At an time when many mares her age are already in midst of their second career as a broodmare, Magical Feeling is racing better than ever.
Following up on her 27-1 upset in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap in February, the 6-year-old Magical Feeling collected another six-figure stakes when she rallied as the 8-5 favorite to win Saturday night's $200,000 Sugar Maple at Charles Town.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The surface was different than expected, but there was no surprise to the outcome of Saturday's $100,000 Las Cienegas Handicap at Santa Anita. Mizdirection ($2.60) extended her winning streak to four races.
The race was transferred from the hillside turf course to the main track after considerable rain on Friday. As a result, the 10-time stakes winner Unzip Me and the graded stakes winner Broken Dreams were scratched, leaving four starters.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Though he was the least-experienced horse in the race, the sheer, raw talent of Bodemeister was too much for his rivals on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, as Bodemeister romped to a dazzling, 9 1/2-length victory, firmly placing himself among the elite contenders for the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Secret Circle, like Bodemeister trained by Bob Baffert, held on for second, a neck in front of Sabercat, whose trainer, Steve Asmussen, and jockey, Corey Nakatani, combined for five wins earlier on the card.
MIAMI - The heavy rain which fell over south Florida on Saturday morning was expected to play a large part in determining the outcome later that afternoon in the $150,000 Calder Derby. And sure enough, it did.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Dullahan stamped himself as one of the favorites for the 138th Kentucky Derby and put himself in the record books by rolling past favored Hansen to win the 88th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on a warm Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Breaking from post 1 and closing up the inside on the turn under jockey Javier Castellano, Perfect Officer was able to save vital ground in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland, and used it to catch longtime leader Great Mills in the final stride.
Great Mills, who led from the break, lost a heartbreaker by a nose, leading most every step, but not the most important one at the wire. A hot early pace of 21.76 seconds in the 5 1/2-furlong Shakertown appeared to take a toll on him late, and he weakened in the closing strides.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Alternation has stepped up his game the entire Oaklawn Park meet, and on Saturday he defeated a pair of last-out Grade 1 winners, Ron the Greek and Hymn Book, in a deep edition of the Grade 2, $400,000 Oaklawn Handicap.
Alternation won by 2 1/2 lengths, and in the process picked off his third straight stakes behind the $100,000 Essex Handicap in February and the Grade 3, $150,000 Razorback on March 10. His goal all meet has been the Oaklawn Handicap.
“It’s very satisfying,” said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains Alternation for Pin Oak Stable.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Master Rick gave his trainer, Steve Asmussen, and his jockey, Corey Nakatani, their fifth wins on the closing-day program at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, when he outfinished 3-5 favorite Drill for a half-length win in the $100,000 Northern Spur.
The one-mile race for 3-year-olds went as the ninth race on the 12-race program led by the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Bold Affair proved she doesn’t need the lead to win.
Unlike her wire-to-wire romp in the restricted Conniver Stakes a month ago, Bold Affair waited until the stretch to unleash her best run Saturday and drew off to a three-length score in the $75,000 Primonetta Stakes at Pimlico.
