POMONA, Calif. – The filly Going for a Spin and the gelding Explain will not object if the Los Angeles County Fair meet ends the same way it began – with a stakes win at Fairplex Park.
Just 14 days after a workmanlike victory opening weekend in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares, Going for a Spin meets open company Saturday in the $50,000 Las Madrinas Handicap.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Courtroom Kiss, an impressive debut winner in a $40,000 optional maiden claiming race for 2-year-old fillies at Hastings on Aug. 31, will take on the highly rated colt Tracker in a first-level allowance race that headlines Saturday’s eight-race card. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds drew eight horses and goes as the seventh race.
Trainer William La Vanway is using Saturday’s race as a prep to the $75,000 Fantasy on Oct. 14, when Courtroom Kiss will stretch out to a 1 1/16 miles.
ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s not that Awesome Feather won Thursday’s $85,000 Nasty Storm Stakes at Belmont Park that was surprising. It was the way she did it that had jaws dropping.
In her first start since January, Awesome Feather rolled to an 11 1/4-length victory in the Nasty Storm, running a mile in 1:33.47 over a Belmont main track that was playing fast.
Still, jockey Jeffrey Sanchez was far from all out on Awesome Feather, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2010 who remained undefeated in 10 starts.
[bc_video_id:263376:]Five fillies who chased Contested home in last month’s Grade 1 Test at Saratoga will face each other again in Saturday night’s $400,000 Charles Town Oaks. Among that group, trip handicappers may have their eyes focused on two of the also-rans who raced far back throughout the seven-furlong Test.
Adahai is the clear standout in Saturday's $50,000 African Prince Stakes at Suffolk Downs, but the early leader of the 3-year-old class of Massachusetts-breds missed some training this summer and Saturday's start is just the second of his career.In his debut July 2, the gelding looked very much like a finished product, dashing to the lead in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race and building momentum from there. He won by four lengths and earned a 61 Beyer Speed Figure - relatively gaudy for a young horse at Suffolk.
Currency Swap and Trinniberg are expected to garner most of the attention – and a large chunk of the wagering dollars – in Saturday’s $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing.
But given their most recent performances and the fact neither has won at six furlongs, perhaps it is an opportunity to find value in this sprint restricted to 3-year-olds.
With a solid pace expected, Well Spelled looks like a potential upsetter from off the pace for trainer Ben Perkins Jr.
The multiple stakes-winning mare Nicole H is avoiding some of the heavy hitters in her division running in the Gallant Bloom Handicap by shipping from New York to central Pennsylvania to challenge male sprinters in Saturday night's $100,000 Changing Times Stakes at Penn National.
The six-furlong sprint drew a field of eight and goes as the fifth race at 7:52 p.m. Eastern.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Welloiledmachine, winner of two stakes on the turf, will be looking for his first Polytrack stakes victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Overskate, a seven-furlong race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward.
“He’s in good order,” said assistant trainer Robbie Martin, who is running the show here while Mike Keogh takes a short vacation in England to attend a niece’s wedding and visit his ailing father, Norman Keogh. “He came out of that last race so good.”
Just a tad more than 2 1/2 lengths separate Lucky Chappy from becoming a three-time graded stakes winner this season. But since he came up shy in one photo finish and was narrowly beaten in his two most recent starts, the Irish-bred Lucky Chappy will still be seeking his first North American win when he makes his seventh start in the U.S. in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park.
With four wins and a second in five starts at Charles Town, Moonlit Malibu owns the best local record of any of the fillies and mares entered in Saturday night’s $70,000 Pink Ribbon Stakes. But is she good enough to overcome an outside post position?
