Sun, 12/05/2010 - 18:48

Pool Play wears down Eye of the Leopard in Valedictory

Michael Burns
Pool Play, under Patrick Husbands, defeats Eye of the Leopard in the closing-day feature at Woodbine, the 1 3/4-mile Valedictory.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Pool Play captured the final stakes of the 167-day Woodbine meet Sunday under Patrick Husbands, coming from off a slow pace to prevail in the $177,400 Valedictory in cold and windy conditions.

Sun, 12/05/2010 - 18:32

Garcia brings home a pair of longshots in New York-bred stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Queen's Harbor, the longest shot on the board, gives jockey Alan Garcia the first of two stakes victories on Sunday in the East View for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jockey Alan Garcia swept Sunday’s two juvenile stakes for New York-breds aboard double-digit priced longshots, winning one in a laugher and the other by a hard-fought half-length.

In the $65,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred fillies, Garcia put 26-1 shot Queen’s Harbor on the lead immediately out of the gate and the pair never looked back, winning the race by 4 1/2 lengths over previously undefeated Miss Valentine, the 4-5 favorite.

Sun, 12/05/2010 - 07:43

Jls Mr Bigtime breaks own track record in LQHBA Futurity

Jls Mr Bigtime flashed his speed back in August, when he set the fastest qualifying time for the All American Futurity for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs. He was at it again Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, when he broke his own track record in the $526,593 Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Breeders’ Futurity.

Jls Mr Bigtime ($2.40) won the 400-yard race in 19.41 seconds, two weeks after winning his trial in 19.58.

Sun, 12/05/2010 - 07:34

Cathy's Crunches finds room late to take Corte Madera

Marcel Langevin/Vassar Photography
Cathy's Crunches edges Lilacs and Lace and Game to Run in the Corte Madera on Dec. 4. The three will meet again in the California Oaks on New Year's Day.

ALBANY, Calif. – At the finish line, Cathy’s Crunches looked like an odds-on runner should, but with one-quarter mile to go in the $76,200 Corte Madera Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, she looked beaten.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 19:54

Aggie Engineer goes unchallenged in Native Diver

BENOIT PHOTO
Joe Talamo rides Aggie Engineer to a wire-to-wire victory in the Native Diver Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Left alone on the lead, Aggie Engineer proved impossible to catch in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park.

The result left winning jockey Joe Talamo surprised. He expected someone to challenge Aggie Engineer on the lead, but was never bothered, winning the Grade 3 Native Diver by 1 3/4 lengths over Spurrier.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 19:38

Stachys survives foul claim to win Zia Derby

Trainer Mike Biehler was hoping to see Stachys race closer to the pace than he had been in his recent starts in the $150,000 Zia Park Derby on Saturday, and the horse parlayed a stalking trip into a half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile race. Skip a Smile finished second, 4 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Saratoga Yankee.

The Zia Park Derby was the first of a handful of stakes being run over the closing weekend of the meet, which ends on Tuesday.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 19:29

Seans Silverdancer handles stretch-out around two turns in Illinois Debutante

Five seconds before the gate sprang open for the $100,000 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante at Hawthorne, Seans Silverdancer was showing her lack of seasoning, throwing her head and acting up in her stall. Then the race began, and Seans Silverdancer showed her talent. Setting a quick pace in the second start of her career, and her first around two turns, Seans Silverdancer dashed away from Point Your Finger at the top of the stretch and cruised to a 9 1/2-length victory in the Whitworth.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 19:19

Chaplain reaffirms affinity for Turf Paradise

Chaplain put up the best performance of his career as the 6-year-old gelding stormed home from last to capture Saturday’s $25,000 Caballos del Sol at Turf Paradise.

Owned by Simon Hudy and trained by Robertino Diodoro, Chaplain, a son of Touch Gold, won for the fourth time in his last five starts, and obviously has a love affair with this track as he now has 5 wins in 6 local starts.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 19:13

Valli With a Vow surges from last to first in Pago Hop

Lou Hodges Jr.
Valli With a Vow, under James Graham, draws clear to win the Pago Hop.

A chilled-out version of Valli With a Vow is making strong strides. Valli With a Vow won just once in her first nine starts, but she swept to a powerful allowance-race victory Oct. 31 over Woodbine’s grass course, and was equally sharp Saturday at Fair Grounds capturing the $60,000 Pago Hop under James Graham.

“She was very relaxed” going into the Pago Hop,” said Ruth Schmidt, assistant to trainer Josie Carroll. “That was part of her issue: She wouldn’t relax.”

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 18:09

Twilight Meteor's speed carries to wire in Tropical Turf

Jim Lisa
Twilight Meteor, ridden by Luis Saez, holds off a late bid by Rahy's Attorney to upset the Tropical Turf Handicap.

MIAMI - On paper, it was obvious there was very little early speed in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap at Calder. That fact was not lost on trainer Marty Wolfson or jockey Luis Saez.