The former French turf runner Violon Sacre continued his string of strong efforts since coming to the United States earlier this season by drawing clear in the stretch to win Saturday’s $250,000 Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen Association President’s Cup at Parx Racing.
In 4 starts since coming to trainer Patrick Biancone’s barn, the 5-year-old Violon Sacre now has 2 wins and a neck loss. He previously won the Battlefield Stakes and was second in the Grade 3 Oceanport, both at Monmouth Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - First Dude, the Preakness runner-up, will make his next start in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, trainer Dale Romans confirmed Saturday.
Romans had been contemplating the Super Derby as well for First Dude, who also finished third in the Belmont, third in the Haskell and third in the Travers Stakes in his last three starts.
"We haven’t ducked anybody all year, we’re not going to start now," Romans said Saturday at Belmont Park. "He’s training great. We might as well do it for a million dollars as opposed to half a million."
Alyssa’s Native came from off the early pace to win the $84,000 Richmond at Hoosier Park Saturday afternoon. The victory was the sixth on the day for jockey Leandro Goncalves.
Trained by George Leonard, Alyss’a Native was third in the early going behind pacesetter Classic Ramona. Goncalves swung Alyssa’s Native out four wide in the stretch and they wore down Bono Queen to draw clear late and win by 2 3/4 lengths. Bono Queen finished second and Ms Cat Princess was four lengths back in third.
Lovely Daniella overcame a 13 1/2-length deficit in the final 2 1/2 furlongs and survived getting hit in the face with a jockey's whip in deep stretch to defend her title in Saturday’s $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap at Finger Lakes.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – New Normal went right to the front under Javier Castellano and never looked back to take the Grade 3, $201,200 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.
With the victory, New Normal ($15.80) gained inclusion into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs , as part of the Win and You’re In program.
On e way or another, owner-trainer Joe Marino figures to have a good chance to get the job done in Tuesday’s featured eighth race at Finger Lakes.
Marino has the coupled entry of 7-year-old Cured and 4-year-old The Real Deal available for a 5 1/2-furlong sprint open to New York-breds who have not won two statebred allowance races or $8,000 claimers.
MIAMI – It seemed like a good idea at the time, skipping next week’s one mile and 70-yard Foolish Pleasure Stakes with the speedy Rough’n Royal in lieu of a first-level allowance dash on Saturday’s Calder program. But when trainer David Braddy and his owner George Frazee looked at the entries and saw the likes of stakes winner Little Drama and the very fast Uno Caliente in the lineup for Saturday’s race, they opted to scratch, wait the week, and try their luck around two turns in the Foolish Pleasure.
In order to be eligible for Monday’s co-featured ninth race at Parx Racing, a five-furlong starter allowance for fillies and mares going five furlongs on turf, a horse must have run for a claiming price of $16,000 or less sometime within the past two seasons. Indycat satisfied the requirement less than two weeks ago, while Suzzona qualified way back in April 2009.
Like most everyone else, Jimmy Baker noticed that speed tended to hold well in grass races at the recently ended Saratoga meet. That’s why he is encouraged with the form that a filly named Aphrodite’s Tears brings to her Monday race at Kentucky Downs.
Aphrodite’s Tears, part of a full field in the co-featured eighth race at the turf-only track in Franklin, Ky., was a fast-closing second in her Saratoga finale, a conditioned claiming race on Aug. 29.
Miss Victoriana, invading from Northlands Park, upset the best fillies and mares that Assiniboia Downs had to offer in Friday’s $57,571 Matron Handicap.
Rallying from last place in the field of eight, Miss Victoriana launched an outside move around the final turn that carried her to a 1 3/4-length victory under her regular rider Shannon Beauregard.
