HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Changing Skies bounced back from her poorest performance since shipping to the U.S. during the summer of 2009 with a convincing 3 3/4-length victory over Casablanca Smile in Sunday’s $150,000 La Prevoyante Handicap at Calder. The Grade 3 race closed out the 2010-2011 Calder stakes schedule.
Jockey Robby Albarado broke his right heel in a pre-race mishap on Sunday at Fair Grounds. Albarado was to have ridden Mollys Missb’havin in the second race, but the filly acted up on the way from the paddock to the racetrack, throwing Albarado to the ground. He was taken to Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, where X-rays found the fractured heel. Albarado was to have a CT scan to determine whether the fracture will require surgery.
Go Forth North was diagnosed with a fractured shin after finishing third in the Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, trainer A.C. Avila said.
Go Forth North was third in the field of four throughout the race over 1 1/8 miles on turf and finished 1 1/4 lengths behind race winner Spring Style. Spring Style finished a nose in front of the 1-5 favorite Harmonious.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Rule, who has not started since finishing third as the 9-5 favorite in the 2010 Florida Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:00.90 at Palm Meadows on Sunday in final preparation for his much awaited return, which is scheduled to come Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $100,000 Hal’s Hope Handicap.
Trainer Todd Pletcher opted to pass the Kentucky Derby with Rule, who was then given some time off before returning to training late in his 3-year-old season.
Fueled by the upset of Dilemma in the Daytona Stakes, no one hit the pick six on Saturday at Santa Anita, leading to a single-day carryover of $120,599 entering Sunday's card. No one was alive after five legs in the pick six. There are nine races on Sunday's card, so the pick six begins on the fourth.
There also is a carryover in the super high five.
ARCADIA, Calif. - On New Year’s Day at Santa Anita, jockey Garrett Gomez decided his 39th birthday was the gift that kept on giving. A couple of hours after scoring an upset in the Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes with Spring Style, Gomez captured the Grade 3, $100,000 Daytona Stakes with Dilemma, who stormed down the center of the track to post an 8-1 surprise in the turf sprint.
“It’s a nice way to start the year,” said Gomez, who also won a stakes race on Friday, giving him three in the past two cards. “We’ll try to chase another money title this year.”
Avie’s Tale went winless from six starts in 2010 and had won just once in her last 14 outings dating to 2008, and in a 25-race career the 6-year-old mare had started just once on dirt. But forget all that: Avie’s Tale was much the best on a sloppy Saturday at Fair Grounds, easily winning an off-the-turf edition of the $60,000 Blushing K D Handicap.
ALBANY, Calif. – Lilacs and Lace surged past odds-on favorite Cathy’s Crunches in the lane to score a decisive victory in the $92,000 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
A daughter of Flower Alley, Lilacs and Lace ($6.80) had finished second to Cathy’s Crunches in the one-mile Corte Madera on Dec. 4 when she pressed the pace.
Garrett Gomez celebrated his 39th birthday in style on Saturday by guiding Spring Style to an upset victory over heavily favored Harmonious in the Grade 2, $147,000 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita.
