SHAKOPEE, Minn. – The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association gathered at Canterbury Park on Saturday night to honor the 2011 breeding and divisional champions three weeks prior to the start of the 2012 racing season.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Sadie’s Soldier, under patient handling by Kerwin Clark, split foes nearing the furlong marker and finished full of run to overtake Classic Cascade in the final strides to win Saturday night’s $50,000 John Henry Stakes at Evangeline Downs by three-quarters of a length. Dandy’s Legacy turned in a mild rally to earn third, outfinishing Merkabah.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last year it was Dominus, owned in part by Stonestreet Stable and trained by Steve Asmussen, getting beat with Julien Leparoux aboard in the desperate final yards of the Derby Trial.
This time, no such tough luck. Hierro, with Leparoux riding for Stonestreet and Asmussen, outran favored Paynter in the final furlong Saturday night to win the 88th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Derby Trial on an eventful evening when a fierce hailstorm interrupted the opening card of the 39-day spring meet for about 50 minutes.
ALBANY, Calif. -- Hudson Landing lived up to his owner's wildest expectations and exceeded those of his trainer as he held off odds-on Jeranimo to win the Grade 3, $150,000 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A whip was optional equipment for jockey Rafael Bejarano by the end of a memorable day of five wins at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday.
Bejarano had already won four times when he guided Mobilized to a last-to-first win in the $125,000 Tiznow Stakes for California-breds in Saturday’s ninth race. Midway on the turn, while rallying wide, Bejarano lost control of his whip, which flew into the center of the track.
Ten Ninety Seven ($9.60) couldn’t handle A Political Time when they met on the Turf Paradise grass in the Arizona Stallion Stakes April 7. However, the son of Sideburn turned the tables Saturday as he captured the $50,000 Gene Fleming Breeders’ Derby, the marquee event of Arizona-bred day that featured five stakes for statebred horses.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Keeping it in the family, Unusual Heatwave won his first stakes in Saturday’s $300,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Ridden by the red-hot Rafael Bejarano, his fourth of five wins on the day, Unusual Heatwave closed from ninth in a field of 10 3-year-old California-breds to score by a half-length.
Unusual Heatwave is out of Miss Alphie, who produced the 2010 winner of the Snow Chief Stakes in Alphie’s Bet. Both winners are owned by Peter and Ellen Johnson and Teresa McWilliams and trained by Alexis Barba.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Ransom Roberto took advantage of a ground-saving trip to surge clear in midstretch, and then held on to take the $75,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Fonner Park.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Endorsement took a step toward establishing himself in the older horse ranks Saturday with an authoritative, two-length win over Canonize in the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park. Later this summer, Endorsement could see action in the Whitney or Woodward at Saratoga, said his trainer, Eoin Harty.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Willa B Awesome had as much difficulty winning the $300,000 Melair Stakes for California-breds at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday as she did two graded stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year.
The even-money favorite, Willa B Awesome fought past a stubborn pacesetter in Starry Skies to win the Melair for 3-year-old fillies by a nose. The two fillies fought through the final quarter-mile together before Willa B Awesome prevailed under jockey Martin Pedroza.
