INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Courageous Cat’s gritty win in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park left winning jockey Patrick Valenzuela in a forecasting mood after the race.
“This horse is so much better than when I rode him in the Shadwell Mile,” Valenzuela said, referring to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 race at Keeneland last fall. “I can almost guarantee he’ll win the Breeders’ Cup Mile, even if they bring that filly over.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The winning move in Saturday’s $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park was made in the first furlong. Jockey Joel Rosario put Smiling Tiger on the lead.
From there, Smiling Tiger set a modest pace for a Grade 1 race, never faced a serious challenge, and won the seventh stakes of his career by a convincing 3 1/4 lengths.
The win established Smiling Tiger as California’s leading sprinter as the division heads toward Del Mar later this month.
Wally Van bolstered his strong record against fellow Colorado-breds on Saturday, when he drew out to a seven-length win in the $40,165 Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Derby at Arapahoe Park.
It was Wally Van’s third win against statebreds from four starts against such company. Earlier in his career, he won his maiden and a trial in races restricted to Colorado-breds.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes was a victory for the home team as Teaks North came roaring home Saturday to win the premier turf event of the season at Monmouth Park.
Teaks North is now a perfect 4 for 4 over the course at the track where he summers. This victory opened a range of vistas.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Chaos continues to reign in the older male division, as two weeks after Pool Play, the longest shot on the board, won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, Flat Out won Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park as the longest shot in the six-horse field.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Giving Calvin Borel his fifth winner of the day, Exfactor pounced on a too-fast pace and glided past the tired front-runners to post a 2 3/4-length victory Saturday in a scratch-laden 110th running of the Grade 3, $111,500 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Judge Kathleen Gearin on Saturday denied Canterbury Park’s motion to allow the Minnesota Racing Commission to stay open during the statewide shutdown, and as a result Canterbury has canceled its Sunday and Monday cards.
Canterbury argued that since the commission is entirely funded by the racing industry, receives no money from the general fund, and has already received reimbursement for expected July expenses, the track should be allowed to continue to operate during the shutdown.
City Route affirmed her status as Northern California’s top 2-year-old as she scored her third straight wire-to-wire victory in capturing the $65,550 Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes at the Alameda County Fair on Saturday.
The homebred Globalize filly broke sharply from the outside against five rivals, opening a three-length advantage in the first quarter-mile while cruising to victory.
Footprint upset the heavily favored Jim Meyaard-trained entry of Salt Flat Speed and Andiotis in the $50,000 Spangled Jimmy at Northlands on Saturday.
