Sat, 11/17/2012 - 20:09

Churchill Downs: Lea hangs on as Commonwealth Turf favorite

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Lea, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., prevails by three-quarters of a length in the Commonwealth Turf.gt

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lea finished clear of a torrid late rush by King David to register his first career stakes victory Saturday night in the ninth running of the Grade 3, $117,100 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs.

With Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, Lea stalked the early pace in the 1 1/16-mile race, then opened a commanding lead passing the furlong pole before King David came flying. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length, with Lockout another length back in third.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 19:41

Hollywood Park: Former claimer Killer Bear surprises in On Trust Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Killer Bear rallies from last under Tyler Baze to post a 15-1 upset in the On Trust Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Killer Bear, who was claimed three times during the summer for $25,000 and $32,000, won Saturday’s $78,200 On Trust Handicap for California-breds at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Killer Bear ($32.20) closed from last in a field of seven to catch an unlucky favorite in Macho Dorado and win by a half-length. Killer Bear ran 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:29.94. Mensa Heat, the defending champion, finished third.

Macho Dorado, sent off at 7-5, led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining, but could not hold off Killer Bear, who rallied wide.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 19:35

Hollywood Park: Pick six two-day carryover of $170,000

INGLEWOOD, Calif.- For the first time at the current autumn meeting, there is a two-day pick six carryover, of $170,033, for Sunday’s program at Betfair Hollywood Park.

An upset win by Freewayracer ($133.20) in Saturday’s fourth race, the first leg of the bet, left many tickets out of action quickly.

Sunday’s pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.

There were only two scratches as of Saturday’s early withdrawal time – I B Dreamin and Northern Glow in the ninth race, for maiden claimers.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 19:26

Turf Paradise: Major Magic registers upset in Jack Coady Stakes

Coady Photography
California shipper Major Magic carries Jorge Carreno to victory in the Jack Coady Sr. Stakes.

PHOENIX  – Major Magic invaded from Southern California and the 3-year-old gelded son of grass champion Kitten’s Joy relished the local turf as he charged from well back to capture Saturday’s $35,000 Jack Coady Sr. Stakes at Turf Paradise.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 18:04

Delta Princess: Rose to Gold reaffirms affinity for dirt

Delta Downs/Coady Photography
Rose to Gold bounced back from a subpar effort over Polytrack to win the $500,000 Delta Princess over Delta Downs's dirt track.

VINTON, La. - Rose to Gold returned to dirt on Saturday and got back in the win column when she held off Touch Magic by a half-length in the Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Downs Princess for 2-year-old fillies at Delta Downs. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Sittin At the Bar.

Rose to Gold ($7.60) was always prominent, tracking the leaders through fractions of 23.49 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.49 for the half-mile, and 1:13.85 for six furlongs. Rose to Gold took the lead in the stretch and covered the mile in 1:39.38.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 17:38

Delta Downs: Goldencents ends season on high note with Jackpot win

Delta Downs/Coady Photography
Goldencents set fast fractions under jockey Kevin Krigger but had enough left to hold off favored Bern Identity.

VINTON, La. - Goldencents hinted he had the makings of a top-class of colt last month when he played runner-up to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park.

Goldencents now has a major stakes win of his own after setting a fast pace and prevailing in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot at Delta Downs. He won by a length and three-quarters over favorite Bern Identity. It was another length and a quarter back to Mylute in third.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 17:13

Woodbine: Blue Heart takes Jammed Lovely in tight finish

Michael Burns
Blue Heart gives jockey Luis Contreras his fith win of the day in the Jammed Lovely Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Blue Heart rallied strongly from off a pedestrian pace to take the $150,000 Jammed Lovely Stakes, giving jockey Luis Contreras his fifth winner on the Saturday Woodbine card.

Longshot Miss Scarlett Road set splits of 24.42 and 47.85, as Blue Heart bided her time in fifth on the backstretch, in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 17:08

Aqueduct: Called to Serve turns tables in Discovery Handicap

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Called to Serve, ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario, draws clear in the Discovery.

Called to Serve, who had been knocking on the door by finishing in the money in three consecutive starts, kicked it down with a triumph in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Discovery Handicap, New York’s final graded stakes of the season for 3-year-old males at Aqueduct.

Beaten a head by odds-on choice Willy Beamin in the Oklahoma Derby for former trainer Peter Eurton, Called to Serve gained revenge with a comprehensive victory from off the pace in his second start for Nick Canani, and the gelding by Afleet Alex did it on the square.

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 17:04

Delta Downs: Prospective defeats older horses in Delta Mile

Coady Photography
Monono, ridden by Richard Eramia, sets a stakes record winning the New Orleans.

VINTON, La. - Prospective won his fifth stakes race of the year on Saturday, when he defeated older rivals in the $150,000 Delta Mile at Delta Downs. The race was one of eight stakes on the Delta Downs Jackpot card.   

Sat, 11/17/2012 - 16:39

Laurel: Greed and Fear wastes no time getting first stakes win in Safely Kept

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
The 3-year-old filly Greed and Fear gives jockey Horatio Karamanos his third win of the day in the Safely Kept.

Greed and Fear needed five tries, including one while running for a claiming tag, to record her first victory, but the 3-year-old filly came right back in her first try facing winners to collect a stakes victory.

Rallying from off the pace under Horatio Karameros, the New York-based Greed and Fear ($10.80) held off a belated surge by 6-5 favorite Holiday Soiree to win Saturday’s $125,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park.

“She’s lazy. I had to hit her a couple times with the whip,” said Karamanos, who rode three winners on the card.