She’s back and better than ever, if Hessonite’s seasonal debut in the Beaugay Stakes is any indication.

Last of six in the 2012 Beaugay on yielding turf before going on to win four stakes and a second straight New York-bred title, Hessonite ($9.80) turned in an exhilarating performance in this year’s edition to inhale the leaders in deep stretch under minimal urging from Junior Alvarado, who swept Saturday’s first two graded turf stakes of the year in New York.

Du Da Dandy and Hard Cider both became stakes winners at Will Rogers Downs on Saturday, when they accounted for separate $50,000 divisions of the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes.

Du Da Dandy ($8.40) controlled the tempo from the start in the 3-year-old colts and geldings division run in the slop, and drew off by 8 3/4 lengths over 2-5 favorite Chuck. It was another 20 lengths back in third to Okie Can Do.

Lubash was the most accomplished 1 1/16-mile turf runner going in, and he burnished his resume by winning Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy in stakes-record time for trainer Christophe Clement, whose other horse in the race, Speaking of Which, ran last as the 7-5 favorite.

Lubash ($11.80) raced three wide throughout under Junior Alvarado as King Kreesa was hustled out to set fractions of 23.23 seconds, 45.71 and 1:08.54 over a Widener turf course that has been playing very fast through a dry and sunny spring.

PHOENIX - The $35,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap, the traditional closing-day event, brings down the curtain on the Turf Paradise meet Tuesday, and the 1 7/8-mile turf marathon drew a field of 12, headed by Southern California raider Porfido.

Also on the Tuesday card is the $35,000 ATBA Spring Sales Stakes, a five-furlong main-track event for 2-year-olds who were consigned to the fall sale. The race drew a field of 12.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Spring in the Air, Canada’s reigning champion 2-year-old filly, held off a charging Smartyfly to take the $150,000 Fury Stakes under Patrick Husbands at Woodbine Saturday.
 
Spring in the Air tracked the leaders on the outside through slow fractions in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. She hit the front nearing the eighth pole, before holding sway to prevail by a half-length in 1:23.51.

Candy Bites prompted a lively pace from the outside and then rallied to a 3 1/4-length win in the $50,000 Babst/Palacios Memorial at Beulah Park Saturday afternoon.

Trained by Jeff Engler, Candy Bites took the lead under Yuri Yaranga entering the stretch of the six-furlong race and extended the margin to the wire. Pacesetter and favorite Klassy Korbin settled for second, a length in front of Raise the Reward in third. Both the second- and third-place finishers were trained by Jeff Radosevich.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A marquee matchup pitting reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan and crack turf horse Point of Entry failed to materialize Saturday in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, following the midafternoon scratch of Point of Entry due to a wet turf course.

But Wise Dan did his best to still make the Grade 1, $546,400 Woodford Reserve memorable on the Kentucky Derby undercard, dominating in a 4 3/4-length win over Optimizer.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Delaunay absolutely dominated his competition Saturday in the 79th running of the Grade 2, $443,600 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

With Rosie Napravnik aboard, Delaunay got a perfect stalking trip, tracking Trinniberg past the half-mile pole before gliding past with ease, winning by four lengths for his seventh win in eight starts since being claimed by Tom Amoss on behalf of owner Maggi Moss.

Delaunay, a 6-year-old gelding, returned $5.80 as favorite in a field of nine older horses. He finished in 1:22.35 over a sloppy track.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Stephanie’s Kitten, away from the races for seven months, returned with a flourish, rallying from last under Julien Leparoux to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $288,750 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.

Returning to her favorite course, and getting the kind of ground over which she has excelled, Stephanie’s Kitten rallied five wide down the lane and outfinished 2-1 favorite Hungry Island to win by a neck. It was three lengths back to Daisy Devine in third.
The win kept owner-breeder Ken Ramsey on a major roll this spring in Kentucky.