Ben’s Cat, displaying far more early speed than usual, snapped out of his mini-slump with a track-record performance in Sunday’s $150,000 Parx Dash Handicap.
In winning his 11th career stakes, the 6-year-old Ben’s Cat ($22.80) sizzled five furlongs on a firm turf course in 54.96 seconds, breaking the course record of 55.42 set by Crimson Sun on Sept. 22, 2008.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Had he his druthers, trainer Dominic Galluscio would have run Johannesburg Smile in a stakes restricted to New York-breds on Sunday rather than the Lemon Drop Kid versus open company at Belmont Park.
But when the New York-bred race didn’t fill, Galluscio decided to enter the Lemon Drop Kid and take his chances. When morning-line favorite Boys At Tosconova scratched, that aided Johannesburg Smile’s chances immensely.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Trainer Reade Baker sent out his Queen’s Plate candidates River Rush and Macho Whiskey to breeze five furlongs over the training track here at Woodbine on Sunday in preparation for the $1 million Queen’s Plate.
The Queen’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be run Sunday, June 24.
River Rush, under his regular rider Jim McAleney, was clocked in 1:01.80 while working in company with older stakes-winning stablemate City Wolf.
Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard City Wolf, who was clocked in 1:02.40.
ALTOONA, Iowa- A Little Edgy made his first lifetime win a special one as the Iowa-bred 3-year- old found his best stride in the slop to take the $56,665 Iowa Legacy Stallion Stakes by a half- length Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott confirmed that Ron the Greek and Royal Delta both will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita after sweeping the two big races Saturday night on the Stephen Foster program at Churchill Downs.
Ron the Greek, a head winner over odds-on favorite Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, will have a short break, said Mott, then might have one race before running in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park as his final prep for the $5 million BC Classic on Nov. 3.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey John Velazquez sustained a broken right collarbone and a possible kidney injury in a terrifying spill that occurred at the sixteenth pole during the ninth race Saturday night at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Bob Hess Sr. didn't know what he had with Anytime Magic when he decided to have the 2-year-old gelding make his first career start in the $54,650 Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Less than a minute after the gate opened, Hess knew he had a stakes winner.
"I never asked him to run in the mornings, but I knew I had him fit and well-schooled," said Hess. "I told the jock whether he was first or last, don't ask him to run until you're turning for home. He just happened to be in front turning for home."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ron the Greek gave Bill Mott a night to remember under the lit Twin Spires of Churchill Downs when the horse charged up the rail to nail heavily favored Wise Dan in the final strides Saturday night in the 31st running of the Grade 1, $437,200 Stephen Foster Handicap.
Mott, the Hall of Fame trainer who made Churchill his base for years before branching out, also won the previous race, the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap, with the highly impressive Royal Delta on the stakes-studded Downs After Dark program.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Suffice to say Royal Delta’s unsuccessful trip overseas when ninth in the Dubai World Cup took little out of her.
Showing the same brilliance she exhibited in winning the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic last fall at Churchill Downs, Royal Delta overwhelmed five rivals Saturday’s Grade 2, $161,700 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill in the race before the Stephen Foster Handicap. Taking command on the turn with long, powerful strides, she won geared down, coasting to an eight-length victory.
