It's Me Mom led from start to finish and was never challenged in the $100,000 Presque Isle Debutante for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday evening’s closing-night card.
Jockey Willie Martinez sent It’s Me Mom ($7.40) to the front and she led by as many as eight lengths at the half-mile call. Trained by Lynne Scace, It's Me Mom won by 63/4 lengths while completing six furlongs on the Tapeta in 1:09.72.
Interrogate, under Phil Teator, finished second, 1 ½ lengths in front of Dust and Diamonds.
Jockey Mark Anthony Villa, 44, died as a result of a spill in the seventh race at Zia Park on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the Hobbs, N.M. track.
Villa’s mount, Separate Money, broke down just after finishing second in the trial race for the Hobbs America Quarter Horse Futurity and the rider was thrown to the ground. Villa was taken to nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - In May, when Apart rolled to a more than seven-length win in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, his connections started thinking about making a certain Grade 2, $500,000 race this fall at Louisiana Downs.
“We literally all said to ourselves, ‘We have a Super Derby horse this year,’ ” said Al Stall Jr., who trains Apart for the colt’s owner-breeder, Adele Dilschneider.
VANCOUVER, British, Columbia - Washington Oaks winner Zenovit proved she is the top 3-year-old filly in the Pacific Northwest with a convincing 1 1/4-length win over Wando Woman in the $52,135 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings on Saturday.
MIAMI – Blue Eyed Sweetie solidified her spot as the second-best 2-year-old filly on the grounds after setting all the pace en route to a popular one-length victory over a game Beso Grande in Saturday’s $85,000 Brave Raj Stakes at Calder.
My Jen, an unheralded 3-year-old filly coming off a runner-up finish in the Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga, was up in the final yards to nail fellow longshot Moontune Missy by a head in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap, a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
BENSALEM, Pa. – After a spring and summer of agonizing defeats in major races for 3-year-olds, trainer Nick Zito finally got to taste the thrill of victory in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Jonathan Sheppard reached a significant milestone Saturday at Monmouth Park, getting his 1,000th steeplechase training victory when Arcadius took the Grade 1, $100,000 Helen Haskell Sampson Stakes.
“One thousand wins means I’ve done something nobody else has done,” said Sheppard, a Hall of Fame trainer. “I knew I was in range, but I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to get there until next year. Thankfully, everything has fallen into place this year, and we’ve gotten a little lucky.”
Grand Rapport, under Ramon Dominguez, timed his run perfectly to just get up at the wire for a half-length victory over Workin for Hops in Saturday’s Grade 3, $249,550 Kent Breeders’ Cup at Delaware Park.
Making just his third start on turf, Grand Rapport was the 9-5 favorite coming off a nose defeat to Interactif in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 13.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stately Victor won his first race since the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland on Saturday in the $154,500 Ontario Derby at Woodbine.
Stately Victor raced wide near the back of the pack during the early stages of the nine-furlong Polytrack route, as Kara’s Orientation set honest fractions, while being pressed by favored Big Red Mike.