ELMONT, N.Y. - In his first 26 career starts, Smokin Hero had never raced beyond 6 1/2 furlongs and never won beyond six furlongs. Just minutes prior to his first start at a mile in Sunday’s $60,000 Noble Nashua Stakes at Belmont Park, Smokin Hero reared up several times while needing to be re-saddled at the starting gate.

Webb Snyder, who rode during Charles Town’s inaugural meet in 1933 and remained a presence at the West Virginia track for more than 60 years, died Thursday at age 98.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario— Sand Cove won the $125,000 Steady Growth Stakes for the second year in a row in unspectacular fashion at Woodbine on Sunday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The day after winning Saturday’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap with 36-1 longshot Pool Play, trainer Mark Casse was awake but dreaming.

Dreaming of what the future might hold for Pool Play, and whether the Foster might prove a race that leads his horse to campaign that culminates with a return appearance at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5.

Last year, Blame won both races and became the North America’s champion older horse.

Nayborhood Affair got her second stakes victory of the year and impressively defended her title in the $20,700 Matchmaker Stakes for older Nebraska-bred fillies and mares at Lincoln Race Course on Saturday afternoon.

Rahystrada rode the rails under Sheldon Russell to a 1 1/2-length victory over favored Smart Bid in the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup on Saturday at Colonial Downs.

A 7-year-old former claimer, Rahystrada won for the 11^th time in 31 starts. The $291,000 winner’s share of the purse was a boon to the bankroll of Rahystrada, who is owned by Robert Courtney and trained by Byron Hughes, boosting his career earnings to $773,824.

J P’s Gusto, cutting back to seven furlongs for the first time since taking the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September, demonstrated his fondness for the distance when he dominated Saturday night’s $400,000 Red Legend Stakes for 3-year-olds at Charles Town.

STOCKTON, Calif. – Special Holiday rallied through the lane, pulling away from favored Dawnie Macho even after her rider dropped his whip as she scored an emphatic victory in the $56,690 Pink Ribbon Stakes at the San Joaquin Fair on Saturday.

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.

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.