ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Richard Mandella said one reason he entered maiden Acaffella ($4.80) in the $52,150 Angel Island Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday was to make an assessment of where he might run him later in the year.
After Acaffella's sensational six-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile stakes race for 2-year-olds, Mandella may be ready to set his sights pretty high.
FRANKLIN, Ky. - Rezif launched a devastating run approaching the eighth pole and went on to a convincing 6 1/4-length upset as an 18-1 outsider in the 14th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Kentucky Cup Turf on Saturday, opening day of the four-day Kentucky Downs meet.
Secret Gypsy escaped a tight spot and survived a claim of foul to earn a third straight stakes win on Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,700 Endine Stakes for fillies and mares at Delaware Park.
It was another amazing chapter for the 5-year-old who has returned from multiple surgeries in the best form of her career.
Eldaafer outlasted the opposition and earned a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon when proving best as the favorite Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship in Florence, Ky.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Alan Garcia literally and figuratively fell into a Grade 2 stakes winner Saturday at Belmont Park.
One race after he was dumped following a winning ride in an allowance race, Garcia, overcoming what he admittedly said was not one of his better rides, got Al Khali switched to the outside in the final furlong and the colt came with a flying finish to win the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap by a neck over 3-5 favorite Winchester, who got second by a head over Simmard.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Eye of Taurus reeled in the front-running Giant Mover by one length on Saturday to capture the $76,650 Revidere Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf at Monmouth Park.
The Revidere was the main event on the first card of Monmouth's fall meet. The track is running on a Saturday-and-Sunday schedule through Nov. 21.
Eye of Taurus got her first win of the season in five starts, with the last four coming at Monmouth. A 4-year-old trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Eye of Taurus had been close in every race without being able to break through until the Revidere.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Chantal Sutherland hopes to make it onto the hit television show "Dancing With the Stars" some day, but for now, she'll have to settle for riding Dancing Raven, whom she guided to victory in Saturday's $126,200 La Prevoyante Stakes at Woodbine.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Major Gain wasn’t quite ready to win a maiden race when he made his career debut a month ago, but he was ready to win the Arlington-Washington Futurity on Saturday at Arlington Park. No wonder. Wayne Catalano trains him.
Fascinatin’ Rhythm made it two in a row at Laurel Park on Saturday, putting away four rivals to win the $50,000 Geisha Stakes by a length.
Winner of the six-furlong Jameela on the Laurel turf last month to end a 13-race losing streak, Fascinatin’ Rhythm stretched out to a mile on dirt in the Geisha. Ridden by Forest Boyce, she pressed the pacesetting Ysabel T. through a quarter-mile in 24.17 seconds, then took over along the backstretch, leading the field through a half-mile in 47.26 seconds, three-quarters in 1:11.83.
Jemilyn romped to a four-length win Saturday in the $150,000 PHBA Distaff Stakes for fillies and mares at Parx Racing. The PHBA Distaff was the featured event on a card devoted exclusively to Pennsylvania-breds.
Jemilyn missed by only one length last year when this stakes was run at seven furlongs. She had no problems with the distance change to 1 1/16 miles.
After running in a pair of open stakes, Jemilyn clearly the relished the return to statebred company.
