My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, worked a half-mile in 50.20 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita, her first workout since a third-place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes here on Dec. 26.
That loss may have cost My Miss Aurelia the title of champion 3-year-old filly of 2012. When Eclipse Award votes were announced on Saturday, Questing beat My Miss Aurelia by four first-place votes, 106-102.
The Steve Asmussen-trained Great Mills, fourth in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, nearly lowered the Santa Anita track record for about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course with a win in Sunday’s second race, a third-level optional $80,000 claimer.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Great Mills ($3.60) led throughout and won by a length over Irish Art in 1:11.16. The 2008 course record of 1:11.10 was set by California Flag, who won the BC Turf Sprint in 2009.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A Jealous Woman is expected to start in the $150,000 Buena Vista Stakes over a mile on turf on Feb. 18 after her first win in an open stakes in Saturday’s $92,500 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.
A Jealous Woman won her second stakes in her last three starts in the one-mile Megahertz. She won the restricted Swingtime Stakes here in October before finishing a game second to Rhythm of Light in the Grade2 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 4.
For the first time, someone with direct ties to Charles Town was honored with an Eclipse Award when jockey Jose Montano was named the outstanding apprentice for 2012 at Saturday night’s awards dinner at Gulfstream Park.
Montano, 26, easily beat out New York-based rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Angel Suarez, who rides primarily at Parx Racing and Penn National, to win the award. Three years ago, Charles Town-based Luis Batista was nominated as the nation’s top apprentice, but finished third behind Luis Saez and winner Christian Santiago Reyes.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.- Trainer Kathy Ritvo said Mucho Macho Man seemed none the worse for wear on Sunday morning after being eased by jockey Mike Smith the previous afternoon as the odd- on favorite in the Sunshine Millions Classic.
Smith said immediately after the race that Mucho Macho Man kept putting his head higher and higher while racing around the second turn and guaranteed something was wrong inside. But Ritvo and stable manager Finn Green said they could find nothing wrong with Mucho Macho Man once going over their horse back at the barn after the race.
Coyote Legend wired the field in the $100,000 Star of Texas Stales at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night to win his first start since earning 2012 Texas-bred horse of the year honors. The race was one of four Texas-bred stakes on the card, and Coyote Legend’s trainer, Bret Calhoun, and his jockey, Cliff Berry, won three of the races.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A Jealous Woman, who was out of training for a little more than a week last month because of a bruised foot, won her second stakes in her last three starts in Saturday’s $92,500 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.
Nine horses went into the gate for the Lecomte Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, but there was only one worth talking about when the dust had cleared. Oxbow delivered a breakout performance, winning by 11 ½ lengths while – if he wasn’t camped there already – putting trainer Wayne Lukas on the Kentucky Derby trail.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Don’t Tell Sophia established herself as a mare to be reckoned with this meet at Oaklawn Park, when she powered to a 7 1/4-length win in the $75,000 Pippin on Saturday. The race was the track’s first prep for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, and winning trainer Phil Sims said the mare could run back in the next race in the series, the $100,000 Bayakoa on Feb. 16.
“We’ll give it a few days and see,” said Sims, who also co-owns Don’t Tell Sophia with Jerry Namy.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – What was billed as a two-horse race turned into a one-sided victory for Ron the Greek, who cruised to a decisive 11 1/4-length triumph over Cash Rules in Saturday’s $400,000 Sunshine Millions Classic. Mucho Macho Man, the defending champ and 1-5 favorite in the Classic, stopped abruptly after racing forwardly for six furlongs and was ultimately eased to the wire by jockey Mike Smith.
