ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Nates Mineshaft, who for a period of about three months last year was one of the top horses in the country, is set to return from a lengthy layoff in the Hanshin Cup here at Arlington Park on Saturday.
Nates Mineshaft worked a half-mile in 50.20 seconds under E.T. Baird on Sunday here, a work that pleased his connections enough that they plan to enter Nates Mineshaft on Wednesday in the Hanshin, a one-turn mile on Polytrack.
CYPRESS, Calif. - Glitter in My Face remained unbeaten in three starts after the Quarter Horse filly won her stakes debut in Sunday’s $281,100 Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos.
The Grade 2 Kindergarten was the first futurity of the year in Southern California.
Ridden by Cruz Mendez, Glitter in My Face ($8.80) ran 300 yards in 15.27 seconds. Glitter in My Face broke well, had a one-length lead midway through the race and finished a half-length in front of She Forgives, the 6-5 favorite and fastest qualifier. Hot Cappuccino, a 23-1 shot, finished third.
AUBURN, Wash. – Hoist jumped out to a quick lead and led every step of the way to score a mild upset Sunday in the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap at Emerald Downs.
Aaron Gryder, riding at Emerald Downs for the first time since 2008, was aboard Hoist, who races for Glenn Todd’s North American Thoroughbred Racing Co. and is based at Hastings in Vancouver, British Columbia. Trained north of the border by Troy Taylor, Hoist was saddled Sunday by Emerald-based trainer Mike Puhich.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Iotapa, claimed for $50,000 in a maiden race last June, rallied wide under red-hot jockey Joe Talamo to win Sunday’s $74,920 Railbird Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Talamo swept the three weekend stakes at Hollywood Park. On Saturday, he won the $150,250 Marjorie Everett Handicap on Open Water and the $100,500 Fran’s Valentine Stakes on Unusual Hottie.
California Chrome will be a California-bred 2-year-old colt to follow this summer.
On Friday, in his second start, California Chrome won a maiden special weight race over 4 1/2 furlongs by 2 3/4 lengths in 52.42 seconds. A colt by Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome was second in his debut April 26.
Art Sherman trains California Chrome for breeders Martin Perry and Steve Coburn.
Unusual Hottie will have a brief vacation following her first stakes win in Saturday’s $100,500 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred females on turf.
Unusual Hottie won her second race in as many starts this year in the Fran’s Valentine, closing from third in a field of seven to win by three-quarters of a length over Sugarinthemorning.
A 4-year-old filly owned by Seyyed Nilforushan, Unusual Hottie won an optional claimer here April 25, her first start of 2013 and her initial start for trainer Jeff Mullins. Unusual Hottie joined Mullins’s stable in February.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A $10,000 claim submitted for race winner Plenny of Henny in Sunday’s first race at Betfair Hollywood Park was voided after the 4-year-old gelding was ruled to be unsound in the receiving barn after the race, stewards said.
It was the first time that a new rule that took effect last Thursday was utilized, voiding the claim of a horse who dies on the racetrack or is found to be unsound by the official or state veterinarian immediately after the race. The California Horse Racing Board passed the rule earlier this year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The improving Coffee Clique came from off a sizzling pace to land her first stakes win in the Grade 3, $156,300 Selene at Woodbine on Sunday.
Racing with a substantial lead, longshot Leigh Court set fractions of 23.24 seconds, 46.66, and 1:11.48 in the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-old fillies. She began to tire on the far turn, and Coffee Clique hit the front early in the stretch and went on to score by four lengths in a snappy 1:43.63.
Deniro's Saint, under jockey Rodrigo Vergara, prompted the pace to the outside of heavy favorite Blazing Bling to upper stretch and drew clear to win by two lengths in the $50,000 Tomboy Stakes at Beulah Park on Sunday.
A 3-year-old Ohio-bred filly trained by Joshua Faulkner, Deniro's Saint drifted out a bit in the stretch but still was good enough to hold sway late.
Blazing Bling, under Deshawn Parker, set the pace but gave way late and finished second, 10 1/2 lengths in front of She's the Prize in third.
