Sat, 06/22/2013 - 22:33

Churchill Downs: Fiftyshadesofgold much the best in Debutante

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fittingly on a Western-themed nighttime Saturday card at Churchill Downs, one even including jockeys riding a mechanical bull between races, it was a Texas-bred filly, Fiftyshadesofgold, who proved an eight-length winner of the $113,400 Debutante for 2-year-old fillies.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 21:47

Colonial Turf Cup: London Lane connects at 50-1

Coady Photography
Horatio Karamanos brings home London Lane to the biggest victory of his career in the Grade 2 Colonial Turf Cup.

London Lane, the longest shot in an eight-horse field, came rolling down the center of the track under Horacio Karamanos to post a $102.60 shocker in the Grade 2, $300,000 Colonial Turf Cup on Saturday night at Colonial Downs.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 20:54

Pleasanton: Let Faith Arise capitalizes on speed duel in California Wine Stakes

Vassar Photography
Let Faith Arise, ridden by Russell Baze, comes from off the pace to win the California Wine Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Let Faith Arise let Tribal Gal and Marks Mine duel through fast fractions before pulling clear in the stretch as she won her stakes debut in the $58,050 California Wine Stakes at the Alameda County Fair on Saturday.

Let Faith Arise ($5.60) rallied nicely to win an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields on June 9, but a nice half-mile work on June 18 convinced trainer Jerry Hollendorfer to bring the Kafwain filly back after only a 13-day rest.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 20:17

Penn National: Lightning Electric stays perfect on turf by taking Smarty Jones HBPA

In April, Lightning Electric remained a 6-year-old maiden after failing to beat $7,000 claimers sprinting on dirt. Saturday, Lightning Electric became a stakes winner.

After beginning his career by going 1 for 8 on dirt, Lightning Electric is now 2 for 2 since he was tried going long on turf after taking the $60,000 Smarty Jones HBPA at Penn National.

The Smarty Jones was the second of two turf stakes restricted to the offspring of Pennsylvania stallions on a 10-race card devoted to Pennsylvania-bred and Pennsylvania-sired horses.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 18:59

Belmont Park: Close Hatches rolls to upset victory in Mother Goose

Barbara D. Livingston
Close Hatches was never threatened coming down the stretch under a hand ride from Joel Rosario.

ELMONT, N.Y. - One week removed from watching his own heavily favored Royal Delta get upset in a graded stakes at Churchill Downs, trainer Bill Mott turned the tables on another heavy favorite, as Close Hatches rolled to a 7 1/4-length victory over 1-5 shot Dreaming of Julia in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park.

Dreaming of Julia, who got shuffled back to last on the far turn, rallied to get second by a half-length over Marathon Lady. Toasting and Sister State completed the order of finish.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 18:47

Monmouth: My Place Anytime drills heavy favorite in Blue Sparkler

David Owens/Equi-Photo
My Place Anytime scores a 9-1 upset in the Blue Sparkler over 3-5 favorite Silverette.

My Place Anytime raced 7-10 favorite Silverette into submission to win her first stakes, the $61,200 Blue Sparkler for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park.

A $5,000 claim here last summer by trainer Yvon Belsoeur, My Place Anytime was stepping up following a second-level victory earlier this month. The 5-year-old now has six wins in nine starts since the claim, none bigger than this.

The race played out exactly as expected with Silverette, breaking from the rail, and the speedy My Place Anytime contesting the early pace in a head-to-head battle.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 18:27

Calder: Mike Smith sweeps stakes with Yes I'm Lucky and Sweetmarys Success

Coady Photography
Jockey Mike Smith is all smiles after winning his second stakes on Saturday's card at Calder with Yes I'm Lucky.

MIAMI - Winning a $100,000 stakes race with a promising 2-year-old will make any trainer smile. But winning Calder's Frank Gomez Memorial on Saturday with Yes I'm Lucky was extra special for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

"Winning this race today was very special to me. We were the second outfit into the grounds and he [Gomez] was right behind us when this place opened 40 years ago," said Plesa referring to himself and his father, Eddie Plesa Sr. "Frank was stabled next to me and we were close friends for a long time. He was just a great guy."

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 17:45

Hollywood Oaks: Doinghardtimeagain changes tactics to beat open company

Benoit & Associates
Rafael Bejarano guides Doinghardtime to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Doinghardtimeagain won the fourth stakes of her nine-race career in Saturday’s $150,000 Hollywood Oaks at Betfair Hollywood Park, a victory that displayed the filly’s marked improvement over recent months.

The Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks was Doinghardtimeagain’s first stakes win against open company and was achieved with different tactics than her previous stakes wins. In the Soviet Problem Stakes last December, and the Evening Jewel and Melair Stakes earlier this year, Doinghardtimeagain stalked the pace and pulled clear in the final furlong.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 17:07

Woodbine: Conquest Whiplash romps in Victoria Stakes

Michael Burns
Conquest Whiplash is first filly to win the Victoria Stakes since Honky Tonk Tune in 1994.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Conquest Whiplash ($3.80) trounced the boys in her debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $153,000 Victoria Stakes.

Conquest Whiplash broke outward and bumped Enthrone before darting out to the lead in the five-furlong dash. She never looked back after an opening quarter-mile in 22.16 seconds, and coasted home on top by 2 3/4 lengths in 58.19 seconds.

First-time starter Ba Ba Brett rallied wide to finish a clear second over Bold 'n Golden, who outran 2-1 second choice No Fruit Degroote for third in the six-horse field.

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 16:54

Belmont Park: Lovely Syn breaks down, to have surgery

Tom Keyser
Lovely Syn's racing career is over after she took a bad step in training.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Lovely Syn, the undefeated New York-bred 3-year-old filly, fractured a sesamoid bone in her left foreleg during a workout Saturday morning at Belmont Park, trainer Dominick Schettino said.

While Lovely Syn's racing career is finished, she was shipped to the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania on Saturday and was scheduled to undergo surgery on Sunday in hopes of being saved as a broodmare prospect.