The Factor dominated from the start Saturday when winning by daylight in the 51st running of the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
With Martin Garcia riding for trainer Bob Baffert, The Factor returned $4.80 as the favorite after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.19 over a fast track.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
