This is the seventh summer Immortal Eyes has been knocking around the East Coast. The 8-year-old gelding is aging well. Second in the 2011 De Francis Dash and third in last year’s edition, Immortal Eyes broke through in a big way Saturday at Laurel Park with a 6 3/4 lengths front-running blowout in the $350,000 De Francis.
BENSALEM, Pa. - There was both delight and disappointment on the part of the connections of Close Hatches after their 3-year-old filly returned from a three-month layoff with a two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx.
Career win No. 23 for the popular Maryland-bred sprinter Ben’s Cat concluded near the Laurel Park grandstand. Floated wider and wider through the stretch run by pacesetting Mr. Online, Ben’s Cat nevertheless scored a neck victory Saturday in the $100,000 Laurel Turf Dash.
Sittin At the Bar won twice Saturday at Louisiana Downs. She finished in a dead-heat with Kisses for Carrots for the win in the $150,000 Elge Rasberry, and with the victory earned a $100,000 bonus from the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
The Elge Rasberry was one of six restricted stakes on the card. The races were worth a cumulative $600,000. Of them, the Elge Rasberry and $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin were originally scheduled for turf, but were moved to the main track after heavy rains hit Friday.
Another year, another layoff winner in the Gallant Bloom Handicap for Steve Asmussen, as Cluster of Stars returned from an absence of better than five months to lead the Grade 2 sprint at Belmont Park from start to finish, emulating what former stablemate Dust and Diamonds did off a two-month absence a year ago.
BENSALEM, Pa. - Coming to the quarter pole of Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx, jockey Paco Lopez, aboard 30-1 shot City of Weston, was looking for a way to get outside into the clear.
“My plan was the outside but I didn’t have a choice, so I had to come through on the rail,” Lopez said.
The 4-year-old filly Geeky Gorgeous made a good impression on jockey Joe Bravo and owner-trainer Daniel Lopez when she pulled a 14-1 upset seven weeks ago in the six-furlong Regret.
Saturday, Bravo passed up the opportunity to ride in richer races out of town to retain the mount on Geeky Gorgeous in the New Jersey Breeders’ Handicap at Monmouth Park. Lopez showed his confidence by sending Geeky Gorgeous to challenge male sprinters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sky Girl came through for new connections and for the many horseplayers who backed her down to odds-on favoritism when posting a hard-earned, 1 1/2-length victory Saturday in a scratch-laden 38th running of the Grade 3, $110,000 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Corey Lanerie, Sky Girl came through a rail opening before finally getting the best of Irish Lute to prevail in the seven-furlong race. Elusive Fate was another neck back in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With four of the seven starters in Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Marty Wolfson felt pretty confident he would win the race. However, even Wolfson seemed a bit surprised that it was My Pal Chrisy – not Grade 1 winner Starship Truffles – who ended up in the winner’s circle after rallying to a two-length decision over Appealing Stella in the 6 1/2-furlong overnight stakes for fillies and mares.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Favored Leigh Court notched her third straight stakes in front-running style Saturday at Woodbine in the $128,250 La Lorgnette.
Leigh Court ($5.80) set honest fractions in the driving rain in the 1 1/16-mile route and then drew off in the lane to prevail by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:43.32. Overheard finished a clear second, and second choice Spring in the Air was a flat third in the six-horse field of 3-year-old fillies.
Gary Boulanger rode Leigh Court for Melnyk Racing Stable and trainer Josie Carroll.
