Sat, 07/14/2012 - 17:45

Arlington Park: Romacaca relaxes early, fights late to win Modesty Handicap

Four Footed Fotos
Romacaca (right) holds off Snow Top Mountain to win the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Romacaca, in her previous incarnation, could never have won a race like the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap over 1 3/16 miles. Romacaca had talent, but she used it on the front end, firing out to the lead, running fast, and hoping to hold on. Such tactics were effective at distances up to a mile and a sixteenth or so, but anything farther would be asking too much.

But Romacaca is 6 now, and she’s a changed horse.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 17:33

Parx: Redeemed sets track record winning Greenwood Cup

Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Redeemed earned a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Marathon by winning the Greenwood Cup under Ramon Dominguez.

Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. wasn’t looking for style points when it came to Redeemed’s performance in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Greenwood Cup at Parx.

He just wanted the win.

“I wanted him to get the job done and that was it,” Dutrow said. “I have to say mission accomplished.”

Redeemed won his third consecutive stakes with a front-running, half-length victory over Not Abroad in the Greenwood. While the final margin was close, the final time was a track-record 2:28.01 for the 1 1/2 miles. The previous mark was 2:29.90 set by Evening Attire in this race in 2008.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 17:31

Woodbine: Joha gets up at the wire to win Colin Stakes

Michael Burns
Joha runs down Honorable Guest to win the $152,100 Colin Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kentucky shipper Joha caught the maiden Honorable Guest in the final strides to win the $152,100 Colin Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine on Saturday.

Favored Calgary Cat, a well-regarded first-time starter, clipped heels early in the six-furlong sprint and then lagged behind the field before making a wide bid and then tiring. His stablemate, Honorable Guest, tracked the leaders on the outside and then took control in the stretch before coming up a head short of Joha, who covered the distance in 1:11.05.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 17:20

Hollywood Park: Recent claim Scherer Magic tops Sadler exacta in Juvenile Championship

Benoit Photo
Scherer Magic, a $50,000 claim, wins the Hollywood Juvenile Championship under Joe Talamo.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – It took exactly one month, and already Gary and Cecil Barber are out on Scherer Magic. Claimed for $50,000 out of a winning debut against maiden claimers on June 14, Scherer Magic came back on Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park and captured the Grade 3, $150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, in which trainer John Sadler send out the top two finishers.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 15:51

Woodbine: Patrioticandproud rallies wide to win Toronto Cup

Michael Burns
Patrioticandproud, with Eurico Da Silva up, gets his first stakes victory in the Toronto Cup at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Patrioticandproud notched his first stakes while winning on turf for the first time under Eurico Da Silva in the $150,900 Toronto Cup at Woodbine on Saturday.

Favored Hammers Terror, who shipped here from Chicago to take the June 23 Charlie Barley Stakes, set moderate early fractions in the nine-furlong route, with Excaper in close attendance. Mr. Online made an early bid for the lead heading into the turn and then tussled with Hammers Terror until midstretch.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 14:05

Delaware Park feature difficult to decipher

A horse who finished second behind a track-record performer in a recent Colonial Downs stakes, a former Grade 1 winner who began 2012 running for a $10,000 claiming tag, and an old-timer whose 4-for-5 campaign in 2011 included back-to-back stakes victories in Ohio add some spice to Monday’s feature race at Delaware Park.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 12:17

Del Mar: Majestic City gets another chance at two turns in Oceanside

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Peter Miller and Majestic City in Kentucky prior to last fall's Breeders' Cup

As a runner-up in a two-turn Grade 1 race, Majestic City is somewhat overqualified to start in Wednesday’s $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar.

But the restricted race for 3-year-olds over a mile on turf may be the ideal start to the second half of the year for Majestic City, the winner of two sprint stakes for 2-year-olds last summer.

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 12:09

Prairie Meadows: Tohill rides 3,000th career winner

ALTOONA, Iowa - Jockey Ken Tohill notched the 3,000th win of his career in Friday's first race at Prairie Meadows aboard the Chris Hartman-trained favorite Mag.

Outpaced early in the six-horse field of , Tohill mustered a four wide rally to get past 39-1 longshot Terlingua Magic and win by a half-length. Mag paid $4.20.

Tohill, a 49-year-old native of Pleasanton, Calif., began his riding career in 1978 and is Sunland Park's all-time leading jockey. He isthe 161st jockey to reach the 3,000-win plateau.

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 17:51

Monmouth Park: Royal Currier back in fine form

Ryan Denver/Equi-Photo
Royal Currier, with Joe Bravo up, wins the Mr. Prospector.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Things quickly fell back into line for Royal Currier.

The 4-year-old gelding missed the Don LeVine Memorial last month at Parx Racing with a back problem. Mike Farro, trainer of the Monmouth Park division for his wife, Patricia, wasn't sure what to expect when Royal Currier seized up.

"We think he had a pinched nerve or a muscle spasm," Farro said. "He was like a rock all through his neck. All his muscles were really tight."

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 17:36

Thistledown: Only Boy takes Lewis Memorial by four lengths

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Only Boy survived a claim of foul from the rider of runner-up Raise the Reward to win Friday's $50,000 George Lewis Memorial Stakes at Thistledown.

Only Boy circled the field five wide on the second turn, made the lead at the top of the stretch, and then drew off to a four-legnth victory under a hand ride from Jareth Loveberry in the 1 1/8-mile Lewis. Although Only Boy came in a bit in the stretch, he was already well clear of Raise the Reward.

It was 6 1/2 lengths further back from Raise the Reward to Ohio champion Catlaunch in third.