Sun, 09/04/2011 - 18:58

Monmouth Park: Lopez's four-win day includes Yummy With Butter's score in Cliff Hanger

Bill Denver/Equiphotos
The 7-year-old Yummy With Butter collects his second straight Grade 3 win of the Monmouth meet in the Cliff Hanger.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Yummy With Butter earned a second straight Grade 3 victory at Monmouth Park, drawing off to a 3 1/4-length win over Cherokee Lord on Sunday in the $100,500 Cliff Hanger Stakes on the turf.

A 7-year-old gelding, Yummy With Butter has been steadily improving throughout the meet for Yvon Belsoeur, who took over the training last winter.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 18:39

Del Mar: Great Hot overtakes Sugarinthemorning in Torrey Pines

BENOIT PHOTO
Great Hot provides Chantal Sutherland with her first stakes win at Del Mar in the Torrey Pines.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- The Brazilian import Great Hot ran down odds-on favorite Sugarinthemorning in the final strides to take the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday at Del Mar.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 18:27

Saratoga: Brilliant Speed relishes return to turf in Saranac

Tom Keyser
Brilliant Speed, ridden by John Velazquez, snaps a three-race losing streak by returning to turf for the Saranac Stakes.

 SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After watching Brilliant Speed put in a lackluster performance in the Jim Dandy on dirt, trainer Tom Albertrani decided it was time to return the 3-year-old back to the turf.

 The move worked out, pardon the pun, brilliantly, as Brilliant Speed demonstrated a strong stretch kick to win the Grade 3, $103,000 Saranac Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths Sunday at Saratoga. Queen’splatekitten finished second, one-half length over King Congie.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 18:15

Saratoga calls off final race because of intense storm

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -  Sunday’s 12th and final race at Saratoga was canceled due to a storm that brought heavy rains, thunder, lightning ,and darkness to the area.

The storm came in after the Spinaway and despite tornado warnings, rain, and darkness, somehow the 11th race was run on the turf course.

Four minutes after the race was run, it was announced that the last would be moved to the dirt. Seven minutes later, when it became pitch black outside, it was announced that the 12th and final race was canceled.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 17:25

Woodbine: Welloiledmachine keeps his head in front in Vice Regent

Michael Burns
Welloiledmachine (center) holds off Celtic Conviction (right) by a head in the Vice Regent.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Welloiledmachine  barely held off a charging Celtic Conviction to win his first stakes Sunday at Woodbine in the $125,800 Vice Regent.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 17:05

Saratoga: First starter for Robbie Davis finishes 11th

Barbara D. Livingston
Jackie Davis and her father, Robbie Davis, as they prepare for the elder Davis's first mount as a trainer Sunday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  - A next-to-last-place finish never felt as good as the 11th-place finish by Sandyinthesun in Sunday’s eighth race at Saratoga.

Sandyinthesun was the first starter for former jockey-turned-trainer Robbie Davis, who gave a leg up to his 24-year-old daughter, Jackie, in the race. Sandyinthesun, a 4-year-old first-time starter, broke tardily,  then bore in soon thereafter and was only able to finish ahead of one horse. He was beaten 16 1/2 lengths by Turn up the Music in the New York-bred maiden special weight race.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 16:59

Calder: Big Drama cruises in comeback victory in Whippleton

Jim Lisa
Big Drama returns from an 8 1/2-month layoff to score by 2 1/4 lengths in the Whippleton.

MIAMI. -   In the end, class will usually prevail. 

And so it did when reigning sprint champion Big Drama returned from an 8 ½- month layoff to easily defeat the red-hot but outclassed Black Diamond Cat and two other rivals in Sunday’s $75,000 Whippleton Handicap at Calder.

Trainer David Fawkes plans to use Sunday’s race as the first of two preps before sending Big Drama back to Churchill Downs to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint later this fall.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 14:56

Santa Anita's Goodwood next target for Twirling Candy

BENOIT PHOTO
Twirling Candy (left), second to Acclamation in last weekend's Pacific Classic, will be pointed to either the Breeders' Cup Classic or the BC Dirt Mile.

Twirling Candy, the runner-up in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 28, will start in the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 1 as a prep to a Breeders’ Cup race to be determined later, trainer John Sadler said on Sunday.

Sadler said the Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Dirt Mile, which is run around one turn, would be considered for Twirling Candy. Owned by a partnership, Twirling Candy won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park in June and was third in the Hollywood Gold Cup in July earlier this summer.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 14:44

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf a possibility for Weemissfrankie

BENOIT PHOTO
Weemissfrankie, winner of the Del Mar Debutante, could be pointed to the Breeders' Cup, either for her dirt debut in the Juvenile Fillies or in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Weemissfrankie’s win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Saturday has left trainer Peter Eurton thinking of the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs in November, and not just the BC Juvenile Fillies.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf race is being considered, although Eurton indicated that a decision hinges on how Weemissfrankie runs in her next scheduled start, the $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:01

Saratoga: Jackson Bend, Jersey Town likely to meet again in Kelso

Barbara D. Livingston
Jackson Bend earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the first Grade 1 victory of his career in the Forego.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jackson Bend and Jersey Town, the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, are on similar schedules that will presumably have them meeting in the Grade 2 Kelso Stakes going one mile at Belmont Park on Oct. 1 and then the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.