Sat, 06/15/2013 - 18:31

Monmouth: Ju Ju Eyeballs goes from last to first in Crank It Up

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Paco Lopez guides Ju Ju Eyeballs to her fourth straight victory in the Crank It Up.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - It all came together for Ju Ju Eyeballs as she extended her winning streak to four in the $62,400 Crank It Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Not bad for a $15,000 claim last December at Gulfsteam Park.

She has certainly hit her best stride for trainer Jason Servis, especially since switching to grass for the last three races.

The early trailer in the 5 1/2 furlong dash, Ju Ju Eyeballs and jockey Paco Lopez roared into contention with a three-wide sweep on the turn.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 18:20

Golden Gate Fields: First-time starter Skydreamin wins Lost in the Fog photo

Vassar Photography
Skydreamin (2), ridden by Russell Baze, prevails by a head over runner-up Tupelo Cush (rail), who was a nose in front of Olympic Jumble.

Skydreamin, an $80,000 purchase at the Ocala March 2-year-olds-in-training sale, proved gamest in the lane as he captured the $55,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes in his racing debut Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

Skydreamin ($5.20) scored a hard-fought victory after a thrilling three-way battle through the stretch after running into trouble early and racing greenly.

A son of Sky Mesa, Skydreamin broke well from post 2, but veered in and bumped favored Olympic Jumble. Skydreamin fell back to last, five lengths behind Olympic Jumble after the opening quarter.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 18:19

Hollywood Park: Sprouts shows growth in Cinderella Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Sprouts and jockey Mario Gutierrez won the Cinderella Stakes to give trainer Edward Freeman his first stakes win in Southern California.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sprouts won the first stakes of the year for 2-year-old fillies in Southern California in Saturday’s $100,250 Cinderella, a milestone win for trainer Edward Freeman.

Freeman, 53, won his first stakes in Southern California with Sprouts, who became the first stakes winner for her stallion, Square Eddie.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez for Paul and Zillah Reddam – the jockey and owners who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby with I’ll Have Another – Sprouts ($8) won the Cinderella by 3 1/2 lengths over Pleasant Miss, a 5-2 shot, with Time for Angie third.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 18:11

Belmont Park: Pletcher, Velazquez strike in Hill Prince with Notacatbutallama

Joe Labozzeta/NYRA
Notacatbutallama, ridden by John Velazquez, outfinishes Play It Loud to win the Grade 3 Hill Prince by a neck on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher’s 3-year-olds are pretty good on turf, too.

One week after winning the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes with Palace Malice and the Grade 2 Woody Stephens with Forty Tales, Pletcher captured the Grade 3, $150,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park with Notacatbutallama, who worked an outside-inside-outside trip and outfinished longshot Play It Loud to win by a neck.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 17:59

Arlington Park: Coalport takes Black Tie Affair

Four Footed Fotos
Coalport, under James Graham, wins the Black Tie Affair by 2 3/4 lengths Saturday.

At Fair Grounds last winter, Coalport gave the impression of a horse whose best races might have come early in his career. That impression is changing.

Coalport’s rise has been helped along by a move from open company to Illinois-bred competition, but there may be more to it than just that, and a sharp victory in the $87,850 Black Tie Affair Handicap on Saturday at Arlington suggested that Coalport could be ready for a return to open stakes competition.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 17:11

Delaware: Bryan's Jewel turns Obeah into second stakes victory in eight days

HoofprintsInc.com
Bryan's Jewel, on the inside with Alex Cintron aboard, outlasts And Why, ridden by Joshua Navarro, to win the first graded stakes of her career in the Grade 3 Obeah.

Bryan’s Jewel had to work harder than her 1-5 odds dictated, but she still got the job done Saturday, winning her second stakes at Delaware Park on back-to-back weekends.

A week after scoring by 3 3/4 lengths in the off-the-turf John Rooney Memorial, the 5-year-old Bryan’s Jewel ($2.60) outfought 10-1 outsider And Why Not to win the Grade 3, $109,125 Obeah Stakes for fillies and mares.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 17:01

Woodbine: Ultimate Destiny by a head in Steady Growth Stakes

Michael Burns
Ultimate Destiny (No. 6) beats Good Better Best by a head in the Steady Growth Stakes on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ultimate Destiny ($9.50) edged out Good Better Best to notch his first stakes victory Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,800 Steady Growth.

Ultimate Destiny had an ideal stalking trip in the 1 1/16-mile route and took dead aim at Good Better Best in the stretch before getting up by a head in 1:44.33. Bobcaygeon finished another four lengths back in third, a nose in front of Head Honcho. The favored Fifty Proof faded to sixth in the field of 10 Ontario-sired runners after tracking a slow pace on the outside.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 15:56

Arlington Park: La Tia impresses in Lincoln Heritage

Four Footed Fotos
La Tia, under Constantino Roman, wins the Lincoln Heritage Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths Saturday.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Illinois-bred filly La Tia was a good 3-year-old, stepping out of statebred-restricted competition to win the Grade 3 Arlington Oaks and the $153,000 La Lorgnette at Woodbine. But from the appearance of things, she might be even better at 4.

La Tia cruised to a third-level allowance victory May 11 while making her first start of the year, and she just as easily won the $83,400 Lincoln Heritage Stakes for Illinois-breds on Saturday at Arlington in her second race this season.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 15:52

Belmont Park: Dance to Bristol shows she belongs with Bed o' Roses win

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Dance to Bristol, ridden by Xavier Perez, makes it five in a row with this victory in the Bed o' Roses.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Dance to Bristol more than passed her audition.

Returning to New York for the first time in 17 months, Dance to Bristol rolled to a 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Bed o’ Roses Handicap at Belmont Park.

Fantasy of Flight, who set the pace, held second by one length over Delightful Quality. Withgreatpleasure finished fourth followed by Willet. Munnings Sister, who won the Smart and Fancy Stakes here on Thursday, scratched.

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 15:04

NYRA hearing turned on ear by union members

ELMONT, N.Y. – A public hearing at Belmont Park on Saturday morning turned rowdy and raucous when union members, unhappy with the pace of contract negotiations, shouted down members of the New York Racing Association’s management team.

The forum, moderated by NYRA television analyst Andy Serling, was an opportunity for racing fans to open a dialogue with the operators of Belmont, Aqueduct, and Saratoga. A crowd of more than 100 packed the Trustees’ Room on the second floor of the clubhouse.