Sun, 06/24/2012 - 17:57

Hollywood Park: Potesta will race just once more this summer

Shigeki Kikkawa
Trainer Mike Mitchell says he wants to keep 3-year-old filly Potesta racing on dirt or synthetic surfaces with a long-range goal of this fall's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Potesta, who won the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday in her stakes debut, may have one more start for the rest of the summer.

Trainer Mike Mitchell said on Sunday that the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 is a long-term goal for Potesta, s lightly raced filly.

With most of the stakes schedule for 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar on turf later this summer, Potesta will be pointed for the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over a mile on the Polytrack synthetic surface there on Sept. 2.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 16:59

Woodbine: Musketier outgames stablemate Simmard to wire in Singspiel

Michael Burns
The 10-year-old Musketier, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, reaches the wire a head in front of 4-5 favored stablemate Simmard in the Grade 3 Singspiel.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Trainer Roger Attfield, as expected, won the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes over 1 1/2 miles of turf at Woodbine on Sunday.

But it was the 10-year-old Musketier, the grand old man of the Attfield stable, who proved best as the 5-2 second choice with his 7-year-old stablemate  Simmard, favored at 4-5, ending a head back in second.

Big Red Mike set a slow pace in the $154,500 Singspiel but was confronted on the backstretch by Simmard, who took command around the far turn and seemed headed to victory.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 16:10

Woodbine: Riding the River goes from last to first in King Edward

Michael Burns
Riding the River (2), under Todd Kabel, outfinishes Big Band Sound by a head in the King Edward.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario —  Riding the River rallied stoutly from last to edge out Big Band Sound  and Hollinger in Sunday’s $259,000 King Edward Stakes on the Queen’s Plate undercard at Woodbine.

Riding the River and Big Band Sound both ran against the grain of a speed-favoring turf course when fourth and second, respectively, in the May 27 Connaught Cup Stakes, and they ran one-two while a head apart in the Grade 2 King Edward. Riding the River covered a mile over firm ground in 1:32.89, returned $29.20, and earned $150,000 in his first stakes score.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 15:40

Woodbine: Stars to Shine returns from injury to take Trillium by a nose

Michael Burns
Stars to Shine, under Alex Solis, holds off defending champion Upperline (7) to win the 1 1/8-mile Trillium for fillies and mares.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario—Stars to Shine, making her first start since coming out of last October’s Spinster at Keeneland with a condylar fracture, pressed the pace before taking command around the far turn and held on to prevail by a nose in Sunday’s $101,200 Trillium Stakes for fillies and mares at Woodbine.

Upperline, invading from Illinois and the even-money favorite for trainer Michael Stidham, struggled through much of the 1 1/8-mile Trillium and was under severe pressure from jockey James Graham from a half-mile out.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 14:46

Woodbine: Long absent Smokey Fire upsets Highlander at 17-1

Michael Burns
The 7-year-old Smokey Fire, racing for the first time since October 2010, rallies to take the Grade 2 Highlander under Eurico Da Silva.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Smokey Fire, a 17-1 comebacker trained by Sid Attard, stormed down the center of the course to take the $236,400 Highlander Stakes on the Queen’s Plate undercard at Woodbine on Sunday.

Essence Hit Man, Canada’s reigning champion sprinter, set quick fractions of  21.93 and  43.83 seconds in the six-furlong turf sprint. Smokey Fire, who was well back on the turn, emerged from traffic in midstretch to close in the final furlong, and got home on top by 1 1/4  lengths, in a rapid 1:07.77.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 14:04

Woodbine: Just Got In hangs on by neck in My Dear

Michael Burns
Just Got In, ridden by Christopher Griffith, outlasts Lake Dancer in the My Dear for 2-year-old fillies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Just Got In dueled through quick fractions with the invading JuJu Eyeballs and just lasted for a neck victory in Sunday’s $156,000 My Dear Stakes at Woodbine.

Just Got In, who had been a 7 1/4-length winner in his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs on June 1, broke alertly from her outside post in the field of seven 2-year-old fillies and was quickly joined by JuJu Eyeballs.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 08:36

Colonial: Sensible Lady defeats her elders in Buckland

Sensible Lady ran down pacesetter Kitten Love in deep stretch to collect her second stakes win of the season in Saturday night’s $50,000 Buckland at Colonial Downs.

Racing over a turf course rated good, the 3-year-old Sensible Lady ($5.20), who beat older fillies and mares in The Very One at Pimlico a month ago, stalked the early pace in fourth under jockey Xavier Perez. She made a four-wide move coming into the stretch, rallied to get within a half-length of the leader in midstretch, and drew clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths. She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.67.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 08:24

Pleasanton: Munnings Sister romps in California Wine Stakes

Vassar Photography
Munnings Sister, ridden by Francisco Duran, uses her speed to score a front-running victory in the California Wine Stakes.

Munnings Sister, who won her maiden in wire-to-wire style at the Alameda County Fair last year, scored her first stakes victory in wire-to-wire style Saturday, winning the $55,000 California Wine Stakes.

A pace duel was expected in the six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies with favored Southern California invader River Kiss drawing the rail, but trainer Tim McCanna wanted his filly Munnings Sister in front.

“We were a little worried, but the boss told me to go,” said jockey Francisco Duran.

Sat, 06/23/2012 - 20:31

Hollywood Park: Potesta noses out Eden's Moon in Hollywood Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Potesta (6) barely holds off Eden's Moon to capture the Hollywood Oaks in her stakes debut.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Potesta is learning quickly what it takes to maintain a winning streak.

Making her stakes debut in her third start, Potesta fought off a sustained threat from even-money favorite Eden’s Moon through the stretch to win the $150,000 Hollywood Oaks by a nose on Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Potesta ($9.80) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.22.

Eden’s Moon, the winner of the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita in March, led to deep stretch but could not hold off Potesta.

Sat, 06/23/2012 - 19:12

Northlands: Commander sharp off four-month layoff in Journal

Commander benefitted from quick interior fractions of 22.0 and 45.20 seconds  to win the $50,000, six-furlong Journal for 3-year-olds and up at Northlands Park on Saturday. Commander paid $15.30, partly because  he was coming off a four-month layoff.

Commander was ridden by Jorge Espitia, who picked up the mount when Robert Skelly, who flew in from Hastings on Saturday  morning, wasn’t allowed to ride by the stewards at Northlands because he didn’t have the proper health certificates.