Just weeks from turning 9, Ducky Drake proved he has still got it on Saturday, when he overcame trouble to win his second straight stakes race in the $50,000 KLAQ Handicap at Sunland Park.
The 5 1/2- furlong sprint opened the stakes program at Sunland.
Ducky Drake ($7.60) trailed the field early, hit traffic when making his run, then angled out to get up for a half-length win over Tactful. It was another neck back in third to 4-5 favorite and pacesetter Kineticat Yankee.
Trojan Victory continued her ascent as the 6-year-old mare captured Saturday’s $25,000 City of Phoenix Stakes at Turf Paradise.
Owned by Tommy Huttons Dreams Stable LLC and trained by Drew Fulmer, Trojan Victory had won an $8,000 claimer locally Nov. 14 and a $12,500 claimer Nov. 23.
STICKNEY, Ill. – Trainer Chris Block won the $99,400 Jim Edgar Futurity with Table Games on a miserable cold and wet Saturday afternoon at Hawthorne Race Course, and the satisfaction of Table Games’s performance was tempered by the breakdown of Block’s other horse in the race, Maxton. The well-bred Maxton, a son of Arch out of a stakes-winning mare, broke both sesamoids at the top of the stretch, didn’t finish, and had to be euthanized on the track.
Star Guitar’s Louisiana Champions Day Legacy remained intact Saturday at Fair Grounds, where the 5-year-old horse won his fourth Champions Day race, capturing the $150,000 Champions Day Classic by four lengths. But on the female side of the ledger, Superior Storm went down in defeat while attempting to win the $100,000 Ladies for the third year in a row.
Kiss Mine won her fourth stakes of the year when she got a patient ride from jockey Greta Kuntzweiler and drew clear late in the $50,000 My Charmer Stakes on Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
Stalking the pace from a wide position on both turns of the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race, Kiss Mine rated kindly for Kuntzweiler before surging to the front at the eighth pole and finishing 1 1/2 lengths before Coastal Solace, a 45-1 shot. My Baby Baby, a 5-1 shot, finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
MIAMI - Tackleberry’s graded stakes debut was a memorable one.
Stretching out beyond a mile for the first time in his career, Tackleberry set a contested pace, then fought back bravely when headed by 25-1 Dream Maestro at midstretch to post a game nose triumph in Saturday’s $100,000 Fred. W. Hooper Handicap. Mambo Meister, the 8-5 favorite, finished another three lengths farther back in the Grade 3 stakes at Calder.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - More Than a Reason began his career in September 2007 and has made at least one start in 38 of the 40 months since. Short or long, on dirt, turf, or synthetic, More Than a Reason rarely missed a dance and helped fill more than his share of stakes races along the way.
OLDSMAR Fla. - Swinging off the rail into the stretch for racing room, Suzzona ran down the leader late to post a half-length upset in the $75,000 Lightning City Stakes on opening day of the Tampa Bay Downs meet Saturday.
With Hector Ramos contributing a well-judged ride, Suzzona covered the five furlongs over a firm Tampa turf course in 56.83 seconds to notch her fourth win from her last five outings.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Cost of Freedom lowered the Hollywood Park track record for five furlongs to 56.14 seconds with an easy win in Saturday’s $71,706 Miles Tyson Stakes.
Cost of Freedom ($2.80) led throughout, and won by 4 1/4 lengths over Quick Enough with jockey Joe Talamo merely guiding the 7-year-old gelding through the stretch. Quick Enough finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Square Deal, who was followed by El Scorpio.
Bamaha Breeze and Lt. Hopeful were scratched early Saturday.
