DEL MAR, Calif. – Dry Summer won a maiden special weight race over six furlongs Saturday, and in doing so may have earned a spot in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept.5.
Ridden confidently by Joe Talamo, Dry Summer closed from last in a field of five to win by a half-length in 1:10.68. By Any Given Saturday, Dry Summer was fourth in his career debut at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 1.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Strait of Dover, who was an impressive winner of the Queen’s Plate and was looming as the horse to beat in next Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine, will not see action again this season.
“He had a little filling in a suspensory after his last work,” said Danny Vella, who trains the British Columbia-bred Strait of Dover for Wally and Terry Leong. “We scanned it, and it looks like he’ll recover, but he’s done for the year.
“He’s one of those horses who’s been perfectly sound, nothing wrong with him. It’s kind of a shock, but it happens.”
OPELOUSAS, La. – Fishin Frank helped control the pace throughout in Saturday night’s $124,600 colt and gelding division of the D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity at Evangeline Downs and emerged the winner by three-quarters of a length.
Go Lil Tiger stalked the early leaders, before rallying down the lane to be getting to the winner in the late going to finish second. Desert Ransom, heavily favored at 1-5, contested the pace outside the winner, but drifted out and weakened late to report home third, followed by Klozer.
Mr. Bandini’s Band and Mr. Politico were scratched.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In addition to being an astute horseman, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin also is a student of history. So on Sunday morning, he was quick to point out that in 2011 the horse that finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby came back to win the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
That horse, Stay Thirsty, is a son of Bernardini, who in 2006 also won the Jim Dandy and Travers.
ALTOONA, Iowa – While registering his sixth lifetime stakes victory at Prairie Meadows, Shadowbdancing eclipsed the $1 million mark in career earnings when taking Saturday’s $100,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap by seven lengths.
She Spirit di Su gave owner Fergus Galvin a quick return on his investment when the 3-year-old Irish-bred filly scored her first stakes victory Saturday in the $55,950 Jack Demeo Horseman of the Year Stakes at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Rail Trip may only have been the fifth choice in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Diego Handicap, but there could not have been a more popular winner on the card at Del Mar on Saturday, because his victory culminated a tumultuous, 24-month odyssey and left his connections positively beaming.
Kyma led a parade of longshots in a blanket finish when he posted a 34-1 upset for his first stakes victory Saturday night in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, the highlight of the racing year at Penn National in Grantville, Pa.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Well rested since her last race, Starlight Magic won her first stakes since October in Saturday’s $200,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar.
Starlight Magic ($8.40) won the seven-furlong Fleet Treat by a half-length over 11-1 Warren’s Amber. Willa B Awesome, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks in March, could only finish third as the 3-2 favorite.
Willa B Awesome raced alongside Starlight Magic on the turn, but could not keep pace in the final furlong.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Hammers Terror had to survive a stewards’ inquiry and an objection from second-place Delegation’s jockey, Jermaine Bridgmohan, to ultimately became the first winner of the $161,250 Mystic Lake Derby in front of 10,127 on Saturday at Canterbury Park.
