OPELOUSAS, La. - Smoke It Right, a runaway maiden winner in his only other start, won his stakes debut impressively in the $50,000 Lafayette Stakes Monday night at Evangeline Downs. Secret Ride rallied through the stretch to report home eight lengths back in second, followed by Jump Jump and Cool Stream in the traditional closing-night feature for 2-year-olds.
A fire early Monday morning in three horse barns adjacent to the Charles Town Races in Ranson, W.Va., has killed at least 27 horses, while another 20 were rescued, according to Lenny Hale, the executive director of the Charles Town Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. The cause of the fire is under investigation, although media reports have quoted local fire officials as saying it probably was accidental.
COLUMBUS, Neb. - Wooden Ya Know It battled on the lead throughout and drew off for a 3 1/4-length win, then survived a claim of foul in an eventful renewal of the $10,750 Labor Day Stakes at Columbus on Monday afternoon.
It was an unconventional trip, but it all worked out in the end.
Mr Piloto raced along the outside rail to win the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses in a three-way photo on Monday, edging favorite and fastest qualifier Jls Mr Bigtime by a nose. It was another nose back in third to Dominyun.
The All American is the world’s most famous race for Quarter Horses, and it helped Ruidoso Downs close out the meet with an ontrack crowd of 21,402.
Pursue a Dream had compiled an impressive record over the Remington Park turf course leading up to the track’s $125,000 DeBartolo Memorial on Monday. But there was just one thing missing, a stakes win. Pursue a Dream took care of that detail with a three-quarter length win over Heza Wild Guy in what was one of the meet’s richest grass stakes, and in the process improved his Remington turf record to 5 for 8.
“This horse runs hard every time you bring him over,” said Mike Biehler, who trains Pursue a Dream.
Turallure capped a terrific weekend for jockey Greta Kuntzweiler when he pulled a 10-1 upset in the third running of the $50,000 Cliff Guilliams Memorial on Monday, closing day of the 27-day meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.
Always prominent in the 1 1/16-mile turf race after breaking from the rail, Turallure ($23) got the best of the 6-5 favorite, Inca King, following a prolonged duel, then finished a length clear of Brass Hat, the $2 million earner who was making his first Ellis appearance.
Dynamic Time relished the move to both two turns and the Louisiana-bred ranks on Monday, when he powered to a 4 1/4-length win over 1-2 favorite Smitty’s Moonshine in the $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin at Louisiana Downs.
The race was one of four restricted stakes on the card worth a cumulative $400,000.
Dynamic Time ($20.80) went to the lead at the start of the Erwin, which was run at about a mile on firm turf, and dueled with Prince of April through six furlongs in 1:12.49. He then shook that rival and pulled clear through the stretch to win in 1:37.06.
Mr. Shadar came from off the pace to win the $50,000 Sun Sprint Championship at Northlands Park on Monday.
Under a patient ride by Heribert Martinez, Mr. Shader saved ground while Inuit Fisher and Zuri Mwana were dueling through honest fractions of 22.40 and 45.60 seconds in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint. Mr. Shader moved up to reach contention on the stretch turn and slipped through between horses at the top of the stretch. He took the lead in midstretch and then held off Andiotis, who went three-wide around both turns, to win by a length.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - For the first time since 1882, Saratoga conducted a 40-day meet, and though there were declines in average daily handle and attendance from last year's 36-day season, New York Racing Association officials deemed the expanded meet a success.
Daily average all-sources handle was $13,791,518, down 3.4 percent from last year's daily average of $14,273,257. Daily average on-track handle was $2,867,329, down 7.8 from last year's $3,111,274. Daily average attendance was 21,957, down 7.5 percent from last year's average of 23,734.