Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:58

Fair Grounds: Thiskyhasnolimit returns sharp from layoff in Louisiana Handicap

Hodges Photography / Lynn Roberts
Thiskyhasnolimit takes the Louisiana Handicap under jockey Shane Sellers.

Thiskyhasnolimit, fresh from a layoff, led every step of the way in posting a mild upset Saturday under Shane Sellers in the 66th running of the $99,000 Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

In registering his fifth stakes victory, and sixth overall, from 19 career starts, Thiskyhasnolimit returned $12.20 as fourth choice in a field of eight older horses. Fast Alex rallied late to take second, a length behind the winner and another three-quarters of a length before Alma d’Oro, the 2-1 favorite.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:47

Gulfstream Park: Team Valor pair one-two in Kitten's Joy

Bob Coglianese
Howe Great holds off stablemate Lucky Chappy after opening up an insurmountable lead in upper stretch.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Graham Motion and Team Valor International capped off a memorable week after their uncoupled entry of Howe Great and Lucky Chappy finished first and second, respectively, in Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park. Motion and Team Valor took down the 3-year-old championship with Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom at Monday’s Eclipse Award ceremonies.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:45

Turfway Park: Lotta Lovin romps in Cincinnati Trophy

Patrick Lang Photography
Lotta Lovin, with Victor Lebron riding, rolls home in the Cincinnati Trophy.

Lotta Lovin notched her second straight stakes by rolling to a seven-length victory in the $50,000 Cincinnati Trophy on Saturday afternoon at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

With leading jockey Victor Lebron aboard for leading trainer Mike Maker, Lotta Lovin returned $6 as the favorite after finishing the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:17.99 over Polytrack. A.P. Diva was second, another 1 1/4 lengths before Sweetnessngoodness in a field of 10 3-year-old fillies.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:36

Santa Anita: Vamo a Galupiar rallies to win Megahertz

Benoit & Associates
Vamo a Galupiar, with Joe Talamo riding, wins the Megahertz.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Vamo a Galupiar, a Group1 stakes winner in Chile in 2010, won her first stakes in the United States in Saturday's $78,500 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.

Vamo a Galupiar ($25.20) closed from last in a field of seven fillies and mares to win the one-mile turf race by a convincing 3 1/4 lengths in 1:34.95. The course was listed as firm despite overnight rain.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:29

Tampa Bay Downs: Taylors Irish wakes up in Manatee, pays $35

Tom Cooley
Taylors Irish turned back several challenges to win the Manatee Stakes.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Six-year-old Taylors Irish jumped right to the front at the beginning of Saturday's $50,000 Manatee Stakes, then turned back several challenges through a long drive to post a stunning upset in the seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 17:24

Fair Grounds: Mr. Vegas takes Bradley

John Duca/Tom Cooley
Mr. Vegas leads the field home in the Colonel E.R. Bradley.

NEW ORLEANS - For the connections of Mr. Vegas, the most taxing part of the Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap was its aftermath.

On the lead throughout the 1 1/16-mile grass race, Mr. Vegas and jockey Miguel Mena came out into the path of second-place Dubious Miss shortly before crossing the finish line with a 1 1/2-length lead.  Up went the inquiry sign from the Fair Grounds stewards, and in came an objection from Dubious Miss's rider, Corey Lanerie, but after a fairly brief review, the numbers on the board stopped blinking and remained as posted.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 16:25

Fair Grounds: Believe You Can finds herself on lead in Silverbulletday

Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges Jr.
Believe You Can (left) leads Summer Appaluse home in the $120,000 Silverbulletday.

NEW ORLEANS – When trainer Larry Jones woke up Saturday morning, his mental picture of the Silverbulletday Stakes showed Believe You Can racing in behind the speedy Applauding. But when Applauding had to be scratched, coming down with a stomachache at just the wrong moment, it changed the whole complexion of the Silverbulletday. Believe You Can became the race’s controlling speed, and she led from start to finish in the $120,000 race for 3-year-old fillies, beating Summer Applause by 1 1/2 lengths.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 15:41

Fair Grounds: Gantry by a nose in Gaudin

Lou Hodges Jr.
Gantry (left) edges Cash Refund in the F.W. Gaudin.

NEW ORLEANS - Gantry proved in the F.W. Gaudin Memorial stakes that he is a better horse right now than Cash Refund - about three inches better.

Two months after winning a photo from Cash Refund in the Thanksgiving Handicap, Gantry did the same thing Saturday in the Gaudin, capturing the $72,000 race by a nose.

"I think this might even have been a hair closer than the last one," said winning trainer Ron Faucheux.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 13:38

Gulfstream Park: Force Freeze on the muscle in workout

Barbara D. Livingston
Force Freeze, shown in a December photo, went the first three furlongs of his five-furlong work Saturday in 34.77 seconds.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was a sprinter kind of morning at Gulfstream Park on Saturday with the two most prominent names on the work tab Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Force Freeze and the much improved Associate, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita.

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 12:20

Sam Houston: Cowgirl N Up takes opening-night Bara Lass Stakes

Jack Coady/Coady Photography
Cowgirl N Up gets up to win the $50,000 Bara Lass on Friday, opening night of the Sam Houston meet.

Cowgirl N Up edged Nothinbettertodo to win the $50,000 Bara Lass on opening night of the Sam Houston meet on Friday. The race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Texas was the first of three stakes on the card. They served as the first half of Texas Champions Weekend, which continues Saturday night with four stakes led by the $100,000 Star of Texas.

Cowgirl N Up ($8.80) won the second stakes of her career when she rallied to cover seven furlongs in 1:24.29. Larry Taylor was aboard Cowgirl N Up for owner-trainer Caroline Dodwell.