Sat, 06/18/2011 - 21:31

Arapahoe Park: E F Five much the best in Aspen

Coady Photography
E F Five, under Travis Wales, captures the Aspen by 4 1/4 lengths.

E F Five asserted himself as a Colorado-bred sprinter of note on Saturday, when he drew clear by 4 1/4 lengths in the $40,000 Aspen for statebreds at Arapahoe Park. He covered the six furlongs in 1:09.15.

The race was one of two stakes on the card, with Baby I Like It ($6) taking the $75,000 Cherry Creek Futurity for Quarter Horses.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 20:40

Hollywood Park: Blind Luck rallies wide, late to win Vanity Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Blind Luck wins the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap by a half-length over Switch.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Midway through Saturday’s $250,000 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, jockey Garrett Gomez glanced in front of him to check the margins between his mount, Blind Luck, and Switch, the 3-2 favorite.

With Switch only two lengths in front, a slow pace mattered less to Gomez, who knew Blind Luck would give a response in the stretch.

“I thought I’d still be okay,” he said.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 19:23

Belmont Park: Unrivaled Belle injured in paddock, retired

Barbara D. Livingston
Unrivaled Belle holds off Blind Luck (left) to win the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Unrivaled Belle broke her withers when she fell backward waiting to be saddled for Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park and was subsequently retired from racing, her connections announced early Saturday evening.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 19:15

Churchill Downs:McPeek sweeps Regret, Matt Winn with Bizzy Caroline, Scotus

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Scotus, a horse that trainer Ken McPeek considered scratching in favor of an easier spot on Sunday's card, rewarded his connections by taking the Matt Winn.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Ken McPeek didn’t have a starter in Saturday’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes – lucky for those owners and trainers who  did have horses compete in the race.

McPeek was that hot Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning two stakes on the Foster undercard, taking the Grade 3 Regret with Bizzy Caroline and Grade 3 Matt Winn with Scotus in the races immediately before the Foster.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 19:08

Belmont Park: Two-day pick-six carryover of $169,081 awaits Sunday

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Be Bullish, a two-time stakes winner at Aqueduct earlier this year, makes his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow in the Noble Nashua, the next-to-last leg of Sunday's pick six at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Those who failed to hit Wednesday’s rich pick six at Belmont Park will get another shot at a large payday Sunday. Though the carryover isn’t seven figures as it was going into Wednesday’s card, it still will be a healthy $169,081 after the wager went unhit for a second straight card Saturday.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 18:53

Chuchill Downs: Pool Play upsets Stephen Foster Handicap in first dirt try

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Pool Play, a 36-1 shot ridden by Miguel Mena, rallies in deep stretch to outfinish Mission Impazible in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – And you thought the older-horse division was muddled before the Stephen Foster Handicap was run Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 18:47

Monmouth: Pants On Fire bounces back from Derby disappointment by taking Pegasus

Bill Denver/Equiphoto
Pants On Fire, making his first start since bleeding in the Kentucky Derby, takes the Pegasus under Rosie Napravnik.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Another Saturday, another 3-year-old stakes win for owners George and Lori Hall and trainer Kelly Breen.

One week ago, they pulled off a Belmont Stakes shocker with Ruler On Ice at 24-1.

The latest victory was a 3-5 triumph by Pants On Fire in the Grade 3, $195,000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 18:40

Belmont Park: Awesome Maria gets first Grade 1 win in Phipps Handicap

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Awesome Maria scores a three-length victory over Payton d’Oro in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Awesome Maria continued her ascent up the ladder in the extremely deep older filly and mare division with a three-length victory over Payton d’Oro in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park.

Pletcher also finished third and fourth with Super Espresso and Life At Ten, the defending Phipps winner. Absinthe Minded finished last.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 18:12

Belmont Park: Street Game romps in Hill Prince Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Street Game scores a 7 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – There is good news for horsemen with New York-breds competing in the 3-year-old turf division. You won’t have to see Street Game again anytime soon.

Street Game, a New York-bred son of Street Cry, passed his open-company stakes audition with flying colors Saturday at Belmont Park, assuming the lead soon after the start and taking the field all the way en route to a 7 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hill Prince Stakes.

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 17:46

Delaware Park: She Be Classy takes off-the-turf Rooney

Hoofprints Inc.
She Be Classy, under Joe Rocco Jr., draws clear to win her first career stakes in the John Rooney Memorial.

She Be Classy and Thundering Emilia, the two most successful runners on dirt with a combined seven victories, capitalized when Saturday’s $75,000 John Rooney Memorial Stakes was transferred from turf to Delaware Park’s main track by running one-two in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.