Sat, 08/24/2013 - 19:06

Monmouth: Valiant Girl up by a head in Omnibus

William Osborn/Equi-Photo
Valiant Girl, ridden by Forest Boyce, holds off Parranda by a head in the Omnibus.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Valiant Girl held off Parranda by a head on Saturday to win the $61,800 Omnibus Stakes for fillies and mares going about 1 3/8 miles on the turf at Monmouth Park.

It was the second win in six starts, and first career stakes victory, for the 4-year-old Valiant Girl  since joining the Graham Motion barn at the end of last season.

Valiant Girl, ridden by Forest Boyce, started her career 1 for 5 in her native England.

The 11-furlong distance was a question mark for most of the fillies in the Omnibus. Only Seanchai owned a prior win at 1 3/8 miles.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 18:53

Calder: Gallardo boots home four stakes winners on Juvenile Showcase card

Coady Photography
My Brown Eyed Guy, with Antonio Gallardo up, wins the $125,000 Affirmed division of the Stallion Stakes.

The Juvenile Showcase at Calder Race Course on Saturday turned into the Antonio Gallardo Showcase as the jockey won four of the six stakes on the card, including both divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes with Kathleen O’Connell trainees My Brown Eyed Guy and Scandalous Act.

The stakes on Saturday’s program were all for 2-year-olds, and they were worth a cumulative $550,000.

Gallardo picked up the mounts in the Stallion Stakes races after jockey Eduardo Nunez was thrown from his mount in an earlier race, the $75,000 Catcharisingstar.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 18:42

Northlands: Contested pace sets up Wild Legend in Birdcatcher

Wild Legend took advantage of a hotly contested pace to win the $50,000 Birdcatcher at Northlands Park on Saturday.

Shannon Beauregard had Wild Legend ($19.80) sitting comfortably near the back of the field while heavily favored  Mr Know It All, Legend Fortynine, and Western Heritage were battling through honest fractions of 23 and 47.20 seconds in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 18:14

Saratoga: Capo Bastone connects at 28-1 in King's Bishop

Barbara D. Livingston
Irad Ortiz Jr. guides Capo Bastone from far back to upset the King's Bishop for 3-year-old sprinters.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -   Capo Bastone earned himself a spot in the $500,000 King’s Bishop field after holding his own in a workout last weekend with Verrazano. Six days later, Capo Bastone found 13 other 3-year-olds a lot easier to handle than his star-studded stablemate, rallying from far back under a masterful ride by Irad Ortiz Jr. to register a startling two-length victory over Mentor Cane in Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 18:03

Travers: Will Take Charge surges late to nose out Moreno

Tom Keyser
Will Take Charge (2nd from left) defeats Moreno (2nd from right) in the Travers. Orb (right) finished third and Palace Malice (left) was fourth.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – D. Wayne Lukas began the week by putting Preakness winner Oxbow on a van home to Calumet Farm, not to race again this year, perhaps never again.

But the former basketball coach turned Hall of Fame trainer knows the value of a deep roster, and Lukas, nine days shy of his 78th birthday, ended the week with a victory in the Travers Stakes as Will Take Charge surged past stubborn pacesetter Moreno to win Saturday’s $1 million Travers by a nose before a crowd of 47,597 at Saratoga.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 17:35

Saratoga: Laughing stays out front in Ballston Spa

Barbara D. Livingston
Laughing (right) holds off Pianist to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y – In a virtual replay of the Grade 1 Diana Stakes run here four weeks earlier, Laughing, under Jose Lezcano, recorded a front-running victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga, turning back Pianist by a head.

Pianist, under Mike Smith, pursued Laughing all the way around the speed-favoring inner turf course, finishing second by 2 3/4 lengths over Hard Not To Like.

Hungry Island, the slight 5-2 favorite, finished fourth and was followed in the order of finish by Somali Lemonade, Miz Ida, Embarr, and Centre Court.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 17:35

Finger Lakes: Miss Rubycubes scores front-running victory in New York Oaks

Tom Cooley Photography
The 3-year-old filly Miss Rubycubes, with Pedro Rodriguez aboard, earns her first stakes victory in the New York Oaks.

Miss Rubycubes provided trainer Eileen Muller with the first stakes victory of her 26-year career by leading wire to wire in Saturday’s $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes.

Until two weeks ago, Miss Rubycubes ($5.40) had been strictly a sprinter. But after she romped by 8 1/4 lengths and improved her Beyer Speed Figure 25 points in her first try around two turns, Muller and owner David Brown decided to nominate the homebred daughter of Read the Footnotes to the 1 1/16-mile Oaks for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 17:06

Woodbine: Conquest Titan scores first career win in Swynford Stakes

Michael Burns
Eurico Rosa Da Silva controlled the pace of the Swynford aboard Conquest Titan.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Conquest Titan ($3.60) won his maiden in style second-time out in the $125,500 Swynford Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine Saturday.

Conquest Titan set moderate fractions in the seven-furlong sprint, before drawing away in the stretch for a 5 1/4-length tally, in 1:23.64. Dig Alittle Deeper nosed out Tuscan Getaway for second in the seven-horse field. 

Eurico Rosa Da Silva rode Conquest Titan, who collected $75,000 for Conquest Stables and trainer Mark Casse. 

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 17:02

Gulfstream: Sr. Quisqueyano reverses recent form to win Eight Miles East

Leslie Martin
The 3-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano, ridden by Carlos Oliveros, holds off heavy favorite Where's Sterling (1) by a neck in the Eight Miles East.

A return to racing two turns on dirt was all the Sr. Quisqueyano needed to regain his form Saturday in the $115,000 Eight Miles East Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Facing older horses for the first time following two losses in dirt sprints and a last-place finish going long in his turf debut, the 3-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano ($14.60) held off a late charge by 4-5 favorite Where’s Sterling to prevail by a neck in the 1 1/16 mile Eight Miles East. It was his first victory since he captured the Calder Derby – his last two-turn start on dirt – in early April.

Sat, 08/24/2013 - 16:59

Saratoga: Sweet Lulu digs deep to triumph in Test

Michael Amoruso
Sweet Lulu (far right) holds off Wildcat Lily (center) and My Happy Face to win the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sweet Lulu proved she is as game as she is talented after surviving both an early pace duel and a determined stretch challenge from Wildcat Lily before prevailing by a head in Saturday’s Grade 1 Test at Saratoga.

Wildcat Lily, who was second here last month in the Grade 1 Prioress, held on to finish second, a neck in front of the late-running My Happy Face.