Sat, 09/08/2012 - 20:23

Presque Isle: Groupie Doll returns in peak form for Masters

Renee Torbit/ Coady Photography
Groupie Doll finishes powerfully under Rajiv Maragh to win the Grade 2 Masters going away.

Groupie Doll showed she hasn’t lost a step when powering to victory Saturday night in the signature event of the Presque Isle Downs meet, the Grade 2, $400,000 Masters in Erie, Pa.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 19:45

Arlington Park: Pataky Kid impressive in Arlington-Washington Futurity win

Four-Footed Fotos
Pataky Kid, with Garrett Gomez riding, pulls away to win the Arlington-Washington Futurity.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Race by race, Pataky Kid gets better and better. His latest step forward netted the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity on Saturday, and if the trend continues, Pataky Kid could be 2-year-old of note this fall.

Trainer Tom Proctor will give Pataky Kid a chance around two turns, probably in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October, but on Saturday at Arlington, Proctor was savoring his win in Futurity, a race with a long, storied history.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 19:00

Kentucky Downs: Miz Ida beats elders in Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf

Miz Ida surged past her elders, coming from far back to post her second straight stakes victory Saturday in the $75,000 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf  on opening day of the six-day meet at turf-only Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

With Shaun Bridgmohan riding for trainer Steve Margolis, Miz Ida caught Ridgester approaching the sixteenth pole before going clear to win by 3 3/4 lengths. She returned $8.60 as a slight favorite. Ridgester was another three lengths before Affair Dabbler in the field of 11.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 18:35

Laurel: See Tobe takes Japan Racing Association with late rush

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Cllub
See Tobe, with Julian Pimentel aboard, passes his rivals to win the Japan Racing Association.

See Tobe came into the picture late but was alone in front at the end, winning the $102,250 Japan Racing Association on Saturday at Laurel Park.

El Commodore set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, with Action Andy and Eighttofasttocatch right behind through a half-mile in 48.82 seconds. Both Action Andy and Eighttofasttocatch made moves on the leader going into the turn, and Eighttofasttocatch took the lead passing the eighth pole.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 18:33

Super Derby: Bourbon Courage's big late run keeps him perfect for Louisiana

Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Bourbon Courage pulls away to win the Super Derby by five lengths under Leandro Goncalves.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Bourbon Courage loves Louisiana. He is now 3 for 3 in the state after winning at two turns for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Earlier this year, Bourbon Courage won the first two starts of his career at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, putting up triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in both races.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 17:31

Woodbine: Nikkis Bold Gelato heads Tiller-trained exacta in La Prevoyante

Michael Burns
Nikkis Bold Gelato, with David Moran riding, wins the La Prevoyante over barnmate It’s Gail.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Bob Tiller-trained fillies Nikkis Bold Gelato and It's Gail ran one-two Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes.

Nikkis Bold Gelato ($35.40) led most of the way to take the one-mile event by 1 1/2 lengths over the closing favorite, It's Gail. Consecutive finished third, and another Tiller longshot, Princess Pick, was fourth in the eight-horse field of Ontario-sired 3-year-olds. The final time over the soft turf was 1:41.70.

Nikkis Bold Gelato was notching her first stakes, and she banked $75,000 for owner Ben Hutzel.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 17:20

Delaware Park: Eldaafer gets back in win column in Hanford Memorial

Eldaafer perked up with a return to Delaware Park, easily beating four rivals Saturday in the $51,500 Carl Hanford Memorial.

The 2010 Breeders' Cup Marathon winner, Eldaafer snapped an eight-race losing streak. His most recent prior victory came at Delaware in an allowance race in August, 2011. He is 2-1-0 in 3 starts here.

Eldaafer had been running mostly against high-level company since the last win, including a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap back in June at Belmont Park. The track and the 1 3/16-mile distance suited him perfectly in the Hanford.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 17:08

Louisiana Downs: Hometown hero She’s Prado’s Idol beats open company in River Cities

Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography
She's Prado's Idol (red shadow roll) takes aim at Vera Belle (right) entering the stretch of the River Cities.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - She’s Prado’s Idol is becoming a star in her native Louisiana. She picked up the fourth stakes win of her career on Saturday, when she defeated older rivals and open company in the $100,000 River Cities at Louisiana Downs.

The race was one of six stakes on a card led by the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby. Purses for the races totaled more than $1 million.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 16:30

Belmont Park: Sean Avery comes back sharp following long layoff

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Sean Avery kicks home under Joe Bravo to win the Affiliate Stakes.

Sean Avery, away from the races for 13 months because of a bowed tendon, made a successful return Saturday, rallying from off the pace to win the $76,000 Affiliate Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.

It was Sean Avery’s first start since he won the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga in front-running fashion on Aug. 7, 2011.

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 16:20

Parx: Aggressive ride helps Sweet As You Are upset Mrs. Penny Stakes

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Sweet As You Are, a former $5,000 claimer, wins the Mrs. Penny Stakes under Angel Castillo.

Sweet as You Are pulled a 16-1 upset in the $101,500 Mrs. Penny, the richest of the five stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on Saturday at Parx Racing.

The Mrs. Penny for fillies and mares and the $77,000 Marshall Jenny Handicap for sprinters were both shifted from the turf course to the main track.

Sweet as You Are, a $5,000 claimer late last year, got an opportunistic ride from Angel Castillo.

Frontside, the 3-2 favorite, set the pace under pressure but ran out of gas midway on the final turn.