Missy Rules and Ile St. Molly each upset a division of the Our Mims Stakes on Saturday’s opening day of the Delaware Park meeting the same way - grabbing a clear early lead and never relinquishing it. Missy Rules won the first division of the Our Mims, the sixth race, while Ile St. Molly won the second division, the eighth race. Each division was for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the main track.
BALTIMORE – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas had the competition surrounded in the Grade 2, $300,000 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, sending out Skyring to a wire-to-wire win at 24-1 and uncoupled stablemate Optimizer to a third-place finish. The horses were split by Willcox Inn.
“It was wonderful,” Lukas said of the efforts from the horses he trains for Calumet Farm.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The favored Bear’s Gem notched her first stakes while registering her fifth straight victory Saturday at Woodbine in the $126,200 Ballade, a six-furlong dash for Ontario-sired females.
Bear’s Gem ($6.20) awaited room at the five-sixteenths pole and then followed a stalking Dance to the Moon exiting the turn before kicking clear to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:11.08. Dance to the Moon finished a clear second over Grace Phil, who edged out Hurricane Lorraine for third in the bulky 11-horse field.
BALTIMORE – Sage Valley came back Saturday at Pimlico just as good as he left last fall, scoring an emphatic, 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap for his fourth straight win.
Although he had been off for more than six months, Sage Valley ($6.60), the favorite, was ready for a sharp effort, and he benefited from a perfect, stalking trip under jockey John Velazquez in the six-furlong race.
Raise the Reward dueled for the early lead but shook clear on the turn to win the $50,000 Michael F. Rowland Memorial at Thistledown under a hand ride Saturday.
A 7-year-old gelding, Raise the Reward dueled to the turn with Catlaunch before shaking clear to lead into the stretch by two and a half lengths. Jockey Jacob Radosevich sat chilly on his mount through the stretch and the final margin of victory was two lengths.
Beau Mec closed for second after being fourth early, while Catlaunch hung on for third.
BALTIMORE - The Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was riding his first race for trainer Chad Brown when he climbed aboard Pianist in the Grade 3, $150,000 Gallorette Handicap at Pimlico on Saturday. If first impressions count for much, it won’t be the last.
BALTIMORE – Trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Joel Rosario regularly teamed together long before Rosario became one of the hottest riders in the game, and the pair was at it again Saturday at Pimlico Race Course with Redwood Kitten.
Redwood Kitten turned in a powerful, front-running performance in the $100,000 James W. Murphy, winning the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by a length over Shining Copper. It was another three lengths back in third to Notacatbutallama.
BALTIMORE – Minutes after the first rain shower of the racing day, Summer Applause proved a popular winner of the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico.
Summer Applause, who paid $5.20 as the favorite, turned back a stretch challenge from Sea Island to score by two lengths. Brushed by a Star, the 2-1 second choice, never was a serious threat after loping along last in the field of five early behind a very slow pace. She did manage third, though, finishing three lengths behind the runner-up.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Paynter, winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational last August who later survived a bout with laminitis, is nearing a comeback.
Friday, the 4-year-old Paynter worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Hollywood Park, his sixth workout on the surface since mid-April. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico with Fiftyshadesofhay, said that he has not selected a race for Paynter’s return.
“He still has a ways to go,” Baffert said.
BALTIMORE - It had been mentioned to trainer Bob Baffert early on Saturday that speed wasn’t very good at Pimlico.
“Hey, wait til Zee Bros gets on it,” Baffert responded.
Zee Bros, with Martin Garcia up, made a slow track look quick as he blitzed his eight rivals with a front-running 2 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.
