It’s going to be the Fire and Ice Haskell.
Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice and Louisiana Derby and Pegasus Stakes winner Pants On Fire will both start in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31, their connections announced on Sunday. Both horses are owned by George and Lori Hall and trained by Kelly Breen, who are New Jersey residents and maintain their racing stable at Monmouth Park.
Shug McGaughey sounded some awfully optimistic notes this past week about Air Support’s chances in the Grade 2, $600,000 Virginia Derby, and the colt backed his trainer up, gamely holding off Banned to score a narrow victory in an exciting finish Saturday evening at Colonial Downs.
Favored Point of Reference came from last in the eight-horse field and caught Whispering Express at the wire to win the $76,190 California State Fair Sprint Handicap on Saturday at Sacramento.
Ridden by Inoel Beato, Point of Reference benefitted from a speed duel between Whispering Express and Strawberry Tart. They exchanged the lead through fractions of 21.42 and 44.26 in the six-furlong dirt race for fillies and mares. Whispering Express put away Strawberry Tart before hitting the stretch and held off all rivals but Point of Reference.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- The California Horse Racing Board has launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to wagers being cashed on the wrong combination in Saturday’s Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Initially, the tote board showed a winning combination of 5-4-8-7 by Irish Gypsy, Ultra Blend, Tanda, and Washington Bridge. But after a review from stewards and placing judges, the mistake was caught. Mildly Offensive was the actual fourth-place finisher. The correct winning combination was 5-4-8-6.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Irish Gypsy won her third consecutive stakes, and first at the graded level, in dramatic style in Saturday's $200,000 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Allowed to set a modest pace of 23.93 and 45.73 seconds, Irish Gypsy held off a late run from Ultra Blend to win the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap by a nose. The victory gave Irish Gypsy a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs in November through the Breeders' Cup's Challenge program.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cambina and Nereid finished in a dead heat for first in Saturday's $250,000 American Oaks at Hollywood Park, arriving at the finish simultaneously after journeys over 1 1/4 miles on turf that were much different than expected.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Miss Valentine made her first road trip a winning one, beating Withgreatpleasure by three lengths on Saturday in the $76,350 Serena's Song Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.
The Serena's Song is the prep for the Grade 3, $150,000 Monmouth Oaks on Aug. 13.
Miss Valentine, a New York-bred who had not previously raced outside her native state for trainer Christophe Clement, settled not far off the pace with Joe Bravo aboard while Coco Ecolo set the pace.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Havelock rallied in the stretch to edge Country Day by a neck in the $100,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap on Saturday at Arlington, giving jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan the narrowest of victories over his brother, Shaun.
"I'd do it again in the next race if I could," 23-year-old Jermaine said when asked how it felt to photo out Shaun, nine years his senior.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Racing in next-to-last position to the top of the stretch, Right One circled widest and was along in the final strides to nip pacesetter Yield Bogey by a desperate head in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Jaipur Stakes, the final graded stakes at Belmont's spring-summer meet.
