Sun, 03/25/2012 - 11:18

Charles Town: Davis-trained horses collect four slots in starter finals

Trainer Scooter Davis locked up four of the 10 available slots for the finals of the Charles Town Starter Tournament by going 4 for 4 with his runners in Saturday night’s semifinals.

Disco Indy ($7.80) snapped a three-race losing streak in the second of two seven-furlong heats worth $30,000 apiece, one race after Davis-trained runners finished one-two-three. The favored Pure Rey ($4.20) won his second straight race since the 7-year-old was claimed for $5,000. His stablemates, Run Fat Boy Run and Etched Stone, checked in second and third.

Sun, 03/25/2012 - 11:03

Remington: Cold Cash 123 surpasses $1 million by taking Leo

Cold Cash 123, the reigning world champion Quarter Horse, won his first start of the year Saturday night at Remington Park, when he overcame a slow start to edge Llano Teller by a neck in the $100,000 Leo Stakes. With the win, which was his fourth straight, Cold Cash 123 became a millionaire.

The Leo, which was delayed when a horse broke through the gate and was briefly loose, was the first start since Dec. 31 for Cold Cash 123. He broke outward in the 400-yard race, and then picked up steam to cover the distance in 19.52 seconds. He paid $3.40. 

Sun, 03/25/2012 - 10:55

2012 Kentucky Derby: Went the Day Well may prep in Keeneland's Lexington

Patrick Lang Photography
In a performance eerily reminiscent of his stablemate Animal Kingdom's victory in last year's Spiral, Went the Day Well rolls to victory on Saturday at Turfway Park.

FLORENCE, Ky. – The 3 1/2-length victory by Went the Day Well in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes on Saturday at Turfway Park certainly has his connections pumped for the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5. What remains to be answered in the coming weeks, however, is whether the colt will have another race in the interim before proceeding to Churchill Downs.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 20:44

Turf Paradise: Derive confirms his horse of the meet status

PHOENIX - Any doubts that Derive is hands-down horse of the meet at Turf Paradise were put to rest when the 6-year-old son of Cozzene captured Saturday’s $35,000 Coyote Handicap, his sixth win in as many starts at the meet, including three stakes.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 20:07

Santa Anita: Dynamic Host takes Tokyo City Cup for first stakes win

ARCADIA, Calif. - Dynamic Host was claimed for $40,000 at Del Mar last summer, a purchase price that trainer Art Sherman thought would be a deal if the gelding could be competitive for $50,000.

Saturday at Santa Anita, Dynamic Host won his first stakes in the $150,000 Tokyo City Cup over 1 1/2 miles on the main track. The victory was worth $90,000 to the partnership that owns the 6-year-old, putting them firmly in the positive column for their investment. They have collected $116,840 in winnings since claiming Dynamic Host.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 19:34

Fair Grounds: Dead heat in Happy Ticket

Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts
Speedacious (left), with Miguel Mena riding, and Inspired, Shaun Bridgmohan up, hit the wire together in the Happy Ticket.

There was no doubting the two best fillies in the Happy Ticket Stakes: Speedacious and Inspired finished almost six lengths ahead of the third-place horse. But between those two there was nothing, and the $72,750 Happy Ticket Stakes, rained from turf onto dirt Saturday at Fair Grounds will go down as a tie.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 19:31

Oaklawn Park: City Sage comes in from New Mexico to win Hot Springs

Coady photography/Oaklawn Park
City Sage completes a stakes trifecta at the Oaklawn meet for the Von Hemel family.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - City Sage invaded Oaklawn Park from New Mexico and proved a sharp, front-running winner of the $75,000 Hot Springs Stakes before a Saturday crowd of 18,385. He won by a neck over Our Dark Knight, while it was another four lengths back in third to Chief of Affairs.

The Hot Springs was the local prep for the Grade 3, $250,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, and a decision on whether City Sage advances to that race will be made at a later time, said winning trainer Kelly Von Hemel.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 19:16

Gulfstream: Newsdad gives Mott fifth Pan American win

Bob Coglianese
Newsdad, with Julien Leparoux up, wins the Pan American.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Bill Mott continued his dominance of Gulfstream Park's Pan American, winning the 1 1/2-mile turf fixture for the fifth time on Saturday with Newsdad, who rallied to a popular two-length victory over Hailstone in a race that scratched down to only four starters.

Mott, who was not in attendance, sent out two of the four runners in the Pan American, which was upgraded from a Grade 3 to a Grade 2 this season. He also trains Harrods Creek, who set the early pace in his first start of the year.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 18:32

Turfway Park: In Lingerie rolls in Bourbonette for Pletcher, Velazquez

Patrick Lang Photography
In Lingerie wins the Bourbonette Stakes under John Velazquez.

FLORENCE, Ky. – A year after Summer Soiree dominated the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks in front-running fashion, In Lingerie did her best to replicate that performance Saturday at Turfway, going to the front and increasing her lead to the wire.

After being a little hesitant to load in the gate, In Lingerie did everything perfectly, cruising to the front under John Velazquez and never being threatened. She won by six lengths over stablemate Dancing Solo, with Toxis another 5 1/2 lengths back in third.

Sat, 03/24/2012 - 18:26

Laurel: Eighttofasttocatch repeats in Harrison E. Johnson

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Eighttofasttocatch, with Sheldon Russell riding, wins the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial for the second straight year.

Eighttofasttocatch survived an extended pace duel at Laurel Park on Saturday to earn a repeat victory in the $92,950 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes.