Go Unbridled took advantage of a change of surface and a patient ride from Ramon Dominguez to win Sunday’s $100,000 John Hettinger Stakes at Belmont Park.
Originally carded for the turf, the Hettinger was run on the dirt after New York Racing Association officials deemed the turf too soft to race over, though morning workouts were conducted on it.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Roger Attfield and jockey Eurico Da Silva combined to sweep both stakes at Woodbine on Sunday, most notably the Grade 3, $255,500 Selene for 3-year-old fillies with Smart Sting.
Drill, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7, worked seven furlongs in 1:23.20 on Sunday, preparing for his first start around two turns in Saturday’s $250,000 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita.
Drill actually worked six furlongs in 1:11.20, according to trainer Bob Baffert.
“He did it the right way,” Baffert said. “He did it pretty effortlessly.”
Banned, winner of three graded stakes this year, underwent successful surgery Saturday to stabilize sesamoids that were injured during a turf workout at Santa Anita on Thursday, trainer Tom Proctor said.
Proctor emphasized Sunday that Banned faces a lengthy recovery.
“He’s doing really well,” he said. “We’re still very guarded about his prognosis. Everything is good so far. We’ve got to give it more time.”
Banned is recovering at Proctor’s Santa Anita stable.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Grade 1 winning stablemates Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty completed preparations for their upcoming stakes engagements with half-mile workouts Sunday morning that were as impressive visually as they were by the stopwatch.
Sword Trick returned to sprinting on the main track and returned to the winner’s circle Saturday night, when he drew out to a 13 1/2-length win in the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park near San Antonio.
The race was one of two stakes on the card. Cowgirl N Up crashed the $100,000 fillies division of the Texas Stallion Stakes when she won her maiden in the race at 35-1. She is a half-sister to four-time stakes winner Aces N Kings.
POMONA, Calif. – Longshot winners of the Pomona Derby and Las Madrinas Handicap on Saturday at Fairplex Park helped generate a pick-six carryover of $36,333 into Sunday, closing day of the 2011 Los Angeles County Fair meet.
Great Warrior ($9.40) won the Pomona Derby under Omar Berrio; Pure Class ($29.80) won the Las Madrinas under Anne Sanguinetti. The purse was $50,000 for both stakes, and the wins were memorable for both jockeys.
Amanecer de Oro was a sizzling stakes winner in his turf debut Saturday at Louisiana Downs, setting a brisk pace and holding on for a half-length win over Expressiano in the $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin.
The race was one of six restricted stakes on the penultimate card of the Louisiana Downs meet, which will close on Sunday. The races were worth a cumulative $600,000.
BENSALEM, Pa. - To Honor and Serve provided a not-so-subtle reminder why he entered the year ranked so high on many handicappers' Kentucky Derby lists with an authoritative victory, running stakes-record time, in Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.
FLORENCE, Ky. – D.H. Skaggs was the young’n in the exacta Saturday in the Grade 2, $170,000 WinStar Kentucky Cup. The 76-year-old owner-trainer sent out Future Prospect to beat General Quarters – owned and trained by 78-year-old Tom McCarthy – in the 17th running of the Turfway Park showcase, giving Skaggs the first graded stakes triumph of a 42-year training career.
Skaggs was near tears in the wild aftermath of the 1 1/16-mile WinStar. “This old horse has been really good to me,” he said.
