INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It was as if they never left.
The 6-year-old Acclamation, the Eclipse Award winner as the champion older male of 2011 who had not raced since October, and jockey Patrick Valenzuela, riding his first race since May 19, teamed to win Saturday's $250,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Mike Smith took the blame for Paynter’s neck loss to Union Rags in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, a result that capped a torturous Triple Crown series for him, owner Ahmed Zayat, and trainer Bob Baffert.
This loss came five weeks after Bodemeister – ridden by Smith, owned by Zayat, and trained by Baffert – lost the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths to I’ll Have Another and three weeks after he lost the Preakness by a neck, also to I’ll Have Another. Essentially, they lost all three Triple Crown races by two lengths.
ALBANY, Calif. – Summer Hit went to the lead immediately and held off favored Stoney Fleece by a neck to win the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Silky Sullivan was known for his whirlwind finishes, but Summer Hill jumped to the lead in the one-mile turf race and raced evenly under Russell Baze, with quarters of 24.21, 24.16, 24.24 and 23.79. He won the Silky Sullivan, which was for California-bred 3-year-olds, in 1:36.40 and paid $6.60. Pepnic, the longest shot in the six-horse field, ran third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Stoney Fleece.
Nikki's Sandcastle made five starts during the Gulfstream Park meeting this winter and spring and had tough trips in four of them.
"And I thought it was happening again," trainer Dave Kassen said after the $66,800 Sea O Erin Stakes on Saturday at Arlington.
Score one for recency over class in the $60,800 Crank It Up Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Making her fifth start of the year, Jazzy Idea charged past the comebacking Stopshoppingmaria in deep stretch to win the 5 ½-furlong turf race for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Back in the spring, Michael Matz, the trainer of Union Rags, envisioned that he would be going for a Triple Crown sweep in the 144th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. He thought that much of Union Rags. But after a traffic-filled trip in the Kentucky Derby, in which Union Rags finished seventh, Matz skipped the Preakness, and pointed for a new prize, perhaps a consolation prize, but a major prize nonetheless.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jenna’s Wabbit survived a claim of foul to capture his turf debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,800 Bold Ruckus Stakes.
Jenna’s Wabbit stalked the leaders inside on the turn in the six-furlong dash, before jockey Eurico Da Silva angled him wide for the drive. Jenna’s Wabbit bumped with Bear and Rod several times in the stretch, before going on to a 2 1/2-length score in 1:09.98 over the yielding ground.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Desert Blanc benefited from a perfectly judged ride by Ramon Dominguez, then dug in tenaciously in deep stretch to outgame hard-luck loser Papaw Bodie by a nose to capture Saturday's $500,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park.
Wicked Mizz and Ageless had the least experience among the nine 3-year-old fillies in the $75,500 Go for Wand at Delaware Park on Saturday, but that didn’t stop them from finishing one-two.
With each making the fourth start of her career, Wicked Mizz caught Ageless in the stretch of the mile and 70-yard race and drew away to a 2 ¼-length score. Trained by Anthony Dutrow and ridden by Jeremy Rose, Wicked Mizz returned $16.20, and the exacta with the 4.60-1 Ageless came back at $73.10 for $1. She ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.32.
