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.

Twinspired emerged a dominant winner Saturday night in the $50,000 WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park, surging to the front after turning for home and drawing off to capture the one-mile Polytrack race by 4 1/4 lengths under Jozbin Santana.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The winning trainer in Saturday’s 10th race at Santa Anita had a good excuse for being absent.

Blake Heap is at home this weekend, recovering from injuries suffered last Sunday during his morning job as an outrider during training hours at Santa Anita.

On Saturday, Heap watched on his television as Circa’sgoldengear ($16.40) won an optional claimer for statebreds with a late rally. He was surrounded by a few friends during the race, Heap’s second win of the meeting.

“Everybody was hollering,” Heap said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – His trainer describes him as “the best horse in the country.” The jockey calls him “unbelievable.”

Those accolades aside, this much is certain: Twirling Candy scored an easy win in Saturday’s $200,000 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds at Santa Anita. Twirling Candy won the Grade 2 race by 4 1/2 lengths over Tweebster, a margin that could have been much greater if jockey Joel Rosario had urged the colt at all in the final furlong.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Losing streaks ended emphatically for Fluke and his trainer Humberto Ascanio in the Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Handicap at Santa Anita on Saturday.

For the 6-year-old horse and his 63-year-old trainer, the win was their first since 2009. Fluke won the Grade 1 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2009 but was winless in three starts last year. Ascanio won the Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap here in December 2009 but lost with his next 46 starters until Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Teaks North, who needed three starts before winning his maiden at Calder 13 months earlier, gave Justin Sailusto the first Grade 1 win of his training career when rallying down the center of the course to register a shocking nose victory over Smart Bid in Saturday’s $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.