Sat, 03/05/2011 - 20:56

Kilroe Mile: Fluke gets photo in his favor this time

Benoit & Associates
Fluke (right), winning the Frank Kilroe Mile. may be headed to Keeneland for the Maker's Mark Mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. -- A year ago, Fluke lost the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile by a nose, a result that foreshadowed a frustrating year for his trainer, Humberto Ascanio, who had taken over as Fluke’s trainer after the passing in November 2009 of his mentor, Bobby Frankel.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 20:44

Santa Anita Handicap: Game On Dude survives inquiry, noses out Setsuko

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Chantal Sutherland became the first female jockey to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap after 14-1 shot Game On Dude finished first and then survived a 12-minute stewards' inquiry into a rough stretch run.

Game On Dude ($31.60) beat 25-1 shot Setsuko by a nose, with 65-1 shot Quindici Man third. Twirling Candy, the 1-2 favorite, finished fifth after being bumped between Game On Dude and Quindici Man a furlong from the wire.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 19:57

Kilroe Mile goes to Fluke by a head

ARCADIA, Calif.- In 2010, Fluke lost the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile by a nose to the mare Proviso.

In Saturday's Frank Kilroe Mile, Fluke was on the correct end of a narrow photo finish, holding off a late threat from 6-5 favorite Caracortado to win by a head. Fluke ($7) ran a mile on turf in 1:33.50, his second stakes win of the meeting. Jeranimo finished third in the field of 10.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 18:41

Arkansas Derby may be in future plans for Smoke It Right

Coady Photography
Gabriel Saez rides Smoke It Right to victory in the Mountain Valley Stakes. He may eventually stretch out for the Arkansas Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Smoke It Right might get a shot at bigger prizes this meet at Oaklawn Park after remaining undefeated in four career starts in the $60,000 Mountain Valley for 3-year-olds. It was the second stakes win for the horse, whose connections will consider a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 16.

KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 18:35

Gotham score at Aqueduct allows Stay Thirsty to escape Uncle Mo's shadow

David Alcosser
Stay Thirsty scores a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y.  - While obviously happy to be his owner, Mike Repole was starting to get a little tired hearing and reading only about Uncle Mo. That’s because Repole is also the owner of Stay Thirsty, a 3-year-old he happens to be quite high on.

For one day at least, Stay Thirsty earned some headlines of his own with a 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 18:20

Honey Fox victory for Never Retreat at Gulfstream

Adam Coglianese
Never Retreat defeats Persuading to win the Honey Fox at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -  Chris Block has won only three races with his small south Florida-based contingent this winter, but the Illinois-based trainer has certainly made the most of those victories, each of which has come in a graded stakes.

Never Retreat became the latest graded stakes winner for Team Block, parlaying an absolutely dream trip under jockey Julien Leparoux into a one-length victory over Persuading in Saturday’s $100,000 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 17:37

Tampa Bay: Pletcher ships in Colizeo to capture Challenger

Tom Cooley Photography
Colizeo, a Grade 3 winner as a 3-year-old last season, opens his 2011 season by taking the Challenger by four lengths under Willie Martinez.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Colizeo took the lead coming into the stretch, pulled away through the final three-sixteenths of a mile, and posted an authoritative four-length victory in the $60,000 Challenger Stakes on Saturday at Tamp Bay Downs.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 17:35

Santa Anita Oaks goes to Turbulent Descent

Benoit & Associates
Turbulent Descent just holds off Zazu to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Round Four of the match between Turbulent Descent and Zazu, on Saturday in the Santa Anita Oaks, went to Turbulent Descent, giving her a 3-1 edge, but the manner in which both horses finished indicates the rivalry may be over. They are headed in different directions, with Turbulent Descent off the trail to the Kentucky Oaks, while Zazu is very much on it.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 16:51

Santa Anita Oaks won by Turbulent Descent

ARCADIA, Calif. - Turbulent Descent held off a late threat from Zazu to win Saturday's $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks, the second Grade 1 win of her career.

Turbulent Descent ($4) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.05, scoring the fourth win of her five-race career. She won the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes at Hollywood Park in December.

In her only loss, Turbulent Descent finished second to Zazu in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes over a mile on Feb. 5.

Sat, 03/05/2011 - 16:34

Laurel: Red's Round Table takes fourth straight stakes in Wide Country

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Sheldon Russell guides Red's Round Table to her fourth straight stakes victory in the Wide Country.

Red’s Round Table had to work a lot harder than she did in last month’s Marshua Stakes, but the 3-year-old filly still got the job done to record her fourth consecutive stakes victory in Saturday’s $52,250 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park.

Racing beyond six furlongs for the first time, Red’s Round Table ($3.20) went straight to the front under Sheldon Russell and opened up by as many as 4 1/2 lengths while completing a half-mile in 46.86 seconds.