Heavily favored Salt Flat Speed was a convincing 1 1/4-length winner over Footprint in the $50,000 Journal Handicap at Northlands Park on Saturday.

With Rico Walcott aboard, Salt Flat Speed broke sharply and then was chased the whole way by Footprint. Salt Flat Speed set moderate fractions of 23.80 and 46.60 seconds in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up. Carrying high weight of 123 pounds, he posted a final time of 1:11.40. Second choice Heavenly Chorus made a late move to finish third.

The drop after four consecutive appearances in Grade 2 and Grade 3 stakes competition helped Pomeroys Pistol regain her best form Saturday in Monmouth Park’s $75,000 Just Smashing Stakes.

Third after the first half-mile of the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, Pomeroys Pistol ($5.80) made a three-wide move into the stretch, closed willingly on the outside, and pulled away to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Her time on a fast track was 1:09.02.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Coil was ready to take the lead on the backstretch of Saturday’s $100,000 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park, regardless of what jockey Martin Garcia thought.

Coil was second behind Awesome Patriot and very quickly found himself in front of Awesome Patriot, racing along the rail.

“He took me there,” Garcia said of Coil. “I saw the hole and didn’t want to fight him.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – My Baby Baby ended her highly productive 30-race career in successful fashion Saturday, holding off a late surge by Ravi’s Song and giving jockey Manny Cruz his fifth winner of the afternoon in the 35th running of the Grade 3, $113,900 Mint Julep Handicap on the Churchill Downs turf.

My Baby Baby prevailed by a neck in a frantic conclusion to the Mint Julep, a 1 1/16-mile turf fixture. She is in foal to Curlin and almost certainly ran her last race.

Havre de Grace confirmed her status as the solid favorite for next month’s Delaware Handicap with an effortless 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $168,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Normally, a robbery in Manhattan isn’t major news. The theft that took place in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park will certainly make headlines – at least in the racing world.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Citius took control from his stablemate Altius in midstretch before holding off two closers to take the $125,000 Bold Ruckus Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

Citius ($13.30) saved ground on the turn in fourth in the six-furlong sprint, while Altius set a fast pace over the firm turf. Citius began to make up ground on Altius exiting the turn and then hit the front nearing the eighth pole en route to a three-quarter-length triumph in a time of 1:09.11.

Bold Affair turned the tables on both of the fillies who beat her three weeks earlier in the Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico by scoring a hard-fought victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Jostle Stakes at Parx Racing.

Catlaunch looked beaten in late stretch after opening a big lead in the $50,000 Sydney Gendelman at River Downs on Saturday afternoon, but he dug deep and prevailed by three-quarters of a length to win.

Heavy rain in the area Friday night forced the Gendelman to be taken off the turf and run on the main track.

ALBANY, Calif. – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer thought enough of 2-year-old filly City Route ($5.40) to try her against males in Saturday’s $50,300 Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

His belief in the filly was validated. City Route broke on top and was never challenged in the Lost in the Fog, winning by 2 1/4 lengths. Sold Short was second, and favored Mighty Monsoon was another three-quarter lengths back in third.