LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bob Hess Jr., the trainer of Victoria’s Wildcat, may have to go into the movie business, because the result he fashioned for his filly proved prophetic Friday, when Victoria’s Wildcat, the beneficiary of a hot pace duel, came storming down the center of the track to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Eight Belles Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Spaghetti Mouse resumes his quest to become the first British Columbia-bred horse to go over $1 million in earnings when he makes his seasonal debut in Sunday’s feature at Hastings. Spaghetti Mouse has made most of his $937,686 going longer distances so he won’t likely be favored in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance sprint that drew 11 horses. There is a $50,000 claiming option in the conditions of the race and the only horse available to be claimed is the 10-year-old Grade 3 winner Trick of the North.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Taking advantage of a fast and contested pace, Victoria's Wildcat rallied from well back on the outside through the stretch to post a going-away victory in the $100,000 Eight Belles Stakes.
With Kent Desormeaux aboard, Victoria's Wildcat scored by about three lengths, completing the seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:23.06. She paid $15.20.
AUBURN, Wash. – Olympic Lights was 0-for-the-winter at Portland Meadows but won brilliantly in his return to Emerald Downs and looms large yet again in Sunday’s feature race, a $20,000 claimer for older horses at 5 1/2 furlongs. Racing begins at 2 p.m. Pacific, and the feature is the ninth of 10 races.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It’s official.
Marsh Side, finally, is the winner of Woodbine’s 2009 Northern Dancer Turf.
The Ontario Racing Commission confirmed that the $450,000 winner’s share of the purse could be paid out to Marsh Side’s connections after an Ontario Court of Justice hearing denied an appeal by connectons of the second- and fourth-place finishers and the deadline for further appeal passed.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kent Desormeaux put front-running Diva Ash to a drive before the quarter pole, and the daughter of Tapit gave the Hall of Fame jockey all she had in staying clear of the pack in winning her stakes debut Friday in the $113,800 Edgewood Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Little Mike, one of the leading contenders for Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs, has been scratched from the race due to a fever, trainer Dale Romans said Friday.
The scratch of Little Mike still leaves a deep field of 13 for the Woodford Reserve, a 1 1/8-mile turf race, but his scratch dramatically changes the pace picture. Little Mike had been expected to set the pace, a frontrunning position Maker’s Mile winner Get Stormy may now inherit.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Diva Ash led from start to finish to capture the $100,000 Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Under jockey Kent Desormeaux, Diva Ash ($9) set fractions of 24.87 seconds, 50.92, 1:15.60, and 1:39.61 for the first mile en route to a final time of 1:45.93 for 1 1/16 miles over a turf course surprisingly labeled as firm.
Sassy's Dream was second and Smart Sting third.
Gaya and Holidaysattheffarm were scratched.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Racing so far this year in Chicago has suffered from short fields, lack of quality, and bad weather that delayed the turf season’s start. Sunday’s featured eighth race at Arlington provides at least a temporary cure for all those ills.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last year in the Kentucky Oaks, late-running Blind Luck needed the entire length of the Churchill Downs stretch to win by a nose over Evening Jewel.
In the Grade 2, $333,900 La Troienne Stakes, the first of six stakes on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill, her race was a virtual repeat, only this time she got up perhaps a few strides before the wire, edging defending champion Unrivaled Belle by a half-length.
