Sat, 11/26/2011 - 18:28

Fair Grounds: Daisy Devine cruises in Pago Hop

Lou Hodges Jr.
Daisy Devine, with James Graham riding, wins the Pago Hop.

NEW ORLEANS - Turf or dirt, Daisy Devine loves the Fair Grounds. Winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks on the main track last season, Daisy Devine ran her grass record to 2 for 2 with an easy win Saturday in the $75,000 Pago Hop Stakes.

Racing just off the mild pace of Love Dare, Daisy Devine and jockey James Graham seized command at the top of the stretch and comfortably held clear Ruthenia, winning by 2 1/4lengths.

“She loves this racetrack,” said Andy McKeever, who trains Daisy Devine for James Miller. “She breezes totally different down here.”

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 18:19

Calder: Attfield runners one-two in McKnight; Musketier likely to race next year at age 10

Jim Lisa
Musketier took advantage of a perfect trip under jockey Luis Saez to win the McKnight Handicap at age 9.

Roger Attfield completed a perfect Thanksgiving weekend at Calder on Saturday by sending out his uncoupled duo of Musketier and Simmard to finish first and second, respectively, in the Grade 2, $150,000, W.L. McKnight Handicap.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:49

Calder: Former claimer Jimanator outduels Mambo Meister in Hooper Handicap

Jim Lisa
Jimanator outfinishes Mambo Meister to win the Grade 2, $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap at Calder.

MIAMI – Jimanator, beaten under a $20,000 claiming tag this summer at Saratoga, became a graded stakes winner Saturday at Calder after outgaming the 2-5 favorite Mambo Meister to register a three-quarter-length decision in the Grade 2, $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:33

Churchill Downs: On Fire Baby romps in Golden Rod

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
On Fire Baby, with Joe Johnson aboard, wins the Golden Rod.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Amid the delirium that swirled all around him, Gary "Red Dog" Hartlage calmly pointed to his stable star, On Fire Baby, as she galloped out from her easy triumph Saturday in the Grade 2, $169,350 Golden Rod Stakes.

The winning margin was 6 1/4 lengths, but another furlong past the wire, On Fire Baby was probably twice that ahead of the next filly galloping out from the 1 1/16-mile race.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:20

Woodbine: Run in Aruba makes name for himself in Kingarvie

Michael Burns
Run in Aruba rallies from last to win Saturday's Kingarvie Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Run in Aruba, who has been overshadowed by his stakes-winning stablemate Jenna’s Wabbit, blew away the field in Saturday’s $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes at Woodbine.

Jenna’s Wabbit, the 2-5 favorite in the mile and a sixteenth route, set a moderate pace while being pressed by longshot Stage Best. Run in Aruba trailed the seven-horse field of Ontario-sired 2-year-olds until the far turn, where he commenced an explosive wide rally under Luis Contreras.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:16

Aqueduct: O’Prado Again rallies to win Remsen Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
O'Prado Again (left) runs by Souper Speedy in the stretch to win the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Dale Romans finished third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Paddy O’Prado and fourth in this year’s Run for the Roses with Shackleford. Romans may have found his Derby hopeful for 2012 in O’Prado Again, who rallied to a three-quarter-length win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:15

Aqueduct: Awesome Feather trounces Gazelle foes

Barbara D. Livingston
Awesome Feather, with Jeffrey Sanchez riding, wins the Gazelle by 5 1/4 lengths.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -  Whether eight is enough remains to be seen, but last year's juvenile filly champion, Awesome Feather, made it all the way back for an emphatic triumph in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle, thus keeping her perfect record intact.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 16:41

Laurel: Deliburnsky all the way in Dave's Friend

Deliburnsky led from start to finish under jockey Pedro Cotto Jr. to win the $75,000 Dave's Friend at Laurel Park on Saturday.

A short field of four 2-year-old colts and geldings contested the six-furlong event. Trained by Tony Wilson, Deliburnsky bobbled at the start, making it the fourth straight race he has had trouble at the start.

"He is a great big horse, and that is why he is always having trouble at the start, we need to try him over more ground soon," said Wilson.

Deliburnsky has not yet been beyond six furlongs.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 16:09

Churchill: Holthus service gets large turnout

Jeff Coady/Coady Photography
Bob Holthus in 2006.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -  Bob Holthus was eulogized as a “prince of a man” and a great horseman before several hundred family, friends, and colleagues at a memorial service held Saturday morning in a packed chapel in the stable area of Churchill Downs, where Holthus was a fixture for much of the last 20 years before his death of heart failure Tuesday morning at age 77.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 15:52

Beulah: Indian Ink wires in Bobbie Bricker

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Indian Ink wired the field of seven older Ohio-accredited fillies and mares in the $50,000 Bobbie Bricker at Beulah Park on Saturday.

Trained by Mike Rone, Indian Ink was pressed for the first half-mile before shaking clear on the far turn. Jockey Rafael Hernandez asked for the 6-year-old mare's best and she responded, drawing off by eight lengths in upper stretch. The final margin of victory was seven lengths.