OKLAHOMA CITY - Pleasant Prince might have punched his ticket to next month’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Sunday, when he swept to a four-length win in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby.
“That’s probably where we’re headed,” said Wesley Ward, who trains Pleasant Prince for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
The undefeated Bond James Bond left little doubt that he is the best 2-year-old in Alberta with a 2 1/4-length win in the $50,000 Canadian Juvenile at Northlands Park on Sunday.
With Rico Walcott aboard, Bond James Bond was in the middle of a three-horse battle for six furlongs in the 1 1/16-mile-race before he started to draw clear at the quarter pole. He took a three-length lead into the stretch and was under steady urging to hold off a late run by longshot Freedoms Traveller. Shackles N Chains finished third in the 10-horse field.
FRESNO, Calif. – Holding Her Ground broke sharply and was never seriously challenged as she scored an easy four-length victory in the $32,500 Harvest Stakes at the Big Fresno Fair on Sunday.
Holding Her Ground ($10.40) broke quickest and bolted to a 2 1/2-length advantage with a 22.68-second opening quarter in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares. Red White and Brew crept within a length of Holding Her Ground at the quarter pole, but jockey Ricky Frazier pulled away through the lane.
Senor Rojo left the starting gate from the rail and he stayed there the whole way to win the Grade 3, $100,000 BC Premier's Stakes at Hastings on Sunday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Burg Berg won the first stakes of her career in Sunday’s $59,150 Swingtime Stakes at Hollywood Park’s Oak Tree meet despite appearing beaten in early stretch.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Burg Berg ($4) stalked pacesetter Briecat for the first six furlongs, but was joined in pursuit of the leader by Oui Say Oui and Ruffled Feathers at the top of the stretch. Burg Berg trailed Briecat by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining when she was making minimal progress on closing the margin.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Acoma had done a lot of good things as a 3- and 4-year-old, but she had been found a bit lacking this year. Considering that Acoma was winless and largely disappointing in three starts in 2010, the vast majority of Keeneland fans found her worth dismissing – much to their chagrin, as the 5-year-old mare came bounding home a 23-1 winner Sunday under Alan Garcia in the 55th running of the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rogue Romance rallied from last to show a welcome new dimension and earn a trip to the Breeders’ Cup with a clear-cut victory Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Blue Laser outran Rockin Heat and Classic Legacy, who made an eye-catching premature move, to take the Grade 3, $253,250 Grey Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
Blue Laser went four-wide on the first turn in the 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-olds, while three runners battled through fast fractions, including favored Bear’s Future. .
ELMONT, N.Y. - The task of preparing Quality Road to get the 1 1/4 miles of next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic was picked up in earnest Sunday morning at Belmont Park as the multiple Grade 1-winning colt worked five furlongs in company and then proceeded to gallop out an additional three-eighths of a mile.
Alywyn wrapped up divisional honors as the top female runner in Alberta with a narrow win in the $50,000 Duchess of York Stakes for fillies and mares at Northlands Park on Saturday.
Jockey Rico Walcott had Alywyn in a stalking position during the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile race. He moved Alywyn up to confront pace-setting Shakennwithanolive on the stretch turn and after disposing of Shakenwithanolive at the top of the stretch, she was all out to hold off London Lass by a neck. Lemon Pepper made a late move to get up for third.
Final time for the race was 1:46.40.