The Italian-bred Good Karma ($11.80) scored her first victory in the United States as she re-rallied after being headed in the stretch by odds-on favorite Halo Dolly and won a three-way photo in the $55,550 Luther Burbank Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sunday.
Del Rio Harbor, a 15-1 outsider, raced to a narrow victory Sunday in the $50,000 Emerald Express at Emerald Downs. In winning the meeting’s first stakes race for 2-year-olds, Del Rio Harbor ran six furlongs in 1:10.75 and paid $32.80.
A day after winning the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, Mike Smith completed a coast-to-coast, Grade 1 double by guiding Points Offthebench to a mild upset victory in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar, giving trainer Tim Yakteen his first Grade 1 victory.
Saratoga live longshots, spot plays, and vulnerable favorites for Monday, July 29.
Lady of Shamrock, a two-time Grade 1 winner who was second in the Grade 2 New York Handicap at Belmont Park on June 29, is being pointed for the $250,000 John Mabee Stakes on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 11.
Kettle Corn and Paynter, the first two finishers of Saturday’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, might have a rematch in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25.
Dance to the Star won the $44,015 Mount Elbert Stakes for the third time Sunday at Arapahoe Park, where he led throughout for a 5 3/4-length victory over Magical Twist. It was another half-length back to Wally Van in third.
Garrett Gomez, who has not ridden since July 14 after saying that he underwent treatment for alcoholism earlier this month, is scheduled to meet with Del Mar stewards Friday for the second time in four days before he will be permitted to resume riding.
Verrazano had been devastatingly brilliant before, just never on the big stage. On Sunday, in front of a crowd of 36,294 at Monmouth Park – including a large contingent of friends and family for his locally based ownership group – Verrazano dazzled under the bright lights.
Forty Tales took advantage of a fast pace and Mentor Cane’s failure to corner properly into the stretch, rallying down the center of the strip to register a three-quarter-length victory over Mico Margarita in Sunday’s $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.
