Pleasantly Blessed picked up the third stakes win of her career Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park, when she rallied for a one-length win over Artemus Kitten in the $50,000 Jersey Lilly. It was another neck back in third to Always in My Heart.
The Jersey Lilly was a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
Trainer Bret Calhoun ruled the sprint divisions Saturday night on Premier Night at Delta Downs, with Speedacious easily winning her second straight $100,000 Matron while Su Casa G Casa scored a mild upset in the $100,000 Sprint.
The remarkable Star Guitar splashed through the slop and won his fourth consecutive $200,000 Premier Night Championship on Saturday night a Delta Downs, drawing clear for a 3 1/4- length victory over a racing surface his connections believe he disliked.
Star Guitar typically presses or stalks the leaders in his races, but after breaking from post 10 and dropping to the back of the field under Corey Lanerie, Star Guitar was last as the field hit the backstretch run and only eighth after six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile race had been completed.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With $180,000 of graded stakes earnings in the bank, Alpha has given his connections the luxury of planning the 3-year-old’s path to the May 5 Kentucky Derby how they see fit.
While Alpha will likely remain on the New York road to the Triple Crown, it remains to be seen whether he will make his next start in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes on March 3 or take a detour and await the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 7.
ARCADIA, Calif. - There is a massive pick six carryover of $353,248 for Sunday’s eight-race program after longshots dominated Saturday’s card at Santa Anita.
Surprise wins in two of the day’s three stakes – I’ll Have Another ($88.60) in the Robert Lewis Stakes and Ultimate Eagle ($17) in the Strub Stakes – contributed to Sunday’s carryover. Going into Saturday’s final leg, only one horse was covered, Fiddlers Afleet. He finished second to 8-5 favorite Setsuko.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Martin Pedroza tried to coax Ultimate Eagle into a patient trip in the first half of Saturday’s $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. Ultimate Eagle would have none of it, and he turned a half-length lead on the backstretch into a convincing win by 7 1/4 lengths.
Winning his third graded stakes in his last four starts, Ultimate Eagle thoroughly dominated the Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds, the colt’s first career start on a dirt surface after races on synthetic tracks and turf courses.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Flags of the United States as well as California fly atop the grandstand at Santa Anita, but on Saturday, after a shocking upset by 43-1 outsider I’ll Have Another in the Grade 2, $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, the audible gasp in the stands was “Oh, Canada.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Alternation opened his 4-year-old season Saturday with an authoritative win in the $100,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park, moving past a pair of dueling leaders into the stretch and shuttling home by 3 1/2 lengths.
“It was a good start to the year for him, and we’d love to be a participant in the Oaklawn Handicap,” said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains Alternation for Pin Oak Stable.
Trainer Eddie Kenneally had to make a choice. Should he run his Kentucky Derby prospect Battle Hardened in a maiden race Saturday at Gulfstream Park or go for important graded stakes money by taking him to Tampa Bay Downs for the $250,000 Sam F. Davis?
In the end, Kenneally chose wisely, scratching Battle Hardened at Gulfstream to go to Tampa, where the maiden was suddenly a maiden no more after rallying to an impressive 1 1/4-length victory over the multiple stakes winner Prospective in the Grade 3 Sam Davis.
Mr. Prankster drew off for another convincing score at Turfway Park when stretching out to two turns to capture the $50,000 WEBN Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths Saturday. John McKee was aboard for trainer Mike Maker.
Winner of the 6 1/2-furlong Turfway Prevue last month, Mr. Prankster lagged back early after breaking from the far outside post in a field of nine 3-year-olds, then surged into contention entering the far turn and proved tons the best. He returned $5.80 as favorite after finishing the one-mile distance in 1:39.18 over Polytrack.
