ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Rafael Bejarano swept the races for 2-year-old on Saturday’s California Cup program at Santa Anita, winning the Juvenile with Rousing Sermon and the Juvenile Fillies with Starlight Magic.
Both were making their first starts around two turns and handled the transition from sprints without difficulty.
The switch from his accustomed grass surface to a sloppy track posed no problems for Ben’s Cat.
Racing in the slop for the first time in his 19-race career and back on the main track after six straight races on turf, Ben’s Cat ($3.80) took control in the stretch and rolled to a two-length victory in the $75,000 Laurel Dash at Laurel Park on Saturday.
Deliburnsky, allowed to loaf through an opening half-mile in 46.84 seconds, cruised to an easy six-length victory in the colts division of Saturday’s $60,000 Jersey Juvenile at Monmouth Park.
“We were able to go so slow up front and from there it was pretty easy,” said winning jockey Pedro Cotto Jr. “This horse is very good and when he can go that slow it makes it even better for him. He handled the muddy track perfectly today.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario—Rose and Shine enjoyed clear sailing on the outside en route to her second stakes win Saturday at Woodbine in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth, for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies.
The longshot Point of Emminence set slow fractions in the 1 1/16-mile route, while Rose and Shine raced four-wide in midpack under Luis Contreras.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Havre de Grace will only enter the Breeders' Cup Classic on Monday, and will not also be entered in the Ladies' Classic, trainer Larry Jones said Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.
Pay the Man won her sixth consecutive race Saturday afternoon at Beulah Park by taking the $50,000 Scarlet and Gray Handicap for Ohio-bred fillies and mares.
No one could have known that the second race at Aqueduct on March 25 would produce a starter for the Breeders’ Cup. The six-furlong inner-track race was for fillies and mares racing under a “beaten” condition and being risked for a $15,000 claiming tag.
Though trainer Todd Pletcher wouldn’t confirm it, Stopshoppingmaria is likely to run in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Stopshoppingmaria breezed five furlongs on Saturday in 1:04.49 over the turf in company with Sweet Cat on Saturday. Under Javier Castellano, Stopshoppingmaria broke behind Sweet Cat and finished on even terms, getting her final quarter in 23.23 seconds over a course labeled firm.
Trainer Ken McPeek said Saturday that Putthebabiesdown is only 50-50 to be entered Monday for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies.
Putthebabiesdown, coming off a third in the Grade 1 Alcibiades over Keeneland’s Polytrack, worked five furlongs at Churchill on Saturday in 1:02.20 in company with the 2-year-old colt Yes He’s Trouble. McPeek said he wasn’t thrilled with the way Putthebabiesdown finished the final eighth of that move.
