Saturday Stakes roundup (5/26/01)

Come September posts $39 upset

STICKNEY, Ill. - Come September won the $57,550 Regal Rumor Stakes at Hawthorne. Come September ($39.80), ridden to victory by Alfredo Juarez Jr., stalked the early pace set by Capitol View and outgamed her in the stretch to score by three-quarters of a length. The late-running Faccia Bella closed to be third.

Trained by Joe McKellar, who hadn't won a race at this meet, and owned by her breeders, Larry Gillen and L.J. Gaudreau, Come September ran six furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:12.01.

The heavy favorite, Hidden Assets, stopped badly in the stretch and finished last of seven.

A $2 exacta ticket with Capitol View was worth $207.80.

Show prices were inflated due to heavy betting on Hidden Assets. The winner paid $20.20 to show, Capitol View returned $8.80, and a show ticket on Faccia Bella was worth $10.

Hidden Assets, who invaded from Kentucky and went off at 1-2, took the lead from the gate. But less than a quarter-mile into the race, Hidden Assets, who figured to dominate the Regal Rumor on class and speed, was headed and she dropped back to third. She faded steadily after remaining in contention into the stretch.

Jockey Jeremy Beasley said Hidden Assets failed to handle a racetrack rendered very sloppy by several days of rain. Hidden Assets, a Grade 3 winner, has now failed to hit the board in two starts on an off track.

- Marcus Hersh

Mott posts rare win at Woodbine

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Red Sea and Del Mar Show won the two divisions of Saturday's Grade 3 Connaught Cup Stakes, a pair of 1 1/16-mile turf races contested over yielding ground at Woodbine.

Red Sea ($7.10) tracked a moderate pace set by Academic and Medievil Hero in the first division, which was worth $165,150. Red Sea was stuck in traffic throughout the first half of the stretch run, but jockey Emile Ramsammy found room inside the eighth pole and got him home on top by a half-length over River Boat.

Roger Attfield trains Red Sea, who covered the distance in 1:47.49.

Del Mar Show ($3.10), the odds-on choice in the $166,650 second division under Robbie Davis, stalked very slow fractions set by Kimberlite Pipe. He assumed command at the head of the stretch and edged away to score by 2 1/2 lengths over pace-pressing Lodge Hill. The final time was 1:48.17.

It was trainer Bill Mott's first local victory since he captured the 1997 Woodbine Mile with Geri.

- Ron Gierkink

Delaware: Pine Dance prevails

Pine Dance, winless in six starts since last fall, splashed to a three-quarter length victory in the $75,000 Brandywine Stakes at Delaware Park.

Ridden for the first time by Ramon Dominguez, the 4-year-old Pine Dance ($9) ran the mile over a sloppy track in 1:37.22. It was his first race over a wet surface since he captured the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park last September.

Quick Punch finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the 8-5 favorite, Liberty Gold.

Six horses scratched because of the rainy conditions, reducing the field to seven.

- Joe DeVivo

Thistledown: It's 'Michigan'

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Beatmichiganagain scored a hard- earned half-length victory over Lady Cherie in the ninth running of the $40,000, six-furlong Brent's Princess Stakes at Thistledown.

The early pacesetter, Mandy G, weakened to finish third, 6 1/4 lengths farther back in the field eight Ohio-breds.

Beatmichiganagain ($4.40), a 4-year-old chestnut filly, prompted Mandy G into the stretch, went up to make the lead and opened a clear advantage, then was all out under strong urging by William Troilo to hold off the charging Lady Cherie.

Lady Cherie raced just off the pace until the top of the stretch, dug in when asked by Julio Felix and was getting to the winner.

Beatmichiganagain, trained by Greg Foley, ran the six furlongs in 1:11.38.

- Chuck Scaravilli