Santa Anita’s main track was closed for training for the second consecutive day on Sunday, with the likelihood of further days of cancellations early in the week because of continued wet weather, track president George Haines said.
From early Friday to midday Sunday, the track had sustained four inches of rain, with at least three inches, and possibly more, expected from Pacific storms through Wednesday, he said.
Highspeed Rescue relished the move to two turns on Sunday, when she overcame a slow start to win her first stakes in the $120,000 Enchantress at Sunland Park. Shamrock Girl finished three lengths back in second in the one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies bred in New Mexico, while it was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third to Squall Wilbud.
Los Alamitos canceled its Sunday evening program, the final night of the 2010 meeting, as a result of Hollywood Park’s decision to cancel its afternoon program because of torrential rain.
Los Alamitos had a 10-race program of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbreds scheduled to run from 5:30 p.m. Pacific until shortly after 9 p.m.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Sunday program at Hollywood Park was canceled following the second race after jockeys deemed the course unsafe because of persistent rain through the day.
Jockey Mike Smith, who was among a group of riders who inspected the course after the second race, said there was an area on the backstretch, where the chute joined the main track at the six-furlong pole, concerned the riders.
“Coming out of the chute, it was just too deep,” Smith said.
The Pennsylvania-based filly Princess Cecilia kept her perfect record intact when she rallied in the stretch to get up by a neck over Golden Debutante in Saturday night’s $51,150 Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Well, that was worth the wait.
Comma to the Top, who delayed the start of the CashCall Futurity because of a protracted shoe repair, won the Grade 1, $750,000 race on Saturday at Hollywood Park to record his fifth straight victory and move to the top of the West Coast’s 2-year-old division.
The $60,000 Bonapaw Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds marked Due Date’s 29th trip to the post, and less than two weeks from his 6th birthday, Due Date has hit peak form. After a strong fall campaign in Kentucky, Due Date crushed a decent field in the Bonapaw, passing all nine of his rivals, including favored Central City, in the final three furlongs.
All Saint used his speed to upset Saturday’s $25,000 Hank Mills Sr. Handicap at Turf Paradise.
All Saint went right out to duel for the lead in the mile main-track event for 3-year-olds and up, was able to establish a clear lead going into the backstretch, and never really had a nervous moment thereafter, staying clear all the way home under Michael Iammarino to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
ALBANY, Calif. – Jockey Julien Couton used the same winning formula for the second week in a row, establishing an insurmountable early lead with pedestrian fractions as he guided Catsalot to victory in the $75,600 Pacific Heights Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
MIAMI - Heavy rains earlier in the day might have put a damper on Saturday’s $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder but not on trainer Michelle Nihei’s enthusiasm or love for her star 3-year-old Prince Will I Am. The versatile Prince Will I Am became a graded stakes winner on dirt when rallying to a popular 2 1/2-length victory over Free Fighter and three other rivals in the 1 1/2-mile McKnight, which was switched from the turf to a sloppy main track earlier in the day.
