Sat, 03/19/2011 - 19:30

Malibu Pier comes on to win Santa Ana

Benoit & Associates
Malibu Pier (center), with Rafael Bejarano up, defeats Turning Top (left) in the Santa Ana, with Lilly Fa Pootz (right) third.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Malibu Pier shrugged off a threat from Lilly Fa Pootz to win Saturday's $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita, a race in which her principal rival, Turning Top, slipped severely on the turn.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 19:23

Oaklawn: Havre de Grace strong in Azeri; Blind Luck second

Coady Photography
Havre de Grace, Ramon Dominguez up, wins the Azeri.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - It looks like Havre de Grace is sitting on an outstanding season. In her first start since running third in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic in November, she rolled to a 3 1/4-length win over champion Blind Luck in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 19:03

Perfect Fair Grounds season for Wild About Marie

Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges Jr.
Wild About Marie (right) wins her third race of the Fair Grounds meet.

Just five racing days remain in the 2010-2011 Fair Grounds meeting – much to the chagrin of Wild About Marie’s connections.

Wild About Marie has made three starts on the Fair Grounds grass course this winter and won all of them, capping her New Orleans season with a three-quarter-length win in the $59,400 Bienville Stakes on Saturday.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 18:48

La Nez rallies to win Irish O'Brien

Benoit & Associates
La Nez, Martin Pedroza up, wins the Irish O'Brien.

ARCADIA, Calif - La Nez won her fourth career stakes, all $100,000 races for statebred females, in Saturday's Irish O'Brien Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Martin Pedroza, La Nez rallied from fifth in a field of eight to win the hillside turf race by three-quarters of a length over Saanneen, the 2-1 favorite. Logical Single, who set the pace and led until the field reached the main oval of the turf course, finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 18:44

Oaklawn: Havre de Grace defeats Blind Luck in Azeri

Havre de Grace ran sensationally off a layoff Saturday to easily defeat her archrival, Blind Luck, in the 25th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

With Ramon Dominguez aboard for trainer Larry Jones, Havre de Grace prevailed by several lengths, returning $5.20 as second choice. It was her first race since she finished third in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 18:36

Gulfstream record for Hilda's Passion

Bob Coglianese
Hilda's Passion, Javier Castellano up, wins the Inside Information in record time.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Hilda's Passion put an exclamation point on an almost-perfect winter at Gulfstream Park, not only drawing off to a 5 1/4-length victory over Amen Hallelujah in Saturday's $150,000 Inside Information Stakes but setting a seven-furlong track record in the process.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 18:08

Quantum Miss rebounds with Cicada win

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Quantum Miss, Cornelio Velasquez up, wins the Cicada.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Quantum Miss proved that her poor performance in the Grade 3 Old Hat Stakes 10 weeks ago at Gulfstream Park was an aberration by recording a front-running, half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 17:39

Bandbox takes Private Terms

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Bandbox, Travis Dunkelberger up, wins the Private Terms.

Bandbox rebounded from his narrow defeat in last month's Miracle Wood to post a solid victory in Saturday's $75,000 Private Terms at Laurel Park.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 17:08

Tampa Bay Downs: Doubles Partner on right end of tight finish

Tom Cooley Photography
Double Partner holds of the cavalry to win the Tampa Bay Stakes.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Swinging five wide out of the final turn, Doubles Partner closed fast down the middle of the course to run down Rahystrada and score a popular neck victory in the Grade 3, $125,000 Tampa Bay Stakes.

Ridden by Julien Leparouox in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, Doubles Partner languished in mid-pack for six furlongs as Yankee Injunity set a sensible pace under Willie Martinez that included a half of 48.07 seconds and six furlongs of 1:11.38, followed closely by Don Cavallo and Rahystrada.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 15:06

Elite Alex one of several new prospects for Louisiana Derby

Jeff Coady. Coady Photography
Elite Alex scratched from Saturday's Rebel Stakes in favor of the Louisiana Derby.

It never made any sense, even with a current glut of 3-year-old stakes races, that the Louisiana Derby and its new-for-2011 $1 million purse would wind up with short field. The number of horses considered probable starters sagged last week, but new names have been thrown into the mix – chief among them Elite Alex – and it’s possible that as many as 12 horses will wind up in the race when Louisiana Derby entries are taken late Sunday morning.