You might think the presence of Broken Sword would scare off some opponents in Saturday’s Wine Country Debutante, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Broken Sword, a Jerry Hollendorfer trainee who won her debut by 11 lengths in the Juan Gonzalez at Pleasanton, is one of 15 2-year-old fillies nominated to the Wine Country Debutante at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Cryptic Message came through loud and clear here in Sunday’s $125,000 Nandi, leading throughout the six-furlong race for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies to score by a length.
Owned by Eugene George and trained by Ralph Biamonte, Cryptic Message won for the third time in as many outings. A daughter of Cryptograph, Cryptic Message was coming off a front-running win in the 5 1/2-furlong Clarendon for Ontario-foaled fillies.
Joyful Victory and Sassy Image are among an unusually strong field of 11 fillies and mares entered to run Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Gardenia Stakes, the annual showcase event at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.
Trainer Larry Jones said he has been particularly pleased with the recent training of Joyful Victory, a 4-year-old filly with multiple graded wins. Joyful Victory, with Gabriel Saez to ride, was assigned post 3 in the one-mile dirt race.
DEL MAR, Calif. – One of the reasons owner Paul Reddam has been such a success in business and in racing is that he will do what appears to be unconventional, but there are sound methods to what appears to be madness.
His derring-do was on display earlier this year, when I’ll Have Another returned from a five-month layoff and won the Robert Lewis Stakes, propelling the colt to a journey that resulted in victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Shudacudawudya, eased in his only other turf start, unleashed a strong rally to finish a neck in front of odds-on favorite Ain’t No Other in the $66,850 Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap on Sunday at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.
Shudacudawudya ($6.80) was taken off the pace by jockey Julien Couton, who was willing to sit patiently in sixth, ahead of only one rival.
After setting the pace for the opening quarter in a five-way battle, longshot Barrel Knot was overtaken by Starboardlights and Ain’t No Other, who continued to fight for the lead into the stretch.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Based in the Mid-Atlantic region, trainer Butch Reid certainly makes his presence felt when he comes to New York.
Reid picked up his sixth career graded stakes victory - and third in New York - when Poseidon’s Warrior outgamed Justin Phillip to the wire to win Sunday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. He was the second-longest shot in the eight-horse field, returning $74.50.
It was the first Grade 1 victory for the 56-year-old Reid, who began training in 1983.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The filly Irish Mission gamely held off a charging Aldous Snow to capture Sunday’s $507,400 Breeders’ Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine.
With Alex Solis aboard, Irish Mission ($11.80) bided her time near the rear of the large field on the backstretch of the 12-furlong turf marathon. She loomed four-wide into contention on the far turn, and was joined on the lead by a wide-closing Aldous Snow around the three-sixteenths pole.
Rip Roarin Ritchie, heavily favored on the basis of a fast maiden win in mid-June at Churchill Downs, shot to the lead and withstood stretch threats from I’m Boundtoscore and Itsmyluckyday to capture the $60,000 Tyro Stakes for 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park on Sunday.
An eight-race losing streak may end for the 4-year-old filly Cambina in the $250,000 John Mabee Stakes next Sunday at Del Mar.
Second by a nose in the Grade 3 Beverly Hills Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 24, Cambina has left trainer Jeff Bonde confident about her current ability. He was particularly jazzed about her five-furlong on turf in 59.80 seconds on Sunday morning.
“It was the best work of her life,” Bonde said.
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DEL MAR, Calif.- Game On Dude is fit and ready for the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 26.
After Game On Dude worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said he wished the race was sooner.
“He’s staying in the groove,” Baffert said. “He really likes this track. I’ve got to keep him on that track for three weeks.”
The winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 7, and two other stakes earlier this year, Game On Dude is the likely favorite for the Pacific Classic, which is run over 1 1/4 miles.
