Sun, 09/01/2013 - 19:04

Saratoga: Sweet Reason rallies through slop to win Spinaway

Barbara D. Livingston
Sweet Reason and jockey Alex Solis win the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths Sunday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The betting public expressed its confidence in Sweet Reason early and often prior to Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. Sweet Reason, with a maiden victory in the slop Aug. 9, opened at 8-5 and floated up to be the 5-2 second choice in a race filled with strong pedigrees and high-profile connections.

Leah Gyarmati, the trainer of Sweet Reason, was sure of only one thing.

“I knew she’d come running at the end,” Gyarmati said. “I just didn’t know where that would put us.”

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 18:48

Del Mar: Beholder makes successful return in Torrey Pines Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Beholder and jockey Gary Stevens won the Torrey Pines Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths Sunday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – For a filly who can make things more difficult than need be, Beholder had an easy time of it in returning to action Sunday at Del Mar, romping in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in what was pretty much a paid workout.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 17:45

Thistledown: Caviar N Champagne wires DeBartolo Memorial

Caviar N Champagne led from start to finish to win the $50,000 Rose DeBartolo Memorial by 2 3/4 lengths at Thistledown on Sunday.

Ridden by Scott Spieth for trainer Jeff Radosevich, Caviar N Champagne led while under a snug hold to midstretch. Spieth kept the 4-year-old filly off the rail and went to work on his mount at the eighth pole, keeping her mind on business as she stopped the clock for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:46.20.

Pay the Man, under Ricky Feliciano, chased the winner but finished second, 2 3/4 lengths in front of Startin Something in third.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 17:32

Del Mar to consider adding races to 2014 summer meeting

DEL MAR, Calif. – Del Mar officials will consider expanding the racing schedule for the track’s 2014 summer meeting after field sizes showed a notable increase at the current meeting, which ends Wednesday.

Track President Joe Harper said Sunday that adding races to the existing 37-day calendar would be a likely option instead of adding racing days. “It certainly is a thought, just seeing how strong the entries have been for most of the meet,” Harper said. “I think it’s something we need to talk about.”

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 17:27

Beulah Park: Needmore Flattery dominates Tah Dah Stakes

Needmore Flattery remained undefeated after posting a 6 1/2-length victory in the $50,000 Kevin Goemmer Tah Dah Stakes at the River Downs at Beulah Park meet Sunday.

Jockey Irwin Rosendo kept the 2-year-old filly off the early pace in the six-furlong statebred event. Rosendo roused Needmore Flattery in the stretch, and she got through along the rail to take a 1 1/2-length lead at the eighth pole.

Needmore Flattery poured it on late and cruised to her fifth victory in as many starts. It was only the second time she has faced horses of her own gender.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 16:39

Woodbine: San Nicola Thunder scores upset in Vice Regent Stakes

Michael Burns
San Nicola Thunder (inside), with Justin Stein aboard, wins the Vice Regent Stakes by a neck over County Lineman on Sunday at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – San Nicola Thunder ($49.10) notched his first stakes win in Sunday’s $125,400 Vice Regent, giving jockey Justin Stein a sweep of the two stakes on the Woodbine card.

Stein, who also won the $104,800 Avowal Stakes on Part the Seas, rated San Nicola Thunder in fifth in the one-mile turf route before they commenced a three-wide rally exiting the turn. San Nicola Thunder hit the front near the eighth pole and then held on to prevail by a neck over another son of leading Ontario sire Silent Name, County Lineman.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 15:08

Woodbine: Part the Seas gets first stakes win in Avowal

Michael Burns
Part the Seas (No. 3), ridden by Justin Stein, wins the Avowal Stakes by three-quarters of a length Sunday at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Part the Seas, making her first start since being claimed for $62,500 here Aug. 3, rallied from seventh place to assume command in midstretch and went on to score by three-quarters of a length in Sunday’s $104,800 Avowal Stakes over seven furlongs on a firm turf course.

Justin Stein was aboard Part the Seas, who became a stakes winner in the Avowal for her new trainer, Mike De Paulo, and the Bear Stables of Danny Dion.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 13:59

Saratoga: Samitar gets hard-fought win in Speed Boat Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Samitar (left) and jockey Javier Castellano beat Baffle Me by a neck in Sunday's $100,000 Speed Boat Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown thought long and hard about whether to run or scratch Grade 1 winner Samitar from Sunday’s $100,000 Speed Boat Stakes due to the condition of the turf course, which had been softened by rain over the previous 48 hours. But in the end, he made the right decision, leaving Samitar in to register a hard-fought neck victory over a game Baffle Me in the overnight stakes for fillies and mares.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 13:51

Saratoga: Alpha, Flat Out eye Jockey Club Gold Cup

John Bambury
Alpha, on the rail with rider John Velazquez, holds on to his lead to defeat Flat Out in the Woodward.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Alpha and Flat Out, separated by a head in Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward Stakes in the slop at Saratoga, could meet again next month at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a race Flat Out has won in each of the last two years.

Alpha, under an aggressive ride from John Velazquez, went gate to wire in the Woodward, holding off Flat Out, who drifted out a path or two in the stretch before trying to come back on Alpha.

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 12:39

Woodbine: Chernetz appeals three-day suspension

Michael Burns
Lexie Lou (No. 4) was put up by the stewards after On Rainbow Bridge (inside) was disqualified for interference in the stretch.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Apprentice jockey Skye Chernetz has appealed a three-day suspension imposed by the stewards for her ride aboard On Rainbow Bridge, who finished first here in last Wednesday night’s $200,000 Muskoka Stakes but was disqualified and placed second.

The stewards penalized Chernetz for “failing to keep a straight course, going out with her mount On Rainbow Bridge, and causing interference on Lexie Lou.”

On Rainbow Bridge, the 6-5 favorite, had hit the finish line a nose in front of Lexie Lou, who was awarded the victory at odds of 17-1.