ARCADIA, Calif.- Game On Dude won a controversial running of the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday, giving jockey Chantal Sutherland the distinction of being the first woman rider to win the historic race – and the first woman rider to be booed as she rode into the winner’s circle.
Game On Dude survived a 12-minute inquiry by track stewards into a bumping incident in early stretch involving the 14-1 winner, runner-up Setsuko, and 1-2 favorite Twirling Candy.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
