Sun, 07/31/2011 - 19:34

Embellished takes Northlands Park Oaks with stalking trip

Embellished had a perfect stalking trip to win the $50,000 Northlands Park Oaks by 2 1/2 lengths over Maegans Princesses at Northlands Park on Sunday.

With Heribert Martinez taking a firm hold of the Kentucky-bred filly, Embellished sat just off Maegans Princesses, who set moderate fractions of 24.40 and 48 seconds in the one-mile feature. Embellished moved up to engage Meagans Princess going into the stretch turn and then drew off to post a convincing victory. She paid $6.50 as the second choice behind Castinettes Dancer, who made a late move to finish a non-threatening third.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 19:20

Pletcher dominates Saratoga with seven-win weekend

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher enjoyed a spectacular weekend at Saratoga, winning seven of nine races in which he competed, including two graded stakes.

Pletcher, who has won the Saratoga training title seven times, has won at least one race each of the nine days of the meet and has taken control of trainer standings with 14 wins from 41 starters. Chad Brown is second in the standings with five wins.

Pletcher owns the record for most wins at a Saratoga meet with 36, which he recorded last year.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 18:16

Haskell: Coil gives Baffert another score on the Shore

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Coil and Martin Garcia uncork a late run to beat Shackleford and Jesus Castanon in Sunday's Haskell at Monmouth.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - After watching a highly regarded 2-year-old flop in his debut on Saturday at Del Mar, then having their private plane re-routed to an inconvenient airport located miles from here early Sunday morning, the connections of Coil, trainer Bob Baffert said, thought they were enduring, as he put it, “the trip from hell.”

“We didn’t get to our hotel until 5 a.m.,” he said. “And they were out of rooms, so we had to double up on some.”

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 17:57

Saratoga: Longshot Ask the Moon wires Ruffian at 18-1

Tom Keyser
Ask the Moon earned an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When trainer Marty Wolfson looked at the complexion of the two races he had entered Ask the Moon in on Sunday, he thought the mare fit better in the Grade 1, $250,000 Ruffian Invitational at Saratoga than the listed $100,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

WATCH REPLAY: Ruffian Handicap »

Not only did Wolfson feel his chances were better in the Ruffian, but he also felt he knew exactly how the 6-year-old mare could win the race.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 17:43

Woodbine: Marketing Mix takes Wonder Where in third leg of series

Michael Burns
Marketing Mix won her first stakes in the Wonder Where.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Marketing Mix ($11.50) notched her first stakes impressively at Woodbine on Sunday in the $250,800 Wonder Where, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, a series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Marketing Mix, trained by Tom Proctor for Glen Hill Farm, ran 1 1/4 miles over firm turf in 2:01.21 while scoring by four and three-quarter lengths over favored Spooky Kitten. Pacemaker Hoi An faded to third in the 10-horse field.

WATCH REPLAY: Wonder Where Stakes »

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 17:23

Saratoga: Sidney's Candy scores for new connections in Fourstardave

Barbara D. Livingston
Sidney's Candy became a millionaire with his victory in the $150,000 race.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sidney’s Candy became racing’s newest millionaire and gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second Grade 2 victory of the weekend when registering a 1 1/4-length victory over Moryba and five other outclassed rivals in Sunday’s $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga. Pletcher had won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy the previous afternoon with Stay Thirsty.

WATCH REPLAY: Fourstardave Handicap »

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 16:25

Hastings cancels Friday card after races fail to fill

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The card for Friday, Aug. 5, at Hastings was canceled when not enough horses were entered Sunday morning. Officials at Hastings are blaming the cancellation because of a “cold-like” virus that has spread through the backstretch.

Entries for Saturday and Sunday will be taken on Wednesday. No decision has been made about making up the lost day.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 16:18

Saratoga: Impressive debut winner Giant Surprise needs surgery

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher said that Giant Surprise, who won his debut in impressive fashion in Saturday’s second race at Saratoga, will undergo surgery to repair a condylar fracture in his left front leg. Giant Surprise pulled up on the clubhouse turn and was vanned off following his wire-to-wire, 4 1/4-length triumph.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 16:09

Saratoga: Four Whitney workers go out on busy morning

Barbara D. Livingston
Mission Impazible had jockey Javier Castellano aboard for his workout Sunday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - More than 180 horses turned in timed workouts over a fast main track here on Sunday morning, including four tuning up Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney.

Mission Impazible, Rodman, and Giant Oak all worked five furlongs following the renovation break, while Duke Of Mischief went a half mile in his first breeze over the track since arriving from his Calder base earlier in the week.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 15:55

Haskell Day undercard: Magical Feeling extends winning streak

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Magical Feeling (9) unleashed a surge late in the Regret.

Magical Feeling split rivals in deep stretch to win the $105,200 Regret Stakes for filly and mare sprinters on the Haskell Day undercard at Monmouth Park.

Magical Feeling extended her winning streak to three with her first stakes victory for trainer Allen Iwinski.

Roberto Alvarado Jr. had her sitting last in the early stages before unleashing a surge to beat Bronx City Girl by a head with Love That Dance third.