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.
CINCINNATI – Tsunaami Stu went from last early to win the $50,000 Sydney Gendleman Memorial Handicap by a half-length at River Downs on Saturday.
Trained by Mike Rone, Tsunaami Stu trailed the field of 11 Ohio-bred older horses early before rallying under Albin Jimenez into the stretch. Jimenez took the 5-year-old gelding to the hedge in late stretch and got through to win the 1 1/16-mile turf event.
Shakeyogroovething ran a huge race to settle for second, a half-length in front of post-time favorite Pyrite Personal in third.
ELMONT, N.Y. - A day that owner Shivananda Parbhoo described as "bittersweet, more bitter than sweet," ended up on an upbeat note when the speedy Trinniberg led from start to finish in the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes, which was run two races after Parbhoo's older sprinter Giant Ryan suffered a serious injury in the True North Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Pretty Cozzy took advantage of a speed duel caused in part by her stablemate Sweet Hot Toddy, and came home strongly to win the $50,000 Susan B. Anthony Handicap at Finger Lakes on Saturday.
Nicole’s Miss El led into the stretch of the six-furlong Susan B. Anthony and ended up second, two lengths behind Pretty Cozzy and 2 ½ lengths in front of third-place finisher Clean Jean.
The purse cut announced by Betfair Hollywood Park officials Saturday erased a purse increase that had track officials optimistic earlier this year about the prospects for the spring-summer meeting.
In April, before the start of the meeting on April 26, officials announced that purses for maiden special weight and allowance races would be raised $2,000, and that purses for some claiming races would be increased by $1,000 over 2011 levels. Saturday’s purse cut essentially nullified those gains.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – My Gi Gi won the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park, a victory that trainer Peter Eurton credited to jockey Rafael Bejarano.
My Gi Gi ($8.40) closed from fourth in a field of five to win the Grade 2 Honeymoon by a nose over 1-2 favorite Lady of Shamrock, who displayed a remarkable rally late to just miss. Trained by John Sadler, Lady of Shamrock won three turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies during the winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita.
ELMONT, N.Y. - At the three-eighths pole of Saturday's $400,000 True North at Belmont Park, trainer Todd Pletcher admitted even he was a little worried his Caixa Eletronica had fallen too far off the leaders to possibly win the Grade 2 dash. But when the torrid pace finally took its toll in deep stretch, Caixa Eletronica became the major beneficiary, charging down the center of the course to register a three-quarter-length victory over a game but weary Justin Phillip.
