HENDERSON, Ky. - Salty Strike shook off a sustained bid from Joyful Victory before edging away for a 1 1/4-length triumph Saturday in the 31st running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Gardenia Stakes, the only graded race of the year at Ellis Park.

CINCINNATI - Blazing Bling led from start to finish to win the $50,000 Hoover at River Downs on Saturday afternoon.Trained by Tim Hamm, Blazing Bling was the only filly in the field of Ohio-bred 2-year-old horses.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Turbulent Descent, now a full-fledged New Yorker after having spent the last month in trainer Todd Pletcher’s Saratoga barn, is on target for a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina here on Aug. 24.

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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – After hitting a lull this past winter and spring, Suntracer has come back to his best form again. That seemed like the case when he finished a closing third in the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes on July 14 at Arlington, and Suntracer drove the point home here Saturday, rallying to win the $100,000 open division of the Illinois Owners Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Merrill Scherer has been training horses since 1962, but during all that time he had only been to Saratoga twice, as a visitor, until finally deciding at the behest of his friend and colleague Wesley Ward to bring a small string here for the first time four years ago.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Awesome Maria, one of the top older fillies and mares the last two years, has been retired from racing due to a tendon injury, her connections said Saturday.

Owned and bred by Joyce Robsham, Awesome Maria, a daughter of Maria’s Mon out of the mare Discreetly Awesome, had a record of 9-3-3 from 16 career starts and earned $1,114,875. She made the first four starts of her career for trainer Stanley Hough and the final 12 starts for Todd Pletcher.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown was able to work his turf specialist Center Divider after the second renovation break at the Oklahoma training track on Saturday. A Grade 1-placed son of Giant’s Causeway, Center Divider completed an easy five furlongs in 1:03. Center Divider returned from a 10-week layoff to finish second in the Grade 1 Man o’ War on July 14.

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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – First-time starter Sweet Redemption ran down the dueling favorites to take the $150,000 Ontario Debutante Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

Favored Lady Bear battled with second choice Just Got In during honest fractions in the six-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies. Sweet Redemption stalked three wide in third on the turn under Luis Conteras and then caught the tiring leaders in the final strides to score by a neck, in 1:11.02. She paid $8.20 for the win.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With no workouts whatsoever over a soggy main track and limited activity on the Oklahoma training strip, the focus of attention here Saturday morning was at the Greentree training center, where it was business as usual despite all the rain that inundated the local area on Friday.

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DEL MAR, Calif. – The disputed claim of Elivette, who was euthanized after suffering catastrophic injuries following a race at Del Mar on Aug. 3, will be the subject of a hearing by Del Mar’s stewards, representing the California Horse Racing Board, on Aug. 22, a board spokesman confirmed Saturday.