Sat, 03/17/2012 - 19:05

Oaklawn Park: Secret Circle holds off fast-closing Optimizer in Rebel

Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park
Secret Circle looked home free in midstretch of the Rebel but had to dig in to hold off Optimizer.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Secret Circle handled the latest distance test in his escalating career Saturday at Oaklawn Park, when he beat a fast-closing Optimizer by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2, $500,000 Rebel Stakes. In the process, Secret Circle gave his trainer, Bob Baffert, his third consecutive Rebel win in a streak that started with Lookin At Lucky in 2010 and continued with the The Factor in 2011.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 19:00

Gulfstream Park: Musical Romance gets up to win Inside Information

Bob Coglianese
Musical Romance (5), with Juan Leyva up, wins the Inside Information.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The champ is back!

Eclipse Award winner Musical Romance rebounded from her disappointing 2012 debut in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint to register a three-quarter-length victory over the 45-1 Hot Summer in Saturday's $150,000 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park. Groupie Doll, the tepid 3-1 favorite in the evenly matched field, rallied belatedly to finish third.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 18:40

Oaklawn: Tiz Miz Sue by three in Azeri

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Tiz Miz Sue put herself under consideration for next month’s Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap when she rolled past the leaders in the stretch to win the local prep, the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri, before a crowd of 31,882 at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. She won by three lengths over She’s All In, while it was another length back in third to Joyful Victory.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 18:33

Aqueduct: Marilyn's Guy holds on for Excelsior victory

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Marilyn's Guy, on the rail, holds off San Pablo to win the Excelsior.

OZONE PARK, N.Y.  - Tony Dutrow had some concern running Marilyn's Guy back four weeks after the horse returned from an 11-month layoff with a huge effort in his last start.

But Marilyn's Guy delivered another big effort Saturday at Aqueduct, opening up a sizeable advantage turning for home then holding on at the wire to take the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior Stakes by a neck over San Pablo at Aqueduct.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 18:07

Fair Grounds: Havre de Grace easily takes New Orleans Ladies while prepping for bigger game

Hodges Photography/Alexander Barkoff
Havre de Grace moves to the lead three wide on the turn of the New Orleans Ladies.

As comeback races go, Havre de Grace’s on Saturday at Fair Grounds couldn’t have been much better.

Havre de Grace got to run in the afternoon rather than during a morning work, and she had to work a little harder than has been the case in her recent drills – but not much. Tracking the pace in a short field, Havre de Grace challenged the leading duo of Sterling Madame and Juanita midway around the far turn, seized command of the $150,000 New Orleans Ladies at the top of the stretch, and went on to a 4 1/2- length victory.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 17:58

Santa Anita: Lindz Winz upsets off-the-turf Irish O'Brien

Benoit Photo
Lindz Winz takes the Irish O'Brien as the longest shot in the field.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When it looked like the Irish O’Brien Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita would have a small field, Barry Abrams, the trainer and co-owner of Lindz Winz, figured he’d run her, even though she’d be a longshot, figuring she had a chance to at least pick up some black type.

She did better than that. She’s now a stakes winner.

Lindz Winz ($18.60), the longest shot in a field of five, relished a sloppy, sealed track when scoring a 2 1/4-length victory over Camille C in the $100,000 Irish O’Brien, for older California-bred fillies and mares.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 17:50

Laurel: Raconteur rebounds with Private Terms victory

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Raconteur, with Chris DeCarlo riding, wins the Private Terms.

Raconteur bounced back from his seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham earlier this month with a late-running head victory in Saturday's $76,500 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 15:22

Gulfstream Park: Castellano sets meet record for wins

Jockey Javier Castellano broke the record for most wins during a Gulfstream meet when guiding Repenter to a popular victory in Saturday’s first race. Repenter gave Castellano his 98th win of the session, eclipsing the previous mark shared by Jerry Bailey (1996), Wigberto Ramos (1991), and Julio Pezua (1987).

“It’s a great day in my life,” said Castellano. “I’ve been doing so well lately. I’ve been so lucky but I’ve had a lot of help from all my owners and trainers and my agent Matt Muzikar.”

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 14:45

Aqueduct: Street Life may try Wood Memorial next

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Street Life gets up to win the Broad Brush under an alert ride by Junior Alvarado.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Street Life likely earned himself a spot in the $1 million Wood Memorial by overcoming a slow pace to run down pacesetting Copy My Swagger to win Saturday’s $75,000 Broad Brush Stakes by one-half length at Aqueduct.

The win was the second straight for Street Life, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, after he finished eighth in his debut at Gulfstream on Jan. 5.

Under Junior Alvarado, Street Life raced in fourth position about 3 1/2 lengths off the pace of Copy My Swagger, who ran a half-mile uncontested in 48.76 seconds.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 13:52

Sunland: Three sets of trial races on card

The fields for three upcoming stakes races at Sunland Park will be determined on Tuesday, with the running of trials for the Grade  1, $110,000 New Mexico Challenge Championship for Quarter Horses, and two divisions of the Copper Top Futurity for Thoroughbreds.

The trial action starts in the second race, with Grade 1-winning Quarter Horses Rylees Boy and Sir Seth taking on the win-streaking Kool Angel. The race will be run over 440 yards, the same distance as the New Mexico Challenge Championship finale on April 8.