The Thoroughbred Owners of California directors will host an open forum for horsemen next Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Pleasanton satellite facility at the Alameda County Fair. They will conduct a discussion of current events in the racing industry and answer questions from horsemen.
Graded stakes winner Gladding dominated on the lead as he scored an unchallenged victory in the $51,800 Alamedan Handicap on Sunday at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif.
Gladding ($3.40), who went wire-to-wire in winning the Grade 2 San Antonio last year, broke on top and was never challenged while setting comfortable fractions of 24.31 seconds, 47.58, and 1:10.77 in the 1 1/16-mile race.
He maintained a 1 1/2-length lead down the backstretch and began to open on his early rivals Honour the Deputy and When We Met on the second turn.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans and Corey Lanerie capped a memorable spring meet at Churchill Downs when teaming Sunday to win the closing-night feature, the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap, with Guys Reward.
Retired Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I’ll Have Another will be paraded between races on Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park.
I’ll Have Another is scheduled to be sent to Japan later this summer for stud duty. Saturday’s ceremony is likely to be his final public appearance before he starts quarantine in advance of being sent to Japan.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – At least in a workout, someone has gotten close to Game On Dude in California.
At Santa Anita on Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert worked Game on Dude and Richard’s Kid in company. They are his two hopes for Saturday’s $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Game On Dude and Richard’s Kid finished the workout evenly, Baffert said, although Game On Dude was given a six-furlong time of 1:13.60, .20 of a second faster than Richard’s Kid.
Hezamazing closed into a hot pace for a half-length win over No It Ain’t in the $40,000 Front Range at Arapahoe Park on Sunday. It was another length back in third to 2-5 favorite Streakin’ Mohican.
Hezamazing ($24) raced in next-to-last early in the seven-furlong sprint, as E F Five set fractions of 21.61 seconds for the opening quarter and 43.61 for the half-mile mark, with Streakin’ Mohican in close pursuit. Streakin’ Mohican took over through six furlongs in 1:08.20, and then was overtaken by Hezamazing, who covered the distance on a fast track in 1:22.32.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - John Johny Jak finished first in Sunday’s $70,800 Robert Kerlan Memorial Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park, but was pulled up with a shoulder injury while galloping out.
John Johny Jack was transported by horse ambulance to trainer Kristin Mulhall’s stable for evaluation. An hour after the race, Mulhall said that every effort was being made to save John Johny Jak.
FORT ERIE, Ontario – Lucky Melissa took advantage of a speed battle on the front end to move inside of rivals, take command in the stretch, and draw clear in the $125,000 Rainbow Connection Stakes at Fort Erie on Sunday.
Five of the eight runners in the field were heads apart going into the turn in the five-furlong turf event as the rail was left open for a stalking Lucky Melissa, ridden by Corey Fraser. Anywhere, the 3-2 favorite, and Aone Saucy Miss were also at the back of the field in the early going.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The rags-to-riches story of Derwin’s Star continued Sunday, as the erstwhile claimer demolished five other fillies and mares in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bed O’Roses Handicap at Belmont Park.
This was not the richest payday for Derwin’s Star, who was claimed as a 2-year-old for $10,000 by Steve Klesaris, and won the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks in 2010, but it was her first graded stakes victory and upped her overall record to 8-1-2 from 17 starts.
Locally based Maple Forest won both the early speed duel and the race, giving jockey Joe Bravo his fourth win of Sunday’s program at Monmouth Park in the $60,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes for fillies and mares.
It was the second straight stakes win locally for the 4-year-old Maple Forest ($5.20), who went wire to wire in the May 28 Red Cross. A daughter of Forestry trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Blue Heaven Farm, Maple Forest now has 3 wins and 2 seconds in 5 starts over Monmouth’s main track.
