OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott’s November to remember concluded Saturday at Aqueduct with To Honor and Serve recording a 1 3/4-length victory over the late-running Hymn Book in the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When Disposablepleasure fell on her face coming out of the starting gate of Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct, trainer Todd Pletcher had flashbacks to the 2007 Belmont Stakes.
“The only thing I thought of was maybe it was Rags to Riches again,” said Pletcher, referring to the filly who stumbled at the start of Belmont Stakes but managed to defeat Preakness winner Curlin.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – His victory with Star Billing in the Matriarch Stakes on Friday in the rear-view mirror, trainer John Shirreffs on Saturday morning was looking forward to 2012, when he could have a stranglehold on the local grass races for female turf runners.
Luke of York may have been good for trainer Jimmy DiVito’s bank account, but not so good for DiVito’s blood pressure thus far during his 2-year-old campaign. The stretch-running son of Put It Back has won each of his first two starts by a nose, including Kenneland’s Anniversary Stakes on Oct. 15. Divito is hoping Luke of York will make things a little easier on both himself and his trainer when closing out his juvenile season in Saturday’s opening-day feature at Gulfstream Park, the six-furlong Spectacular Bid.
NEW ORLEANS – Rapid Redux will not be shipped from Pennsylvania to New Orleans for the Dec. 3 Claiming Crown, owner Robert Cole said Saturday.
Rapid Redux was pre-entered in the $50,000 Iron Horse, and Cole said the expense of traveling for the race was too great to make the journey.
“It’s $13,000 to ship with plane transfer, and that made no sense at all,” said Cole. “If you run second, you lose $7,000.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wise Dan came out of his smashing victory in the Clark Handicap in good shape and will remain in Kentucky through the winter, getting a brief vacation before gearing back up for a 5-year-old campaign, trainer Charlie Lopresti said Saturday morning.
Wise Dan, bred and owned by Morton Fink, earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure with his 3 3/4-length triumph Friday in the Clark, a Grade 1 race that was the fourth stakes win from the last five starts for the gelding.
In the end, it was a familiar story.
Our Nautique, who scored a front-running victory in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile earlier this year, got away with an easy lead and captured the Grade 3, $100,260 All American Stakes by a neck, holding off the late charge of millionaire Bold Chieftain.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Facing a top-class field of East Coast shippers, a local turf filly stole the show Friday in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park.
California-based Star Billing and jockey Victor Espinoza rallied past a good field of shippers to post a $23.40 upset in the one-mile stakes, giving trainer John Shirreffs his third win on the card and validating owner-breeder George Krikorian’s confidence.
Steal Your Face won the $50,000 Silver Goblin for the second time in three years on Friday, when he edged Gleaming by a neck in the Oklahoma-bred stakes that highlighted a special afternoon card at Remington Park.
Steal Your Face’s first win in the 6 1/2- furlong sprint came by a nose in 2009.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – They can’t take this one away from them. Owner Morton Fink and trainer Charlie Lopresti thought they had won the Clark Handicap last year when Successful Dan crossed under the wire first, but a disqualification left them quite unhappy.
