NEW ORLEANS – The turf course was soft Saturday for the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap, and jockey Jon Court said he moved Optimizer in and out in search of the best footing.
Optimizer found the ground and the opposition to his liking, powering to a two-length victory over late-running Bim Bam in a field of five-older horses. Two Months Rent finished third. There were seven scratches from the $150,000 race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Mark Hennig said he was excited about stretching out his filly Live Lively around two turns for the first time in Saturday’s $250,000 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park. He was even more excited in the winner’s circle after the race following Live Lively’s wire-to-wire 1 1/2-length victory over the 4-5 favorite Dreaming of Julia in the Grade 2 fixture for 3-year-old fillies.
What looked like two favorites who were hard to separate became a clear-cut choice when trainer Tony Dutrow scratched his New York-based mare Twice the Lady from Saturday’s $75,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes at Laurel Park.
As a result, Moon Philly obviously was the best horse on paper. Bet down to 1-5 odds, she proceeded to turn the 1 1/8-mile stakes for fillies and mares into a paid workout. The 4-year-old Moon Philly, prompting a slow pace set by Touch the Birds, took command approaching the top of the stretch and cruised to her second straight stakes victory in Maryland.
NEW ORLEANS – Heavily favored Daisy Devine, racing on dirt for the first time since October 2011, could not overcome a massive weight concession and a stubborn foe as Snuggs and Kisses upset the $72,750 Bayou Handicap on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
NEW ORLEANS – Scratched from the Risen Star, Sunbean dominated fellow 3-year-old Louisiana-breds in a 4 3/4-length romp in the Gentilly Stakes on Saturday at the Fair Grounds.
Ridden by Colby Hernandez for trainer Al Stall Jr. and Maurice and Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable, Sunbean rated in mid-pack off a fast pace set by Skip the Pinot, who ran the first half-mile while pressed by Heitai in 46.76 seconds. In the stretch, Sunbean swept around rivals and pulled away.
Mucho Macho Man moved one step closer to a possible rematch with Fort Larned in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 9 by working a very easy five furlongs in 1:02.08 under jockey Edgar Prado after the renovation break on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Mucho Macho Man, with Prado keeping him under a tight rein all the way, posted splits of 12.82, 25.02, and 36.96 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.96.
The work was the third for Mucho Macho Man this month with Prado aboard for each of those breezes.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Itsmyluckyday turned in his first workout since upsetting Eclipse Award champion Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 3 Holy Bull when he breezed an easy half-mile in 48.77 seconds at Calder on Saturday morning.
Itsmyluckyday, a son of Lawyer Ron trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. rallied from just off the pace to a two-length victory over Shanghai Bobby in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull on Jan. 26. The win was the second of the meet for Itsmyluckyday, who also captured the Gulfstream Park Derby by nearly seven lengths on New Year’s Day.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Guilt Trip left jockey Joe Talamo eager to see more after the colt’s win in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 2.
The opportunity will come in a race at the highest level – Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap. The Big Cap will be Guilt Trip’s first start over 1 1/4 miles and first stakes against older horses this year.
The distance is not a concern for Talamo.
“I think the more, the merrier,” Talamo said. “The way he ran the other day, he impressed me.”
Made to Love Her, winner of a $100,000 stakes in Southern California as a 2-year-old, and Bayonne, who captured the Pink Ribbon Stakes last fall, head a group of seven fillies and mares in Tuesday night’s $35,000 Violet Handicap at Charles Town.
Both the 4-year-old Made to Love Her, now based at Penn National with trainer Chuck Simon, and the locally based 5-year-old Bayonne come into Tuesday’s seven-furlong feature following layoffs.
HALLANDALE BEACH Fla. - The Rainbow 6 jackpot, which has grown on a daily basis since Dec. 28, was finally hit on Friday when one ticket holder correctly picked all six winners to take down a prize worth $3,591,245 for a 10-cent wager. The payoff is the largest on a single wager in the history of Gulfstream Park.
