Charged Cotton proved she could handle two turns last time out when she stretched out from 5 1/2 furlongs to a mile. Saturday, she handled an even longer distance while winning her stakes debut.
Sent off the 7-5 favorite in a field of 10 Maryland-bred fillies and mares, the 3-year-old Charged Cotton ($4.80) rallied from fifth to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 All Brandy Stakes at Laurel Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – If there was one concern trainer Chad Brown had regarding Samitar entering Saturday’s Grade 1 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park, it was the filly’s ability to get the distance of 1 1/8 miles.
In her first start at the distance, Samitar showed it was no problem as she took the lead from Ciao Bella inside the sixteenth pole and then outgamed Somali Lemonade to the wire to win the $300,000 Garden City by a head. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Tannery in third.
MIAMI - The leaders of the local 2-year-old division met with mixed results Saturday at Calder after Rose to Gold dominated the $100,000 Brave Raj Stakes for juvenile fillies but Sr. Quisqueyano suffered his first defeat at the hands of Itsmyluckyday in the $100,000 Foolish Pleasure.
Rose to Gold launched her career with a sensational 13-length victory in the one-mile Lindsay Frolic and came back on three weeks’ rest with a similarly lopsided 13 1/2-length decision over Caraquista and a thoroughly overmatched field of 2-year-old fillies in the one-mile and 70-yard Brave Raj.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The aptly named Kentucky shipper I’m Boundtoscore led all the way to post an upset in the $251,000 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday, earning a fees-paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in the Win and You’re In contest.
ELMONT, N.Y. - When it comes to running in stakes races, trainer Christophe Clement has often been accused of being on the conservative side, only entering when his horses are live on the toteboard.
So, Clement took some satisfaction Saturday when Naples Bay, dismissed at 13-1, held off a late challenge from 6-5 favorite Dealbata to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Noble Damsel by 1 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Smoke the Devil rallied to win the $76,750 Charles Hesse III Handicap, the richest of three stakes Saturday during Monmouth Park’s 10th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival.
The 10-race card was devoted exclusively to statebreds on a crisp afternoon. Elvis Trujillo had a big day, winning a pair of stakes on a chalky day as the favorites came through in all three.
Hermosillo, winner of the Hesse in 2009 and 2011, made a bold bid for a third victory. The 8-year-old led the way into the lane before weakening to finish third.
Color Blind, the lone 3-year-old among a group of eight New York-bred fillies and mares, surged from last to first in Saturday’s $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap at Finger Lakes.
Patiently ridden by Jamie Rodriguez, Color Blind ($10.80).trailed the field after a half-mile in 46.12 seconds and still had only one horse beaten through six furlongs in 1:12.17. Turning four-wide turning into the stretch, Color Blind finished strongly, taking the lead at the eighth pole and winding up 2 3/4 lengths in front after completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.19.
Welcome Dance got away with slow early fractions and no one could catch her in the stretch of Saturday’s $51,750 Christiana Stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies at Delaware Park.
Joe Rocco Jr. succeeded in slowing down the pace as Welcome Dance ($6.80) set fractions of 49.02 seconds and 1:13.03. She cruised home three lengths in front after completing 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.76.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Favored Spring Venture won the $262,900 Natalma Stakes comfortably at Woodbine on Saturday over another Mark Casse-trained 2-year-old filly, Spring in the Air.
Spring Venture was rank early while racing three wide at the rear of the first flight in the one-mile turf event. Shenandoah Lady and Coconut Shrimp dueled up front over the yielding ground until about the eighth pole, where Spring Venture found room before kicking away to a 1 3/4-length score, in 1:37.27.
