Sat, 04/28/2012 - 18:28

Belmont Park: To Honor and Serve gallops in comeback to win Westchester

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
To Honor and Serve, ridden by Jose Lezcano, wins the Westchester Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths.

Making 3-5 look like a bargain, To Honor and Serve inhaled pacesetter Bold Deed approaching the stretch and ran away from three outclassed rivals in Saturday’s scratch-riddled Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park.

In what resembled a public workout more than a graded stakes race, To Honor and Serve ($3.20) couldn’t have been more impressive in his 4-year-old debut if he tried – and he didn’t need to try too hard after Jersey Town, Marilyn’s Guy, and Ponzi Scheme all were withdrawn.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 18:19

Pimlico: Hudson Steele returns from long layoff to take Henry Clark

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Hudson Steele, ridden by Chris Decarlo, may move on to the Grade 2 Dixie on May 19 after winning his season's debut in the Henry Clark.

Hudson Steele, returning from an absence of nearly a year, hardly looked rusty coming from slightly off the pace to capture Saturday’s $75,000 Henry Clark Stakes on Pimlico’s turf course.

A 5-year-old gelding trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Roger Weiss, Hudson Steele ($6.20) was racing for the first time since missing by a neck as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy last May 7.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 17:39

Hollywood Park: Warren's Jitterbug upsets B. Thoughtful

Benoit Photo
Warren's Jitterbug takes the B. Thoughtful under Rafael Bejarano.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A perfect trip gave Warren’s Jitterbug an upset win, and the richest victory of her career, in Saturday’s $125,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Sent off as the longest shot in a field of seven California-bred fillies and mares, Warren’s Jitterbug ($25) closed from fifth to win by a half-length over Going for a Spin.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 17:13

Woodbine: Hunter's Bay sharp in allowance win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hunters Bay ($3.20) blew away a good field of third-level allowance/optional claiming runners in the featured eighth race at Woodbine Saturday.

Hunters Bay bided his time in third on the backstretch under Emma Wilson, while 2010 Queen’s Plate winner Big Red Mike set a slow pace in the seven-furlong sprint. Say No More overtook Big Red Mike inside the quarter pole before getting passed by the wide-closing Hunters Bay, who drew off with long strides to prevail by four lengths over 20-1 outsider Alpha Bettor.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 15:43

2012 Kentucky Derby: Alpha gets green light after sharp drill at Belmont

NYRA Photo
Alpha works five furlongs Saturday under Rajiv Maragh, who is likely to ride him in the Kentucky Derby.

Alpha, the Wood Memorial runner-up, passed a significant hurdle Saturday in his bid to make the Kentucky Derby by working a sharp five furlongs at Belmont Park and, more importantly, coming out of it in good shape.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 14:26

Hollywood Park: Inglewood win may earn Utopian shot at Whittingham

Benoit & Associates
Utopian runs down pacesetter Smug to prevail by a head in the Inglewood Handicap.

Without Acclamation, Utopian won his first stakes in the $98,000 Inglewood Handicap, outfinishing pacesetter Smug by a head in the race over 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Utopian ($6.80) was second until early stretch when he moved within a length of Smug, who set an early pace of 25.75 and 50.23 seconds. Utopian was timed in 1:48.73.

“They were going really slow and I knew it would turn into a sprint for home,” Smith said. Smug finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 3-5 favorite Holladay Road, who was well clear of Haimish Hy in the four-horse field.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 14:01

Churchill Downs notes: Moquett may enter two in the Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ron Moquett pulled one of the biggest upsets in Churchill Downs history when he sent out Seek Gold to win the Grade  1 Stephen Foster Handicap in 2006 at 91-1. Amie’s Dini won’t be such a monster price when Moquett saddles her Friday for the 138th Kentucky Oaks at Churchill, but Moquett would like to shock a few people nonetheless.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 13:45

2012 Kentucky Derby: Motion, Matz follow successful patterns with Went the Day Well, Union Rags

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Graham Motion equipped Vinery Spiral winner Went the Day Well with blinkers for Saturday's workout and plans to use them in the Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Why mess with success? Graham Motion and Michael Matz both have won the Kentucky Derby, Motion last year, Matz in 2006, and they are back this year at Churchill Downs with runners whose final works on Saturday were almost carbon copies of what the trainers did with their Derby winners.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 13:23

Hollywood Park: Acclamation appears fine galloping

Shigeki Kikkawa
Acclamation is scheduled to make his first start of 2012 in Friday's Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park.

A day after being withdrawn from the Grade 3 Inglewood Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park over concern about his soundness, Acclamation resumed light training at Santa Anita on Saturday, trainer Don Warren said.

The champion older male of 2011, Acclamation was scheduled to make his first start of the year in the Inglewood on Friday evening, but was withdrawn on the afternoon of the race.

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 13:12

Finger Lakes: Pretty Cozzy tries to get back on track

For the past six months, the mare Pretty Cozzy has been bouncing back and forth between the barns of Chris Englehart and Dominic Galluscio. Claimed three times beween Oct. 19 and Feb. 10, the 6-year-old will seek her first win since she was reclaimed by Galluscio for $16,000 in Monday’s seventh race at Finger Lakes.

Pretty Cozzy is among three of the seven fillies and mares in the 4  1/2-furlong sprint entered under the second-level allowance conditions of the race rather than the optional $12,500 claiming tag.