ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Inglorious established herself as the favorite for the June 5 Woodbine Oaks with a determined off-the-pace triumph in Sunday’s $180,000 La Lorgnette Stakes.
Luis Contreras rated Inglorious near the rear of the seven-horse field in the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-old fillies, as Portside set a tepid pace, while being pressed by Rein in Avaricity.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Dave’s Revenge, who unseated jockey Rafael Bejarano at the start of Sunday’s first race, was declared a non-starter after the Hollywood Park stewards ruled that the mare was not prepared for the race when the gates opened.
Dave’s Revenge was the first mare loaded in the field of five, but became upset and unseated Bejarano, who leapt off behind the gate. Dave’s Revenge was then taken out of the gate, allowing Bejarano to remount the filly, who was then loaded last.
Mutti Blues controlled the pace and turned Saturday night's featured John Wayne Stakes, a $70,000 sprint for Iowa-breds at Prairie Meadows, into a procession when he pulled away from eight other geldings to win by 4 3/4 lengths.
ALBANY, Calif. – Trainer Steve Specht expected Gig Harbor to take the lead in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, and he felt confident the 3-year-old son of City Zip could carry his speed 1 1/16 miles in his first try around two turns.
King Congie, beaten only a head when third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes last month, worked five furlongs in 1:04.60 Sunday morning over a good Belmont Park main track in preparation for a start in Saturday’s $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
Though the time may not seem like much, consider that the work was done around a set of traffic cones, referred to as dogs, forcing the move to be conducted toward the middle of the racetrack. Horses usually work along the rail. Belmont clockers timed King Congie’s final quarter in 24 seconds.
Dance City, who is expected to be a major pace factor in Saturday's Preakness Stakes, and Saratoga Red, whose participation in the second leg of the Triple Crown hinges on the size of the field, both worked five furlongs on an off track on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas- Halifax Flyer showed the same kick he has at one turn going two on Saturday, when he rallied to overtake favorite Tamtastic for a half-length win in the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park.
“My horse gave me a big burst, just what I needed,” said Lindey Wade, who rode Halifax Flyer.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Jockey Tracy Hebert, who sustained multiple injuries in a spill Wednesday evening at Evangeline Downs, popped in for a visit to the Evangeline racing office Saturday evening just before the card got underway. He predicted that he would be back in the saddle in two or three months.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Winning for the fourth time in six starts, Alternation ran to his strong route pedigree and nailed Jerome winner and lukewarm favorite Adios Charlie in the final strides of Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds.
This Ones for Phil showed no signs of rustiness following 15 months on the sidelines when he rallied to score by 1 ¼ lengths in Saturday’s opening-day feature at Monmouth Park, the $75,000 Decathlon Stakes for older sprinters.
A 5-year-old gelding who has twice won six-figure stakes on the Sunshine Millions program at Gulfstream Park, This Ones for Phil ($4.20) was making his first start since finishing a distant eighth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap in March 2010.
