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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There is an increasing likelihood that divisions of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby will be run Sept. 1.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Topic, a 3-year-old filly trained by Neil Drysdale, spent the summer growing up.
Friday, Topic won the first stakes of her career in the $95,700 California Thoroughbred Trainers and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap at Del Mar. The only 3-year-old filly in a field of nine fillies and mares, Topic closed from last to win by 3 1/4 lengths, finishing 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:12.85.
