A downpour Saturday morning led to the $50,000 Ellis Park Turf being a misnomer later in the day. The ultimate outcome was an odds-on favorite, Haunted Heroine, dominating a race transferred to the main track in a field reduced to just five fillies and mares.
How lucky are we this season to have not only the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years in American Pharoah but also to have a 3-year-old filly in Lady Eli who, in her own way, might be just as brilliant?
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Rallying strongly from off the pace, Stormdriver continued the parade of favorites into the winner’s circle Saturday evening during Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs. The win was jockey Diego Saenz’s fourth of the night that featured Louisiana-breds exclusively in eight different stakes events.
Wiggle It Jiggleit stole the show on Sun Stakes night at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday. He won the $500,000 Hempt final on a night when Pinkman, Luck Be Withyou and Bettor Be Steppin also won major stakes.
First-time starter Stays in Vegas did not break alertly and was squeezed back to last in the early going, but when she got in gear she proved superior to five rivals, capturing the $58,255 Juan Gonzalez Memorial by six lengths on Saturday at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet at the Alameda County Fair.
Gimme Da Lute held his advantage to win the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles by a nose over a fast-closing Prospect Park. Kentuckian could only manage third as the 2-5 favorite.
Wildwood Kantharos made an easy lead under Chris Emigh and never was threatened, beating Lovely Island by 1 1/2 lengths in the one-mile Purple Violet Stakes for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds at Arlington.
Diabolical Dame darted to a 2 1/2-length win over Back Seat Roll on Saturday in the $45,000 Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap at SunRay Park in Farmington, N.M
Lady Eli was the best horse among the 14 3-year-old fillies entered to run in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational, and trainer Chad Brown thought all she needed was a clear trip to prove it.
