ARCADIA, Calif. – Sahara Sky was entered in Saturday’s $150,500 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita as a horse returning from a seven-month layoff in need of a race.
The gamble of starting the four-time winner in his first graded stakes resulted in the first stakes win for the 5-year-old, who benefited from a perfect trip.
The Coteau Grove Farm of Louisianans Keith and Ginger Myers privately purchased Touch Magic after her second-place finish in the Delta Princess Stakes on Nov. 17. Already, the filly looks like a good buy.
There was no blowout track-record performance, as had been the case when Infrattini last started in November at Churchill Downs, but Infrattini’s victory Saturday in the $100,000 Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds still seemed more meaningful than his Kentucky fireworks in the fall. He defeated a graded-stakes-winning foe in Mark Valeski and did so in stakes rather than allowance competition while stretching his sharp form from a one-turn mile to a two-turn true route.
Lotta Lovin reaffirmed her fondness for the Turfway Park surface Saturday when romping to a 10 1/4-length victory in the 23rd running of the $50,000 Likely Exchange Stakes at the northern Kentucky track.
Getting a great stalking trip under Shane Sellers in the field of 12 fillies and mares, Lotta Lovin returned $4.40 as the heavy favorite. Yankee Union, the 4-1 second choice, was a clear-cut second after also getting a good inside trip and finishing 3 3/4 lengths before Off Limits.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After what she described as a “rough week,” Michelle Nevin finally was able to smile on Saturday at Gulfstream Park when she sent out Teaks North for a front-running, upset victory in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In what was perhaps a harbinger of things to come later in the evening, trainer Shivananda Parbhoo sent out Off the Jak to register a three-quarter-length decision over an unlucky Bahamian Squall in Saturday’s $150,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park.
Gulfstream was to play host Saturday evening to the Eclipse Awards ceremonies where Parbhoo’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Trinniberg was favored to win the award as champion Sprinter in 2012.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though he had just won Saturday’s $75,000 Evening Attire Stakes at Aqueduct aboard Last Gunfighter, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was not in a celebratory mood.
Ortiz only picked up the mount on Last Gunfighter from Ramon Dominguez, who sustained a fractured skull as a result of a spill at Aqueduct on Friday and remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Jamaica Medical Center Hospital. Ortiz became available when his mount for the race, Norman Asbjornson, scratched to run in Monday’s Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel.
Both Balance the Books and Noble Tune proved themselves among the elite 2-year-olds of 2012, but only on turf. Several horses in recent years have won the Kentucky Derby after beginning their careers on grass, so Chad Brown, who trains both horses, said he will give both the opportunity to make the Derby.
Trainer Mike Trombetta gave himself a back-up plan for Ore Pass by entering his lightly raced 3-year-old in a one-mile, first-level allowance on this Thursday’s card at Laurel Park. As it turned out, Trombetta won’t have to use that insurance policy.
Ore Pass, who flopped as the 4-5 favorite in an allowance sprint at Parx Racing two weeks ago, returned Saturday and redeemed himself by scoring in the $75,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes for 3-year-olds at Laurel.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – If this was the swan song for Successful Song, she sang.
In what was likely the final start of her career, Successful Song rolled to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff for older females Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
With jockey Joel Rosario aboard, Successful Song ($4.40), the favorite, surged to the lead in the 1 1/8-mile race entering the far turn and drew off to a sizeable advantage. Speak Easy Gal, who was making the final start of her career, rallied for second, with My Pal Chrisy third.
