Mon, 09/20/2010 - 12:41

Season's final week begins with rare weekday matinee

AUBURN, Wash. – The final week of Emerald Downs’s 2010 season includes a few peculiarities. There’s racing Wednesday, the first non-holiday midweek program in several years, and the card begins at 1 p.m. Pacific, a departure from the usual 6 p.m. weekday start time.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 21:12

Clubhouse Ride impressive in Barretts Juvenile

POMONA, Calif. – The California 2-year-old division gained a serious player Sunday at Fairplex Park, where Clubhouse Ride overcame adversity to score a 2 1/4-length victory in the $100,495 Barretts Juvenile.

Clubhouse Ride was bumped at the break and away slowly in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes. Jockey Pat Valenzuela turned him loose on the backstretch, Clubhouse Ride raced from seventh to first passing the quarter pole, and won clear. Road Ready finished second, followed by Wealthy Aviator.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 19:30

Court Vision, Albarado team for Woodbine Mile score

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Court Vision mowed down The Usual Q.T. in the late stages to take Sunday’s Grade 1, $ 1 million Woodbine Mile.

Court Vision ($16.60) benefited from an astute ride by Robby Albarado, who saved ground through the turn while he and Court Vision raced in 12th in the 13-horse field. Zifzaf set most of the pace, setting fractions of 23.55, 46.53 and 1:10.36, with a host of runners in close proximity, including Grand Adventure and Woodbourne.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 18:50

Strike the Bell saves best for last in Noble Damsel

ELMONT, N.Y. - A fast pace, a fair-playing turf course, and a patient ride from Ramon Dominguez combined to make Strike the Bell a 1 1/4-length winner of Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 17:52

Starship Angel by a neck in Politely

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Starship Angel edged Debonair Darling by a neck Sunday to win in the $75,000 Politely Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Starship Angel covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:44.79 and paid $7.80 to win.

“I just let her run her race,” said jockey Eddie Castro. “She answered when I asked her and got up at the wire.”

The Politely win was the sixth in 17 starts for Starship Angel, a 4-year-old filly.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 17:32

Redwood does the expected in Northern Dancer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Redwood, the favored European invader, overtook 29-1 outsider Fifty Proof in the final sixteenth to capture the Grade 1, $771,600 Northern Dancer Turf at Woodbine Sunday.


Redwood ($5.80) saved ground near the back of the back in the nine-horse field, as Fifty Proof set moderate fractions over a firm course in the 1 1/2-mile event. Redwood loomed into contention on the far turn, and then came inside Fifty Proof through the stretch to score by a half-length in a time of 2:28.97.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 16:39

Motown Boy refuses to lose in Gus Grissom

Motown Boy came on again after being headed in the stretch to win the $84,000 Gus Grissom at Hoosier Park Sunday afternoon.

Jockey Rodney Prescott had Motown Boy on the lead to upper stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race, until 2-5 favorite Unreachable Star rallied and drew clear by two lengths. Prescott asked Motown Boy for more and he responded, coming back to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Unreachable Star, under Leandro Gonclaves, was second, 3 3/4 lengths in front of Lieper’s Fork in third.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 15:42

True Way of Grace pulls Barretts Debutante upset

POMONA, Calif. – True Way of Grace overcame early trouble in the $91,872 Barretts Debutante on Saturday at Fairplex Park, and reeled in odds-on favorite Dearly Concerned to post a half-length upset in the stakes, which was for 2-year-old fillies that were offered at a Barretts auction.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 15:33

Miss Keller comes through in Canadian

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Miss Keller, favored at 8-5 came between horses under a rousing ride by Javier Castellano and outfinished Latin Love for a 1 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,400 Canadian Stakes.

Sun, 09/19/2010 - 09:43

Cherokee’s Goal beats elders at Assiniboia

Cherokee’s Goal, the only 3-year-old in the field of 10, scored a two-length victory in the the $72,500 Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs on Saturday night.

With regular rider Juan Crawford in the irons, Cherokee’s Goal stalked the early pace of Brinello and Monsoon Rain in the 1 1/8-mile race and then took over nearing the eighth pole.

Vindgari rallied for second, three-quarters of a length before odds-on favorite Double Shuffle as Brinello faded to finish seventh and Monsoon Rain wound up last.