Saturday stakes recap (8/10/02)

Other Saturday stakes

* The $125,000 Straight Deal Breeders' Cup turned out to be little more than a public workout for Xtra Heat. Last year's champion 3-year-old filly, Xtra Heat was hand ridden to a 2 1/2-length victory over four outclassed opponents in the seven-furlong Straight Deal at Laurel Park.

* Woodmoon stalked the pace to the second turn under jockey Glenn Corbett before taking command and drawing away for a 3 1/4 length victory in the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap. Take Me Up rallied for the place, 1 1/4 lengths clear of pacesetter Halo Kris, who finished third in the six-horse field.

* Portcullis overcame traffic problems at the head of the stretch to defeat El Soprano by a neck in the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine.

Mulrainy ($33) upset favored For Rubies in the supporting feature, the Grade 3, $210,850 Duchess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

* Unrestrained benefited from a fast early pace and went from last to first to score a 3 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Open Fire Stakes at Delaware Park.

* A race intended to serve as a confidence boost for Sakhee instead did nothing except disappoint his connections and the public, which made him the 1-5 favorite.

Facing an undistinguished field of older horses in Saturday's Group 3 Prix Gotaut-Biron at Deuville, France, Sakhee had to settle for second, a length behind Wellbeing.

* Medium Rare won his second consecutive $30,750 Chuck Taliaferro Memorial at Remington Park in Oklahoma City when he overtook Joyful Tune in the stretch and went on to a 3 3/4-length victory. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third to Temperence Time.

* Truth Matters ($5.80) came three wide to make the lead entering the stretch and drew off to a 4 3/4-length win over seven Ohio-bred 3-year-old rivals in the $40,000 North Randall Stakes at Thistledown.

* Silver Zipper bested four rivals to capture the $35,000 Shakopee Stakes at Canterbury Park. Tahkodha Hills rallied between foes to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths clear of third-placed Top Secret Affair.

* Taylor's Queen ($4.60) rallied from off the pace under Anthony Lovato and held off a fast-closing Cielo Girl by a neck to capture the $40,000 Dixie Miss Stakes at Louisiana Downs.

* Dashin La Jolla ($39.20) improved her record to three wins from four career starts when she drove to a half-length win over Runaway Go Getter in the $110,280 Texas Quarter Horse Association's Sires' Cup Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.

* Prized Amberpro circled the field under C. J. Woodley and won the $30,000 Matron Handicap at Evangeline Downs by two lengths. Raymond's Dream, who had shaken free by 1 1/2 lengths at midstretch, had to settle for second, while Steppen Up reported home third.

* Chauffe Au Rouge, who was disqualified from two statebred stakes wins last year for not meeting the requirements of an accredited Texas-bred, became an official stakes winner Saturday night at Retama Park when he beat open company in the $50,000 Retama Turf Cup.