ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Tiz Blessed, based at Belmont with trainer Chad Brown, won his first start over a synthetic surface with ease Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in the $152,100 Display Stakes.
With Patrick Husbands aboard, Tiz Blessed rallied along the rail into contention on the far turn in the 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-olds. He overtook pacemaker Sardonicus at the quarter pole, and then drew away in the stretch to score by 5 1/2 lengths, in a time of 1:44.23.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Comma to the Top is proving to be a throwback. His victory in the Generous Stakes on Saturday was his fourth straight, and came in his turf debut. It was his ninth start of the year, and he’s not done yet. His trainer, Peter Miller, said Comma to the Top will make his 10th start of 2010 on Dec. 18 in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cash Call Futurity. It’s quite an unusual schedule for most horses of this era, particularly a 2-year-old.
Apprentice jockey Jason Gracia was upgraded from critical to stable condition Sunday morning, but he remained in the Intensive Care Unit at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with several injuries that will keep out of the saddle indefinitely, his agent, Jorge Velasquez, said.
ALBANY, Calif. – With only one favorite winning Saturday when there was already a $128,660 carryover, Golden Gate Fields will have a $350,262 pick six carryover for Sunday’s racing.
A total of $399,116 was wagered on Saturday’s pick six, which began with odds-on favorite Silentcrystalwater ($3.80) scoring a victory. However the other five winners all returned double-digit payoffs: Japanese Comet ($13.60), Intriguing Vision ($16.20), Posse’s Princess ($15.40), Lethargic ($43.80), and Sound Of Money ($12.80).
The consolation payoff for five winners was $6,331.40.
Der Meister stretched his front-running style to seven furlongs on Saturday at Parx Racing, taking the $91,800 Pennsylvania Nursery by 2 3/4 lengths.
After winning his maiden race by leading all the way at five furlongs, Der Meister got cooked in a speed duel in his last out, tiring to fourth place at the end of a six-furlong race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Victor’s Cry, returning to the scene of his biggest win, rallied from ninth to first in the final half-mile of the $250,000 Citation Handicap to take the Grade 2 race for older turf horses on Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Victor’s Cry, an 11-1 shot, was in front of just one horse, favored Court Vision, during the run down the backstretch. But he started moving powerfully on the far turn, then was able to knife between horses at mid-stretch and went on to post a 1 3/4-length victory.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The vastly improved Comma to the Top won his fourth straight race, and first in graded company, leading from start to finish in the Grade 3, $100,000 Generous Stakes for 2-year-olds on the turf on Saturday at Hollywood Park.
PHOENIX - First-timer Los Lunas posted a big upset Saturday at Turf Paradise in the $45,600 Arizona Breeders Futurity filly division, while Jamaican Memories avenged a defeat at the hands of Montellano when winning the $54,179 colt and gelding division.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Monday’s second Annual XpressBet Jockey Challenge at Portland Meadows was canceled Saturday evening when the Southern California riders scheduled to compete said they would not make the trip north.
Temperatures dipped into the 20’s in Portland last week leading to the cancellation of racing Tuesday and forcing the track to cancel after only one race Wednesday due to track conditions. But the temperatures had climbed back to the 40’s by Saturday and 45 horses worked at the track without incident Saturday morning.
Hayley’s Halo won her second straight stakes of the Zia Park meet on Saturday, when she was up for a neck win over Petition the Lady in the $55,360 Distaff. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third to No Other Tone.
Hayley’s Halo ($12) covered the six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:08.99. Alejandro Medellin rode the winner for Lathrop Hoffman and trainer Henry Dominguez.
Earlier this meet, Hayley’s Halo won the $60,000 Chaves County.
