Sat, 09/14/2013 - 19:01

Kentucky Downs: Coalport gives Ramseys third stakes win on card in Franklin-Simpson Mile

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Four weeks after Coalport defeated Trend by a head in an allowance race on the Arlington Million undercard, barely anything had changed when the two met again Saturday in the $123,917 Franklin-Simpson Mile at Kentucky Downs.

This time, the result was Coalport by a mere nose, with Trend another neck ahead of Utley in a thrilling three-horse finish. Coalport returned $6 as favorite in a field of eight when giving Ken and Sarah Ramsey their third stakes win on the Kentucky Downs card.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:52

Belmont Park: Peace Preserver rallies to take Noble Damsel

Barbara D. Livingston
Peace Preserver, under Irad Ortiz Jr., wins the Noble Damsel Stakes by a half-length Saturday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – To listen to her connections tell it, Peace Preserver had a rough summer. But it wasn’t anything a return to her favorite surface couldn’t cure.

Splitting horses in deep stretch under Irad Ortiz Jr. after rallying from last, Peace Preserver outkicked Hungry Island to the wire to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes by a half-length at Belmont Park. Hungry Island finished second by three-quarters of a length over Better Lucky, the 4-5 favorite. Assateague, Naples Bay, and Laugh Out Loud completed the order of finish.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:30

Parx: Swift Warrior connects as favorite in PTHA President's Cup

Barbara Weidl/Equiphoto
Swift Warrior, despite clipping heels on the first turn, scores under Jose Ortiz in the PTHA President's Cup.

Swift Warrior regained the form that enabled him to win back-to-back Grade 3 events early this season when he recovered from a potential early disaster to post a victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President’s Cup at Parx Racing.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:13

Calder: Best Plan Yet takes advantage in Foolish Pleasure

Coady Photography
Best Plan Yet wins the Foolish Pleasure Stakes under Jeffrey Sanchez.

Best Plan Yet ducked his nemesis My Brown Eyed Guy and made the most of the opportunity when rallying from last to a popular one-length victory over Union Cash in Saturday’s $85,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes for 2-year-olds at Calder.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:13

Woodbine: My Conquestadory beats males in Summer Stakes

Michael Burns
My Conquestadory, making her career debut for trainer Mark Casse, wins the Summer Stakes under jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – First-timer starter My Conquestadory punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a decisive score over males in the Grade 2, $212,800 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

My Conquestadory ($12.90) raced in fourth through the turn in the one-mile turf route, as Tropic of Artie set a lively pace while being pressed by Asserting Bear.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 17:45

Kentucky Downs: Boji Moon wins Juvenile; Lien On Kitten takes Juvenile Fillies

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Boji Moon passed his first major test with flying colors Saturday when stepping outside of Iowa-bred company and trying turf for the first time in the $117,250 Kentucky Downs Juvenile at Kentucky Downs.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 17:40

Churchill Downs: Vuitton makes final move in Open Mind

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Well readied off a 3 1/2-month layoff by trainer Steve Asmussen and his staff, Vuitton swooped to victory in Saturday’s $108,100 Open Mind at Churchill Downs, catching Sweet Cassiopeia in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Under patient handling from jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., Vuitton was last of six early, as favored Burban and Ms Ann Destiny set a contested pace of 21.78 and 45.09 seconds in the six-furlong race.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 17:05

Gulfstream Park: Black Diamond Cat gets easy win in Montbrook

Leslie Martin
Black Diamond Cat, with Jilver Chamafi aboard, wins the Montbrook Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Black Diamond Cat capped off a big day for jockey Jilver Chamafi by slipping up the rail for a 5 3/4-length victory over Grande Shores in Saturday’s $100,000 Montbrook at Gulfstream Park.

Black Diamond Cat gave Chamafi, who entered the day third in the jockeys’ standings, his fourth victory on the card. The win also was the second straight and third in the last four starts for the suddenly improved Black Diamond Cat, who also captured the six-furlong Housebuster here earlier in the session.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 17:03

Delaware: Galiana pulls shocking upset on Owners' Day program

HoofprintsInc.com
Galiana, a 3-year-old New York-bred filly ridden by Abel Lezcano, upsets the Tax Free Distaff for female sprinters.

On the same program in early June at Delaware Park where Bryan’s Jewel won the John Rooney Memorial Stakes, the 3-year-old filly Galiana won her career debut while running for a $7,500 tag against maiden claimers.

On Saturday, Bryan’s Jewel was pounded to 1-5 favoritism in a field reduced to five fillies and mares by three scratches in the $75,000 Tax Free Distaff, one of six restricted stakes on a special 12-race Owners’ Day program. The New York-bred Galiana was among the four longshots.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 16:47

Woodbine: Llanarmon wins maiden in Natalma Stakes

Michael Burns
Llanarmon (right), ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, wins the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes by three-quarters of a length Saturday at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Llanarmon ($20.40) graduated in dramatic style Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes, in which the favored Ready to Act unseated jockey Rajiv Maragh, who appeared to escape serious injury.

Ready to Act stalked the front-running Unspurned in the one-mile turf route for 2-year-old fillies before making the lead early in the stretch. Ready to Act ducked in at the eighth pole, and a trailing horse came over the top of the fallen Maragh. Ready to Act, a New York shipper trained by Chad Brown, came back fine.