ETOBICOKE, Ontario— The Chicago shipper La Tia made it tougher that it should have been when she won $153,500 La Lorgnette Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
La Tia set slow fractions on a clear lead in the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-old fillies, and seemed headed for a comfortable score, until she ducked in and hit the rail inside the eighth pole. She regrouped, however, and went on to score by three-quarters of a length under Justin Stein.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Tyler Baze, who has not ridden since August 2011 because of substance abuse problems, began working horses at Santa Anita on Sunday, a day after having his license reinstated by Los Alamitos stewards.
Baze, who is currently undergoing residency treatment for alcoholism at a clinic in Pasadena, Calif., according to Los Alamitos stewards, is expected to resume riding in October at the Santa Anita fall meeting.
The Santa Anita meeting opens on Friday.
Saginaw won for the eighth time in his last nine starts when he held off a slow-starting Lunar Victory to win Sunday’s $85,000 Promenade All Stakes by one-half length at Belmont Park.
Stalking the pacesetting Johannesburg Smile through a sharp half-mile in 46.18 seconds, Saginaw, under David Cohen, poked a head in front at the three-eighths pole, opened up a sizeable advantage in midstretch and held off Lunar Victory to win by a half-length.
ELMONT, N.Y. - While some horsemen postponed scheduled workouts Sunday for their horses pointing to next Saturday’s stakes smorgasbord at Belmont Park, trainer Shug McGaughey went ahead as scheduled with drills for Hymn Book and Point of Entry.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Alpha, who finished sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby, beaten 4 1/4 lengths by Handsome Mike, will remain under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Alpha, who dead-heated for win in the Travers and who won the Jim Dandy, suffered his first loss since the Kentucky Derby.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez told McLaughlin that Alpha’s nose was right up against the gate prior to the start of the race and he needed an assistant starter to back Alpha up a little bit.
ELMONT, N.Y. - My Miss Aurelia and Questing, separated by a head when first and second in Saturday’s Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx, are headed for a rematch in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, their connections indicated Sunday morning.
Cougarstown, the second longest shot on the board, broke alertly from the rail and led every step of the way as she captured her stakes debut, winning the $68,250 Harvest Stakes at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton on Saturday.
The 4-year-old Cougarstown ($38.60) claimed by trainer Keith Nations for Theresa and Edward DeNike for $32,000 in her debut May 5, 2011, at Golden Gate Fields, set brisk fractions and had plenty left in the lane as she won the six-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.
Book Review, rebounding from the only poor race of her career when she was bounced around at the start, collected her first career stakes victory in Saturday night’s $400,000 Charles Town Oaks.
The seven-furlong Oaks was the richest race on an 11-race, all-stakes card with purses totaling $685,000.
Book Review ($4.80), the favorite in a field of 10 3-year-old fillies, ran down 17-1 longshot Holiday Soiree and 5-2 second choice Beautiful But Blue in the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
Locally based Bayonne came from off the pace to run down Monmouth Park shipper Withgreatpleasure in Saturday night’s $70,000 Pink Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares at Charles Town.
It was the third straight win locally for the 4-year-old Bayonne ($11.20), ridden by Erick Ramirez, since she returned from a two-month layoff in mid-July. A daughter of Dance With Ravens trained by Jeffrey Cramer for Cramer Racing. She completed seven furlongs in 1:25.40 in winning for the seventh time in 17 starts.
POMONA, Calif. – Two summer claiming horses became autumn stakes winners by posting surprise victories Saturday in $50,000 races at Fairplex Park.
Shadow Runner scored a $23 upset in the Pomona Derby; Little Emily posted a $47.60 upset in the Las Madrinas Handicap. Both ran in claiming races as recently as June.
Little Emily was the longest shot in the seven-horse Las Madrinas, but when favorites Going for a Spin and Hard to Resist misfired, Little Emily and jockey Jorge Carreno won the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares by a head over Glowing Spirit in 1:45.68.
