Havre de Grace finally won a photo finish over summer nemesis Blind Luck in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Parx Racing, and in the process might have put herself in the running for another showdown with the nation's top 3-year-old filly in next month's Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.
ANDERSON, Ind. – Lookin At Lucky might have given his connections and backers a little scare, but the colt proved his class Saturday when he rallied from well back to capture the 16th running of the Grade 2, $510,900 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park.
A year ago, trainer Damon Dilodovico shelled out $40,000 to claim Regal Solo specifically to run him a month later in the Maryland Million Classic. Coming from far back, Regal Solo had to settle for third in the 2009 running, but he succeeded with a last-to-first move on Saturday to win the biggest event on the 25th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million card for the offspring of Maryland stallions at Laurel Park.
Jockey Sheldon Russell completed a stakes triple when he guided Regal Solo ($13.40) to a 1 1/4-length victory over Not Aboard in the $150,000 Classic.
ANDERSON, Ind. – Always a Princess passed her two-turn test Saturday when leading all the way under Martin Garcia to win the Grade 2, $205,200 Indiana Oaks at Hoosier Park.
Trainer Bob Baffert had expressed optimism beforehand that Always a Princess, an accomplished 2-year-old last year, would handle the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Indiana Oaks when making her second start at 3. He was right.
Karmageddon, the longest shot on the board among eight 3-year-old fillies, stunned 4-5 favorite Simple Words by pulling away in the stretch to score a major surprise in Saturday’s $75,000 Princeton Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Ridden for the first time by Dale Beckner, Karmageddon ($60.40) sat 3 1/2 lengths off the half-mile pace set by Simple Words, but had cut the deficit to a length with a furlong remaining and closed willingly to prevail by 3 1/4 lengths while completing six furlongs in 1:09.64.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Catlaunch won his 34th career race when he led every step of the way to post a four-length win in the $75,000 Endurance. The 1 1/4-mile Endurance was one of five Ohio-bred stakes on the Best of Ohio card.
Raise the Reward finished second behind Catlaunch and Thats a Heckofacat was third. Catlaunch was timed in 2:04.36 over a good track and returned a $6.80 mutuel. Catlaunch is the winningest active Thoroughbred in the United States
ELMONT, N.Y. - Unhurried after breaking a step slowly from her inside post, Life At Ten recovered to gain a stalking position down the backstretch and pulled away from favored Unrivaled Belle through the stretch to win the Grade 1, $350,000 Beldame under John Velazquez on Saturday at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - After a couple of close calls and tough trips in her first four North American starts, the Great Britain-bred Ave broke through Saturday, splitting horses in deep stretch and earning a hard-fought head victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park.