Sun, 09/08/2013 - 11:18

Evangeline Downs: Solid Sender, Montbrooks Miracle get stakes wins

OPELOUSAS, La – Solid Sender improved her career record to 3 for 3 Saturday night as she captured the fillies’ division of the $50,000 John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes at Evangeline Downs. Sweet Alice Benbow finished 2 1/4 lengths back in second and six lengths in front of Streaming Live in third.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 22:53

Churchill Downs: Pants On Fire draws clear late in Ack Ack

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
Pants On Fire, back at Churchill Downs for the first time since the 2011 Kentucky Derby, wins the Ack Ack Handicap under Paco Lopez.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It came more than two years late, but Pants On Fire finally found the Churchill Downs winner’s circle.

Ninth as the 8-1 second choice in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, the 5-year-old Pants On Fire rolled to victory Saturday night in the 21st running of the Grade 3, $110,700 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill. Paco Lopez was aboard for owners George and Lori Hall and trainer Kelly Breen.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 21:46

Churchill Downs: Romans-trained longshots 1-2 in Iroquois

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
Cleburne (inside) holds off stablemate Smart Cover in the Iroquois for 2-year-olds.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Little doubt that Dale Romans has “bounced” after his Eclipse Award-winning 2012 season, but an incredible finish to the Iroquois Stakes on Saturday night made up for a lot of 2013 disappointment.

A wild winner’s circle celebration was kicked off when a pair of Romans longshots, Cleburne and Smart Cover, finished 1-2 for Donegal Racing in the Grade 3, $171,750 Iroquois, one of four stakes on a Downs After Dark card at Churchill Downs.

Cleburne, a 34-1 shot, finished a neck ahead of his stablemate Smart Cover, a 26-1 shot in a field of 10 2-year-olds.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 21:40

Churchill Downs: Untapable stays unbeaten in Pocahontas

Untapable ($13.60) outgamed favored Stonetastic in a torrid stretch run to remain unbeaten in two starts in the Grade 2, $168,150 Pocahontas Stakes, the filly counterpart to the Iroquois. With Rosie Napravnik fresh off the Kentucky Downs charter, Untapable overcame some early trouble when prevailing by a half-length at Churchill Downs. She finished the distance in 1:44.38.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 20:31

Barretts at Fairplex: As usual, Pedroza in front in jockeys' race

POMONA, Calif. – Edwin Maldonado rode two winners Saturday at the Los Angeles County Fair, including comebacker Majestic Stride in the race-10 feature, but the 2012 meet’s leading rider is chasing a moving target.

Martin Pedroza, the all-time leading Barretts at Fairplex jockey, rode three winners for the second straight day to take a 6-2 lead after two days. Pedroza led the standings 13 consecutive seasons until Maldonado’s 2012 title.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 19:35

Kentucky Downs: Mystical Star sets course record in Ladies Marathon

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Winless in eight races since capturing the Grade 2 New York Stakes last summer, Mystical Star emphatically returned to the winner’s circle by taking Saturday’s $150,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon in course-record time by a neck over Preferential.

The winner, a 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, raced 1 5/16 miles on a firm turf course that played quickly in 2:11.30. Owned by Cheyenne Stables and trained by Christophe Clement, she paid $9.60.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 19:30

Arlington: She's Offlee Good stays perfect by taking Arlington-Washington Lassie

Four Footed Fotos
She's Offlee Good, with Eddie Castro aboard, improves to 2 for 2 by taking the Arlington-Washington Lassie.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Richie Scherer doesn’t have anything like a barn full of stakes horses right now, but Scherer, a 50-year-old second-generation trainer, knows what one looks like. She’s Offlee Good came out of a spring 2-year-old in training sale and into Scherer’s barn, and he gave her the standard 30 days of backing down before going forward. Then, morning work began, and Scherer started seeing something.

“I was working her against two other horses, and she was really beating up on them. I wasn’t sure if she was that good or they were that bad,” Scherer said.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 19:06

Kentucky Downs: Dancing to Town wins Ladies Turf

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Dancing to Town, seventh in the Windward Stakes last out at Presque Isle Downs on the Tapeta synthetic surface June 30, reversed her form with a switch back to grass in Saturday’s $150,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf.

As is her custom, Dancing to Town showed immediate speed, and without any significant early pressure to challenge her, she withstood a rally from Lily the Pink to win by a length.

Nashindy finished third, 2 3/4 lengths farther back, with Dame Marie fourth.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 18:47

Louisiana Downs: Departing dominates Super Derby

Hodge Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.
Robby Albarado collects his fourth win of the card aboard heavy favorite Departing in the Super Derby.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Departing won the third derby of his career on Saturday at Louisiana Downs, when he cruised to a four-length win over Ruler of Love in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby. He won the 1 1/8-mile race in hand, one start after taking the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, and three starts removed from his win in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby.

The Super Derby was the richest race on a card of six stakes worth a cumulative $950,000.

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 18:37

Louisiana Downs: Landeros gets 1,000th win in Unbridled Stakes

Lou Hodges Jr.
Major Marvel (second from right) wins the Unbridled Stakes on Saturday to give jockey Chris Landeros his 1,000th career win.

BOSSIER CITY, La. – Jockey Chris Landeros got his 1,000th career victory when Major Marvel dug down deep to hold off String King by a neck in the $100,000 Unbridled Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Saturday. It was the fifth straight win for Major Marvel, who is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Mike Maker.

Landeros rode his first career winner Jan. 18, 2006, at Turf Paradise. He shipped into Louisiana Downs from Remington Park to ride Major Marvel and was thrilled that the milestone win came in the Unbridled.