OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Super Espresso was super determined to win on Super Bowl Sunday.
Needing virtually the entire length of Aqueduct’s inner track stretch to do it, Super Espresso, under Junior Alvarado, wore down longshot Diva’s Gold to win the $60,000 Sky Beauty Stakes by a head. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Electric Gold in third. Lady Durlyn, Vindy City, and Kittylicious completed the order of finish.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Uncle Mo took his first major step on the road to his 3-year-old debut when working a half-mile in 49.60 seconds at Palm Meadows on Sunday. The work was Uncle Mo’s second since arriving in south Florida earlier this winter.
“I thought the work was excellent, it was textbook,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He went out in 25, came home in 24 and 2, and galloped out well. I’m amazed at his fitness level off just one three-eighths breeze. Before this work, I might have felt like I was on a tight schedule. Now, I feel like we’re ahead of schedule.”
Comma to the Top and Positive Response, the two likely favorites for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, each turned in five-furlong bullet works Sunday in their final preparation for the 1 1/8-mile race.
Grade 1 winner Comma to the Top had a 59.40-second drill that was the best of 28 workers at Hollywood Park.
Golden Gate Fields leading jockey Russell Baze took off his mounts Sunday due to a bruised nerve in his neck. He also took off after riding one race Saturday.
Baze plans to return to action when racing resumes at Golden Gate on Thursday.
The OC Tavern in San Clemente, Calif., the first sports bar to open a satellite wagering operation in California, has averaged $22,238 in handle at the current Santa Anita meeting, through Saturday, according to racing officials.
Mike Merrigan, who owns OC Tavern, said the satellite operation has averaged “about 120 customers a day.”
OC Tavern began taking bets on races in mid-December but launched a more extensive promotion to coincide with the start of the Santa Anita meeting on Dec. 26.
Hollywood Park plans to run primarily four days a week during the spring-summer meeting that runs from April 20 through July 19, track president Jack Liebau said over the weekend.
Liebau said there are two exceptions – the weeks of the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays – when five-day racing weeks will be held. Hollywood Park has yet to submit an application to the California Horse Racing Board detailing the specific racing dates of its spring meeting and is likely to do so later this month or in March.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There were tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.
Humberto Ascanio stood in the winner’s circle after Fluke’s win in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Handicap at Santa Anita, a trainer visibly relieved.
Fluke gave Ascanio his first winner in 46 starts, dating back to Proudinsky’s win in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita on Dec. 27, 2009. The stable was winless with 40 starters last year.
“I’m glad I got that monkey off my back,” Ascanio said.
Wiredfortwotwenty closed into a hot pace to win the $50,000 Budweiser by 2 3/4 lengths Saturday at Sunland Park. Loves Bonus finished second, while it was another half-length back in third to Facil Cantana.
Wiredfortwotwenty ($12) raced in fifth early as Facil Cantana set a pressured pace of 21.77 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.52 for the half-mile. The eventual winner overtook the leaders in the stretch and went on to cover the five furlongs on a fast track in 56.68.
Isaias Enriquez rode the winner for Class Racing Stable and trainer Bart Hone.
Trainer Bernie Flint was hoping Ice Mist would like Sam Houston’s turf course when he entered her in Saturday night’s $50,000 Jersey Lilly, and the ground indeed agreed with the filly. She coasted to a two-length, front-running win over War Tigress in the 1 1/16-mile race, while it was another neck back in third to Blushing Dixie.
Loss? What loss? Did Star Guitar really lose a Louisiana-bred stakes race last November at Delta? It says on his running lines that he finished fourth at odds of 1-2 in the Gold Cup on Nov. 5, but nothing about Star Guitar’s previous racing experience, nor his two starts since the Gold Cup loss, offers any kind of key for deciphering the defeat. And after performing his typical dissection of statebred-restricted stakes foes during Louisiana Champions Day on Dec.
