Saturday Stakes recaps (7/28/01)

Monmouth: First stakes for Elaine

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Unbridled Elaine won her first graded stakes, romping to victory in the Grade 2, $250,000 Monmouth Park Breeders' Cup Oaks.

Unbridled Elaine ($3.60) was making her second start for David Vance after being moved from Dallas Stewart's barn. In her first start for Vance, she easily won the Iowa Oaks on July 5. Unbridled Elaine is now 5-1-0 in seven starts, with her only out-of-the money finish a fourth in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont.

* Shutup and Dance ($3.60) went wire to wire, defeating three other rivals in the $75,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

- Ryan Goldberg

Finger Lakes: Sweet Ricky rallies

Sweet Ricky ($7.80) rallied to a 1 1/4-length victory over Personal Pro, half of the favored entry, in the $148,867 New York Derby at Finger Lakes.

Personal Pro and Solar Deputy, who finished fifth, were sent off at 3-5 on the strength of Solar Deputy's victory in the Mike Lee at Belmont June 30.

Sweet Ricky is owned by Robert Perez and trained by Alfredo Callejas.

- Ira Kaplan

Philadelphia Park: Sandy gets trip

Say Florida Sandy ($4) and jockey Aaron Gryder took advantage of a perfect trip to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Philadelphia Park Breeders' Cup by 2 1/4 lengths over Wake at Noon. Max's Pal took third in the four-horse field, with Iron Punch, last year's Philadelphia Park BC winner, last.

Say Florida Sandy, a 7-year-old trained by Juan Serey, has won 5 of 10 starts this year, including three stakes. He has earned more than $1.6 million for owner John Rotella.

- Ira Kaplan

Canterbury: Public choices prevail

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Despite a muddy surface, form held up in the Minnesota Derby and Oaks at Canterbury Park.

Now Playing ($4.20), in his first try at a route, captured the $51,745 Minnesota Derby, prevailing by two lengths over the Curtis Sampson-owned entry of Timberwolf Power and Dance Hall Prize, who finished second and third.

Blumin Bauble ($4) was fully extended in deep stretch to collar front-running Timbia in the $53,103 Minnesota Oaks.

- David M. Miller

Ellis: Daylight dashes to victory

Dash for Daylight ($4.40), left behind with the Churchill Downs string while trainer Elliott Walden travels to Saratoga this summer, wore down Better Road in the final furlong to win the $49,5000 Don Bernhardt Stakes at Ellis Park.

Dash for Daylight, ridden by Tony D'Amico, prevailed by a half-length. He finished 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.51 over a fast track for his fifth victory in 11 lifetime starts.

- Marty McGee

Prairie Meadows: Filly defeats males

ALTOONA, Iowa - Three-year-old filly Sharky's Review ($2.80) rallied to score a half- length victory over males in the $71,580 Iowa Stallion Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

The victory was Sharky's Review's fourth in five career starts with her only loss coming against open company when she finished third in the $150,000 Iowa Oaks behind Unbridled Elaine.

- Dave Basler

Calder: Tv Sports Director wins

MIAMI - Tv Sports Director ($7.60), a former claimer whose fortunes have soared since trainer Reed Combest switched him to the grass, completed a meteoric rise to the top of the local 3-year-old turf division with an easy five-length victory over Sword Chief in the $50,000 Roman Brother Stakes at Calder. Tv Sports Director was winless until his second start on grass, but has now won five of his last seven starts, all on turf.

- Mike Welsch

River: Ashwood C C goes gate to wire

Ashwood C C took the lead at the start and never looked back in the $100,000 Queen City Oaks at River Downs. Ashwood C C ($12.60), a daughter of the 1994 Queen City Oaks winner, Dylan's Crafty, captured the 1 1/8-mile race for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies by nearly seven lengths in a time of 1:53.60.

- Vance Hanson

Louisiana: Miss Photogenic survives duel

Miss Photogenic ($8.60) emerged from a spirited pace battle in the late going to capture the $40,000 Dixie Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Louisiana Downs.

Miss Photogenic was part of a three-way fight up front through a lively half-mile in 44.77 seconds before jockey Jeff Faul found a little more with the winner to edge clear by two lengths in a time of 1:10.78 for the six furlongs over a strip upgraded from good to fast just before the race.

- Jeff Taylor

Los Alamitos: Team Lukas connects

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Check Him Out, a Quarter Horse sired by the Thoroughbred Hennessy, won the $477,100 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity at Los Alamitos for the owner-trainer team of D. Wayne and Laura Lukas.

The Burke, the summer's top futurity at Los Alamitos, was the most lucrative stakes win for the Lukases since they reopened a Quarter Horse stable four years ago. In the 1970's, Wayne Lukas was a public trainer at Los Alamitos.

- Steve Andersen