DEL MAR, Calif. – Reneesgotzip made a track record look easy with a cozy win in Sunday’s $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Ridden by a confident Garrett Gomez, Reneesgotzip led throughout the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo, running 6 1/2 furlongs in a track-record time of 1:14.48. The previous mark of 1:14.93 was set by Carlsbad in the 2009 Rancho Bernardo.
Diavoletto saved ground to upper stretch and was all out to get up in time and win the $50,000 Honey Jay Stakes by three-quarters of a length at Thistledown on Sunday.
Trained by Mike Rone and ridden by Augustin Bracho, Diavoletto was swung out into the stretch and split horses late to win in 1:10.02 for six furlongs over a fast track. Sneak a Cold Treat set quick fractions but tired to settle for second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of the late-closing Pyrite Green in third.
The 2012 Ohio Sprinter of the Year, Diavoletto returned $12.80 to win.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – What a weekend for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Joe Bravo.
On Saturday, they teamed up to win the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga with Big Blue Kitten. On Sunday at Monmouth Park, they struck again as Last Gunfighter edged San Pablo in a stirring renewal of the Grade 3, $148,500 Philip H. Iselin Stakes.
Last Gunfighter and San Pablo, the defending Iselin winner, hooked up turning for home in a slugfest to the wire. Last Gunfighter and Bravo mustered one final surge, edging San Pablo by a head.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The favored Up With the Birds pulled away late after some anxious moments to take the 123rd running of the $500,800 Breeders’ Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine on Sunday.
Up With the Birds ($3.10) raced in midpack under Eurico Rosa da Silva as longshot Dragon Puff set slow fractions over firm turf in the 1 1/2-mile marathon. Up With the Birds made his way to the lead exiting the far turn and then put away River Seven in the stretch to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths in 2:28.69.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The favored Forte Dei Marmi ($4.40) won the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes for the second year in a row Sunday at Woodbine and lowered the 1 1/4-mile course record under Eurico Rosa da Silva.
After racing in fifth on the backstretch, Forte Dei Marmi commenced a three-wide rally on the far turn and then hit the front near the eighth pole before drawing clear for a 2 1/4-length tally over Hampstead Heath.
After pressing a moderate early pace, Grand Arch wound up third. He was followed by Hotep, Irish Mission, Perfect Timber, Classic Bryce, and Peyton.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Silentio, the winner of the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes at Santa Anita in December, has not started since finishing fifth to reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Byrama worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Del Mar on Sunday, a workout that left trainer Simon Callaghan debating whether to start the 4-year-old filly against males in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25.
The winner of the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park in June, Byrama would be the only female in the Pacific Classic, the meeting’s top race for older horses.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The connections of Princess of Sylmar have not ruled out running their three-time Grade 1-winning filly again this year but won’t be in a hurry to make a decision.
“There’s still a chance we’ll run again,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Princess of Sylmar for owner and breeder Ed Stanco. “I haven’t really had a chance to talk to Ed, and I don’t think we’ll come to any firm conclusions for a little bit.”
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Mike de Kock watched the Arlington Million from the office in his stables at Newmarket in England. As the race concluded, de Kock saw his runner, The Apache, cross the finish line first, holding clear a late challenge from Real Solution.
“It was only a side-on view, so it was difficult to see anything,” de Kock said. “Then there was the call to hold all tickets and the jockey’s objection. When we saw the head-on view, my heart sank.”
