Sat, 11/26/2011 - 19:16

Zia Park: Hayley’s Halo wins fifth straight stakes in Zia Park Distaff

Hayley’s Halo continued her dominance of New Mexico’s filly and mare ranks Saturday, when she picked off her sixth stakes win of the year in the $55,000 Zia Park Distaff.

The six-furlong race was one of the meet’s top offerings for fillies and mares.

Hayley’s Halo ($3.60), who had won four straight stakes heading into the Zia Distaff, broke well Saturday and easily moved to the lead. She set fractions of 22.68 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.65 for the half-mile before going on to a one-length win in 1:10.10.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 19:01

Turf Paradise: Hot on Top upset in Arizona Breeders’ Futurity

Hot on Top posted a stunning upset in Saturday’s $49,508 Arizona Breeders’ Futurity (filly division) at Turf Paradise, toppling the previously unbeaten Page Springs and notching her first stakes win.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 18:49

Churchill Downs: Gemologist edges away to win Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Gemologist, with Javier Castellano up, pulls away from Ever So Lucky to win the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Let the comparisons begin. Gemologist followed in the early footsteps of a WinStar Farm colt named Super Saver by posting a hard-fought victory Saturday in the 85th running of the Grade 2, $178,200 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, remaining unbeaten in the process while evoking this obvious bit of history: Super Saver, also owned by WinStar and trained by Todd Pletcher, won the KJC before returning to capture the Kentucky Derby the following spring.

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.