Trainer Blane Wood swept the first two places in the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday, when Ms First Prize Rose edged stablemate Belle Helene by a nose. It was a neck back to Potenzza in third.
The Rainbow was the second leg of Ruidoso’s rich series for 2-year-olds that concludes on Labor Day with the $2.6 million All American Futurity.
DEL MAR, Calif. – He Be Fire N Ice has won four consecutive races on turf since early April. The 5-year-old horse may never run on the main track again after winning his first stakes in Sunday’s $150,750 California Dreamin’ Handicap on grass at Del Mar.
Since he returned to racing in February following an 18-month break caused by a tendon injury, He Be Fire N Ice has won 4 of 5 starts, with each win coming on turf. The California Dreamin’ Handicap, restricted to California-breds, was He Be Fire N Ice’s third consecutive win.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Paynter was pronounced fit for his 2013 stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap by trainer Bob Baffert after working five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at Del Mar on Sunday morning.
Lady Jila came back against the favored Ize in Trouble for a neck win in the $40,000 Columbine Stakes at Arapahoe Park on Sunday. Ize in Trouble held second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Lady Contender.
Lady Jila ($21.40) set fractions of 23.60 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.14 for the half-mile, and 1:11.26 for six furlongs before being overtaken by Ize in Trouble, who was attempting to give trainer Brian Stivers his third stakes win at the meet. Lady Jila fought back and won the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares in 1:44.06.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Ju Ju Eyeballs won the $61,200 Just Smashing Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters Sunday to cap a weekend of stakes upsets at Monmouth Park for jockey Paco Lopez.
On Saturday, Lopez guided Hard Enough to a 12-1 score in the Jersey Derby. One day later, Lopez and Ju Ju Eyeballs took the Just Smashing at 6-1, as Blueeyesintherein, the 4-5 favorite, ran fifth.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wired Bryan, the only New York-bred in the field, gave trainer Michael Dilger the first graded stakes winner and the first stakes victory of any kind in his brief career when drawing off to a convincing 5 1/4-length decision over the 22-1 Southern Blessing in Sunday’s $200,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bruce Brown thought he had an up-and-coming turf-sprint stakes horse in the 4-year-old Spring to the Sky. But in Sunday’s $100,000 Fiddlers Patriot Stakes at Saratoga, it was the hard-knocking 7-year-old Strong Impact who got the job done for Brown.
Getting a ground-saving trip from Alex Solis, Strong Impact rallied powerfully in the stretch and ran down the pacesetting Tightend Touchdown to win by three-quarters of a length. Tightend Touchdown held second by a half-length over Varsity.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association held its Stallion Auction Stakes on Sunday at Canterbury Park. The two races, run at 6 1/2 furlongs and carrying purses of $35,000 each, were run over a sloppy surface after morning storms saturated the racetrack.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – So Long George ($23.60) notched his first stakes win after an ideal inside trip under Emma-Jayne Wilson in the $216,000 Nijinsky at Woodbine on Sunday.
So Long George stalked in fourth on the backstretch and through the turn in the Grade 2 fixture. Artic Fern and Grand Arch linked up on the lead through moderate fractions over the firm ground before Grand Arch assumed command in the stretch.
So Long George came through an opening along the rail near the top of the lane and went on to prevail by three-quarters of a length over 22-1 shot Hampstead Heath.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Leigh Court, coming off a second-place finish in the 6 1/2-furlong prep for the Duchess Stakes, became a stakes winner in the main event here Sunday.
Under a heads-up ride by Gary Boulanger, Leigh Court assumed command on the far turn and cut out moderate fractions en route to a 5 1/2-length victory in the $125,750 Duchess, an open, seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.
