capturing the $192,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at Del Mar.
The $150,000 Sanford Stakes ended in controversy Saturday at Saratoga following the disqualification of Magna Light, who led throughout, only to be placed third for allegedly bothering Percolator in late stretch of the Grade 3 dash for 2-year-old colts and geldings. The stewards’ debatable decision made a winner of Uncle Vinny
Blame Jim, the heavy favorite in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, gave up the ghost rather easily in upper stretch of the six-furlong sprint, but Hebbronville and W V Jetsetter came to fight and put on a good battle, with Hebbronville prevailing by a neck.
After going 3 for 30 to start her career, Kiss the Daddy has now reeled off three consecutive wins after taking Saturday's Power by Far Handicap at Parx Racing.
Uchenna rallied inside under a fine ride from Alan Garcia to notch her first Woodbine stakes in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ontario Matron, upsetting champion Strut the Course in the process.
DRF handicapper Joe DeVivo provides a play three play on Monday's card at Saratoga.
