OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It won't get high marks aesthetically, but It's Tricky's class prevailed in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct.
Under a busy ride from Eddie Castro, It's Tricky took command in midstretch and drew clear to a 3 1/2-length victory over C C's Pal in the Distaff. It was 2 3/4 lengths back to Dontbeshy I'll Buy in third. Nicole H finished fourth, followed by White Merlot. Her Smile and Aquitania were scratched.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lonesome Street got the perfect pace scenario ahead of him when rallying for a 2 1/4-length victory Saturday in the 26th running of the Grade 2, $175,000 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland.
With Joel Rosario aboard for trainer Mike Maker, Lonesome Street rallied from well back in the seven-furlong Polytrack race, returning $10 as fourth choice in a field of seven older horses. Bergerac, the 5-2 favorite, finished second, another 2 1/4 lengths before Right One.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - One week after riding Karlovy Vary to a front-running victory in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, jockey James Graham was up to his same race-stealing tactics Saturday, riding Daisy Devine to a comfortable wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland.
In a race lacking pace, Graham allowed Daisy Devine to run freely in the early stages of the Jenny Wiley, in stark contrast to jockey Julien Leparoux, who took a hold of presumably the other speedy filly in the race, Tapitsfly.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Outta Tune began the Oaklawn Park meet in the $5,000 starter allowance ranks, but by the time the season ended on Saturday he was a graded stakes winner.
In a remarkable rise, Outta Tune forged to a half-length win over Apriority in the Grade 3, $250,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap just two starts after winning a starter allowance. Hamazing Destiny was another neck back in third in the Count Fleet, which was the first of four consecutive stakes on the card Saturday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tu Endie Wei, last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, toyed with her five rivals in Saturday’s $166,000 Star Shoot Stakes, winning the six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies by 5 1/2 lengths at Woodbine.
Tu Endie Wei ($2.50) set a slow opening quarter of 23 seconds, and was pressed by Casa Loma through a half in 45.32. She established a clear lead exiting the turn, and then drew away in the lane to prevail in a rapid final time of 1:08.88. Casa Loma finished a clear second over another longshot, Logan’s Peak.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Regardless of pace, the one thing trainer John Terranova knows when he watches My Redbyrd run is that she will come with a strong finish.
That was evident again on Saturday at Aqueduct when, despite pedestrian fractions, My Redbyrd rallied from last to win the $75,000 Videogenic Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over Sharnberry. It was a neck back to Check Point in third.
The win was the fourth from 12 starts for My Redbyrd, who was running for the first time since last Nov. 6, when she finished second in a spot similar, also at Aqueduct.
Indiana Downs opens for it’s 10th season on Monday, and will have a new racing secretary for the first time since its inaugural year.
Scott Peine, the Indiana Downs Standardbred racing secretary the past seven years, takes over for the now retired Butch Cook. The 32-year-old Peine was the assistant under Cook last season after getting his start in the racing office at Hawthorne. Peine is a graduate of the Louisville racing program and is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to horse racing.
The multiple stakes winner Agave Kiss will hit the road Tuesday and put her undefeated record on the line against five rivals in the $75,000 Trevose Stakes at Parx Racing.
Agave Kiss, a New York-bred daughter of Lion Heart, has won all four of her starts – all at six furlongs and all in New York – for Flying Zee Racing Stables and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Coming off a three-length victory in the Grade 3 Cicada at Aqueduct on March 10, Rodriguez had talked about the possibility of stretching out in distance in the Grade 3 Comely at a mile on April 7 at Aqueduct.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies looks like a good possibility for the May 4 Kentucky Oaks, according to Churchill Downs officials.
Ben Huffman, the racing secretary at Churchill and Keeneland, said Saturday that he knows of at least 11 fillies set to run in the Grade 1, $1 million Oaks, including most of the top horses in the division.
“I’m sure there’ll be a few more to come forward over the next couple of weeks, so I’m guessing we’re going to reach the 14-horse limit, or at least get very close to it,” said Huffman.
