ELMONT, N.Y. - Sentimental Lass showed she had some spunk to go along with her speed as she turned back co-favorite and previously undefeated Saltamontes in midstretch and won the $100,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies by one length at Belmont Park.
Saltamontes, who began to drift inside the sixteenth pole, finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Floating Alone who was severely compromised by a stumble at the start.
MIAMI – Trainer David Fawkes wanted to push Big Drama a little bit Saturday morning in his next-to-last work for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. So Fawkes looked down his bench and decided who better to help carry out the assignment than his two-time Grade 2 winner Duke of Mischief, who pushed Big Drama to a six-furlong drill in 1:14.37 over a fast but very dry and cupping-out racetrack at Calder that yielded relatively slow times throughout the morning.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – E Z’s Gentleman, the winner of the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park in July, will miss the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 after trainer Bob Baffert said on Saturday that he was not pleased with the way the 5-year-old was training.
Saturday, E Z’s Gentleman worked five furlongs in 1:00.80, but failed to keep pace with workmate Gabby’s Golden Gal, who worked six furlongs in 1:12.80.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The favorite didn't fire, the second choice didn't break, and third choice General Maximus ($12.20) recaptured his best form for a stalk-and-pounce win over pacesetter Be Bullish in Saturday's 33rd running of the $125,000 Hudson Stakes.
General Maximus chased Be Bullish from the outside through opening fractions of 22.87 and 45.40 seconds, wrested command inside the three-sixteenths pole, and edged away to give jockey Javier Castellano a happy 33rd birthday present with a 1 1/2-length victory.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – More than a dozen Breeders’ Cup hopefuls turned in workouts Saturday at Keeneland and at Churchill Downs in Louisville in what figures to be their second-to-last works before they compete in the Nov. 5-6 championships at Churchill.
Proviso, one of the top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, was perhaps the most notable of the Saturday workers. Two weeks from her rousing victory in the Grade 1 First Lady over the Keeneland turf, the Juddmonte Farms mare was back breezing over the same course when going five furlongs in 1:02.40 with the “dogs” up.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Weather and course condition may have compromised Red Desire’s preparation for and performance in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl earlier this month. But if her workout Saturday morning is any indication, the Japanese-bred filly has certainly moved forward from the race and looks poised to make an impact in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
Although there are three horses in the lineup with a combined 12 stakes victories to their credit, the most dangerous runner in Monday’s eighth race at Delaware Park is Cavallo Pazzo, a 7-year-old who has made a steady living running mostly for a claiming tag or in starter allowances the past two seasons.
FORT ERIE, Ontario – Daverick was named Fort Erie’s 2010 horse of the year at the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association’s annual awards dinner on Friday evening.
Although the Fort Erie meeting runs through Tuesday, the human and equine winners in all categories except owner of the year were honored at the town’s Leisureplex facility.
The equine winners were determined through a consensus of HBPA directors.
Owned by Sante Cigana and trained by Justin Nixon, Daverick was the top male sprinter at the meeting. Top female sprinter laurels went to Hopes Pass.
J J’s Indy literally stole the spotlight on Oklahoma’s richest Thoroughbred program Friday night, when he coasted to a front-running, length and a half win over 3-5 favorite Pleasant Storm in the $167,375 Oklahoma Classics Night Classic at Remington Park.