Sun, 03/17/2013 - 12:44

Sam Houston: Legal Mind stalks to score upset in Spring

Coady Photography/Jack Coady
Legal Mind, ridden by Geraldo Mora, wins the Spring Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 2 1/2 lengths.

Legal Mind rallied up the rail to win the $50,000 Spring, the final stakes of the Sam Houston Race Park meet, by 2 1/2 lengths over Satin Gold. It was another half-length back in third to favorite Bilirrubina. Sam Houston closes its season Monday.

Legal Mind ($18.40) stalked the pace in fourth in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies and went on to cover the distance in 1:39.76. Gerardo Mora rode the winner for Tom Durant and trainer Jack Bruner.

“She's been training really well and my crew has been touting her strongly,” said Bruner.

Sun, 03/17/2013 - 12:36

Oaklawn: Rebel one-two finishers target Blue Grass, Arkansas Derby

Coady Photography
D. Wayne Lukas stablemates Will Take Charge (left) and Oxbow each earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 in the Rebel Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Will Take Charge and Oxbow were separated by inches Saturday in the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel at Oaklawn, but the horses are now expected to go in different directions for their final Kentucky Derby preps. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said on Sunday that Will Take Charge is being considered for the Blue Grass, while Oxbow could go in the Arkansas Derby.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 20:25

Turf Paradise: Mark wakes up on return to turf in Tempe Handicap

Coady Photography
Mark, ridden by David Lopez, relishes the return to turf in the Tempe Handicap for 3-year-olds.

PHOENIX  – Mark moved to grass at Turf Paradise on Saturday and bounced back from a dull run in the Turf Paradise Derby on Feb. 23 to capture the $35,000 Tempe Handicap.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 20:16

Santa Anita: Bright Thought brilliant in Grade 2 San Luis Rey

Benoit & Associaties
Bright Thought scored by 3 1/4 lengths while making his stakes debut Saturday in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bright Thought hasn’t hit his ceiling yet, and that’s a scary thought because he turned in a freakish performance in the Grade 2, $150,750 San Luis Rey Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, powering to a course-record win by 3 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/2-mile grass race.

Bright Thought ($7.40) was on or near the lead throughout under Victor Espinoza, and though this was his first time at the distance, he kept on motoring and won comfortably in 2:22.72, 0.08 seconds faster than the previous record held by Hawkster since Oct. 14, 1989.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 19:42

Rebel Stakes: Lukas one-two as Will Take Charge runs down Oxbow

Coady Photography
Will Take Charge, outside with Jon Court aboard, gets up to nip his stablemate Oxbow in the $600,000 Rebel Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Will Take Charge edged stablemate Oxbow by a head to give his Hall of Fame trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, a one-two finish in the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 19:40

Santa Anita: Joyful Victory grasps elusive Grade 1 win in Santa Margarita

Benoit & Associates
Rosie Napravnik guides Joyful Victory to a four-length score in the Santa Margarita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – It took 17 races and some frustrating near-misses over the course of a couple years, but the ambitious, cross-country schedule mapped out for Joyful Victory by trainer Larry Jones and owner Rick Porter finally earned a Grade 1 dividend on Saturday when Joyful Victory crushed four rivals in the $294,250 Santa Margarita Stakes, the championship race of the Santa Anita meet for older fillies and mares.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 19:27

Oaklawn Park: Tiz Miz Sue repeats in Grade 3 Azeri

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tiz Miz Sue put herself in the Apple Blossom picture Saturday at Oaklawn Park when, before a crowd of 33,963, she defended her title in the Azeri by defeating local divisional leader Don’t Tell Sophia, who was second, and comebacking champion My Miss Aurelia, who was third.

The Grade 3, $150,000 race serves as a steppingstone to the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom, which will be run at Oaklawn on April 12.

“That’s a definite target,” said Steve Hobby, who trains Tiz Miz Sue for Cresran LLC.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 18:32

Gulfstream Park: Centre Court returns sharp in Honey Fox

Courtney Heeney
Centre Court, making her first start since November, wins the Honey Fox under Julien Leparoux.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Centre Court returned from a four-month vacation like she’d never been away, parlaying a perfectly judged ride by Julien Leparoux into a convincing 1 3/4-length victory over Samitar in Saturday’s $150,000 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 18:29

Fair Grounds: Icon Ike wins Colonel Power; Extravaganza takes Happy Ticket

Lou Hodges Jr.
Icon Ike won the $73,500 Colonel Power Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths Saturday.

Icon Ike loves the Fair Grounds turf course, and he won his fourth race from six starts over the local lawn Saturday, capturing the $73,500 Colonel Power Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths.

The win was impressive and, coupled with the general arc of Icon Ike’s form, left the sense that the 4-year-old Icon Ike could take his New Orleans turf-sprint act to bigger stages later this year.

Sat, 03/16/2013 - 18:15

Aqueduct: Elghayoor outkicks heavy favorite in Cicada

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Elghayoor, ridden by Eddie Castro, collects her second straight stakes win in the Cicada.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Despite her victory as a maiden in the Dearly Precious Stakes last month, Elghayoor was dismissed as the 6-1 third choice in Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct.

Elghayoor made her nonbelievers pay dearly as she rallied strongly under Eddie Castro and outfinished 1-2 favorite Highestmaintenance to win the Cicada by one-half length. Highestmaintenance, who tussled early with I’m Mom’s Favorite, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over I’m Mom’s Favorite. Railtown Girl, Kiss the Lady, and Sense of Reality completed the order of finish.