Local became the fourth stakes winner produced from her dam, Icy Reality, when she forged past Skipping Town nearing the wire for a neck win in the $50,000 Honeymoon on Saturday at Louisiana Downs. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third to Hissee.
The Honeymoon was one of two stakes on the card. Idefromthebayou ($37) wired the field to upset the $50,000 John Franks Memorial. Both races were run at a mile on turf and both were restricted to horses bred in Louisiana.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Noble's Promise had the lead with a quarter-mile to go in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, only to fade to fifth. Saturday, the colt found the front at a more opportune time before edging away in the final 100 yards to win the 23rd running of the Grade 3, $110,300 Aristides at Churchill Downs.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Hilda's Passion reasserted herself as one of the leaders of the filly and mare sprint division with an authoritative, front-running 5 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Colony Club pulled off a 10-1 upset Saturday in the $65,000 Fort Monmouth Stakes for filly and mare sprinters on the turf at Monmouth Park.
After stalking the early pace, Colony Club ($26.60) rallied three wide to beat Ahvee’s Destiny by a half-length. It was the first win of the season and the initial stakes win for the 5-year-old Colony Club, owned and trained by Maryland-based Alexandra White.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Salty Strike surged to her first stakes victory Saturday, getting a perfect stalking trip under Manny Cruz in the 37th running of the Grade 3, $109,300 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bay to Bay ($15.10) raced prominently under Luis Contreras en route to a decisive tally over a quality field in Saturday's Grade 2, $301,200 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine.
Last for the first half-mile of the 1 1/16-mile race, All for Thee and jockey Jeremy Rose poured it on late to win the $75,000 Go for Wand Stakes at 1-5 Saturday at Delaware Park.
All for Thee ($2.40) won by two lengths over Daring Reality, with Oh So Bella another 3 3/4 lengths back in the field of five 3-year-old fillies. Trained by Tony Dutrow, All for Thee covered the distance in 1:42.35. All for Thee is an Elusive Quality filly owned by David Cottle and Smart Angle LLP.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Order up a set of top hat and tails for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Pletcher confirmed Saturday that he will be sending both More Than Real and Bridgetown to England for the upcoming Royal Ascot meeting, June 14-18. Both horses worked five furlongs in a swift 58.56 seconds over Belmont’s inner turf course on Saturday. The works were conducted on the inner turf course and only one set of traffic cones, referred to as dogs, were up.
“They both worked really, really well, especially [More Than Real], she worked really good,” Pletcher said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When Quartermaster flashed under the wire an easy winner of the first race Friday at Churchill Downs, he brought back a fleeting memory for his trainer, Al Stall Jr., of what he was doing two decades ago.
Although he was claimed for $40,000 from the maiden-claiming race, Quartermaster was carrying the green and gold silks of Lazy Lane Farms, the Virginia racing stable owned by media mogul Joe Allbritton.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The 2010 Grade 1 winners Harmonious and Jaycito have resumed serious training in recent days in preparation for expected summertime comebacks.
Harmonious, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last year, is expected to race at Del Mar this summer. Trained by John Shirreffs for Marty and Pam Wygod, Harmonious has not started since finishing third in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on dirt at Santa Anita in February.
