Sun, 05/27/2012 - 11:58

Charles Town: Night Time Fun stuns heavy favorite Navy Chapel in It's Binn Too Long

Mike Montgomery Photo
Night Time Fun (5), ridden by Antonio Lopez, holds off odds-on favorite Navy Chapel in the It's Binn Too Long.

The lightly raced filly Night Time Fun, making just her third career start, shocked three-time stakes winner Navy Chapel in Saturday night’s $51,050 It’s Binn Too Long Stakes for West Virginia-bred 3-year-old fillies at Charles Town.

A daughter of Windsor Castle trained by James W. Casey for Taylor Mountain Farm, Night Time Fun ($28.20), the second longest price in a five-horse field, set the pace under Antonio Lopez and held off a trio of fillies to get the win by a half-length. She completed the 4 1/2 furlongs in 52.54 seconds.

Sun, 05/27/2012 - 11:42

Evangeline: Aquapazza runs down Love Dare in Opelousas

Aquapazza unleashed a strong late rally under Jamie Theriot on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, wearing down stubborn pacesetter Love Dare to capture the $50,000 Opelousas Stakes by three-quarters of a length. It was another 3 ½ lengths back to favored Vera Belle, who pressured the early pace before weakening in the drive

Sun, 05/27/2012 - 11:38

Prairie Meadows: Shadowbdancing reaffirms affinity for local track in Jim Rasmussen

Shelly McShane/Coady Photography
Sterline Madame, ridden by David Mello, cruises to a 12 1/2-length win in the Wild Rose.

ALTOONA, Iowa -- Course specialist Shadowbdancing used his tactical speed to good effect Saturday night when scoring by 2 1/2 lengths in the $60,000 Jim Rasmussen Memorial Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 20:25

Hollywood Park: Mullins tips hat to Howard after Wilkinson's huge upset in American Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Wilkinson, ridden by Martin Pedroza, pays $90.60 to win for his upset in the American Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Wilkinson, the latest addition to trainer Jeff Mullins’s stable, was the shocking winner of Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Wilkinson ($90.60) arrived at Hollywood Park last week from trainer Neil Howard’s stable at Churchill Downs and won the second stakes of his career in the Grade 2 American Handicap. Mullins credited Howard with the victory after leaving the winner’s circle.

“We just galloped him five days and ran him,” Mullins said. “We’ve got to give all the credit to Neil Howard.”

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 19:15

Arlington: Silver Max all the way in Arlington Classic

Four-Footed Fotos
Silver Max, with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard, wins the Arlington Classic.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The $125,000 Arlington Classic doesn't even have a grade anymore, but go ahead and try to find a better American 3-year-old grass horse at the moment than the Classic's winner, Silver Max.

Silver Max stumbled leaving the gate, ran his opening quarter-mile in a sprint-like 22.97 seconds, and still won by two lengths. He ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.87, just .87 of a second off the track standard on a turf course that took rain Saturday morning, and easily turned back the talented Sachem Spirit and late-running Ajar in deep stretch.

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 18:45

Arlington: Upperline displays different style, same results in Matron

Four-Footed Fotos
Upperline, ridden by James Graham, captures the Arlington Matron by four lengths.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Every winter, Upperline spends about two months kicking back at Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm in Kentucky, and every year, Upperline comes back into training a happy, healthy horse. She is on her third straight year of high-class racing, and on Saturday she won for the eighth time in 20 starts, dominating the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Matron with a four-length win over Hooh Why.

“Look at her,” trainer Mike Stidham said shortly after the Matron, pointing out the considerable bulk Upperline hauls around. “She’s just kept getting bigger and stronger.”

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 18:41

Monmouth Park: Pants On Fire hangs on to win Skip Away

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Pants On Fire, with Paco Lopez riding one of his five winners Saturday at Monmouth, takes the Skip Away.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Pants On Fire held off Norman Asbjornson by one length on Saturday to win the $75,000 Skip Away Stakes at Monmouth Park.

A 4-year-old trained by Kelly Breen, Pants On Fire responded to the combination of an easier spot following a pair of Grade 2 stakes, and a return to his home track, to post his second win in four starts this year.

Paco Lopez, who had five wins on the card, was aboard.

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 18:15

Belmont: After rough start for some, Aruna proves best in Sheepshead Bay

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Aruna, with Ramon Dominguez riding, wins the Sheepshead Bay.

ELMONT, N.Y. - In an eventful renewal of the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes, Aruna made a strong move to the lead around the far turn and then persevered to a 1 1/4-length victory at Belmont Park.

Hit It Rich, who sat second early behind runaway leader Aqsaam, held second by one-half length over Mystical Star, who finished one-half length ahead of Principal Role.

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 17:58

Calder: Empire Builder prevails in Mambo Meister

MIAMI - Empire Builder avenged his recent setback at the hands of Csaba, outlasting that rival by a half-length in Saturday's $55,000 Mambo Meister Stakes at Calder. The Mambo Meister was decided over a fast main track after originally being carded on the turf.

Csaba, the prohibitive 1-5 favorite coming off a 5 3/4-length allowance victory over Empire Builder on May 12, was ultimately disqualified and placed third for interfering with Musical Flair on the far turn.

Sat, 05/26/2012 - 17:58

Churchill Downs: Simmard shows his class in Louisville

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
The 7-year-old Simmard, under Gabriel Saez, captures the Louisville Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Simmard proved the class of the field when getting a perfect trip under Gabriel Saez in the 75th running of the Grade 3, $115,200 Louisville Handicap on a sultry Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Always in striking distance in the 1 1/2-mile turf race, Simmard wore down Harrods Creek on the final turn and gradually edged clear for a 1 1/4-length triumph over late-closing Joinem. Tahoe Lake, the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight older horses, was another half-length back in third.