VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Troy Taylor was a little concerned after Evelyn’s Dancer posted a quick first quarter-mile time of 22.70 seconds in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings on Sunday. Mario Gutierrez, who rode the 3-year-old filly to a 5 1/4-length win in the 1 1/8-mile race, was very confident he had plenty of horse underneath him, however.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Hessonite continued to gain ground on her rival Gitchee Goomie in the New York-bred filly and mare turf division with a decisive 5 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s $147,000 John Hettinger Stakes at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – A year after campaigning the undefeated 2-year-old filly champion My Miss Aurelia, Stonestreet Stable is back with another seemingly extraordinarily talented juvenile filly in Dreaming of Julia.
Confirming her 10 1/2-length debut victory Aug. 6 at Saratoga was no fluke, Dreaming of Julia waltzed to a 16 1/4-length score in Sunday’s $80,000 Meadow Star Stakes at Belmont Park, setting her up for a fall campaign that will most likely include starts in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 6 and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Uncaptured extended his unbeaten record to four races Sunday at Woodbine with a comfortable score in the $168,900 Swynford Stakes for 2-year-olds.
Uncaptured tracked the dueling leaders Five Iron and Dan the Tin Man in seven-furlong sprint and then went by them nearing the eighth pole before drawing clear to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:22.49.
Patrick Husbands rode Uncaptured, who banked $113,400 for owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. Uncaptured paid $2.40 for the victory.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – Bourbon Courage was back in Kentucky early Sunday morning, a day after winning the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby, and all race options are on the table for his fall campaign, including a possible start in either the Breeders’ Cup Classic or Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, trainer Kellyn Gorder said. For the immediate future, however, his connections are debating a start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby or the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby.
OPELOUSAS, La. – Suitefriendsofmine stalked pacesetter I Dare U Em before wearing that rival down after a long stretch drive to win the $60,000 filly division of the John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes on Saturday’s night’s season-ending program.
I Dare U Em gave ground grudgingly in the late going to finish only a half-length back and 7 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Linnie Laurine. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:05.58 over a fast track.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Junior Alvarado, enjoying the best year of his career, will miss at least a month after suffering a hairline fracture of his collarbone in a spill Saturday at Belmont Park.
It is the second time in 16 months that Alvarado fractured his collarbone. On May 27, 2011, in a spill at Arlington Park, Alvarado broke his collarbone and missed five weeks.
Alvarado was expected to meet with his personal doctor Monday to get a better idea of how much time he will miss, according to his agent, Mike Sellitto.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - In general, bettors playing the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes on Saturday looked right past Gold Edge's 2-2 record. They ignored her three-quarters length win in the Lisa M, the local prep for the Lassie, and directed their fire at less proven maiden winners like Pappascat, Custody, and Flying Rapunzel. Gold Edge had been the 8-5 chalk when she won the Lisa M, but somehow paid $23.40 in the Lassie after surging late to run past La Song, who had set a strong pace and was beaten a neck.
POMONA, Calif. – A small dose of normalcy returned to Fairplex Park on Sunday, where favorites won just one of the 20 Thoroughbred races the first two days of the Los Angeles County Fair, helping to generate a two-day pick six carryover of $63,293 into the Sunday card.
Nonetheless, the feature race on Saturday offered reprieve for two key participants.
The meet’s perennial leading jockey Martin Pedroza ended a 12-race losing streak and consistent mare Going for a Spin ended a nine-race losing streak in the $50,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares.
