AUBURN, Wash. - Winter Warlock raced to a three-quarter-length victory Sunday in the Premio Esmeralda, the first unrestricted stakes for 2-year-olds at the Emerald Downs meeting.
The first winner, and now first stakes winner, for first-year stallion Demon Warlock, Winter Warlock took home the $24,750 winner’s share from the $50,000 purse and increased his bankroll to $35,230 for an ownership group headed by Tim Floyd and James Broussard of Spokane, Wash.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Moudez ($14.20) unleashed an electrifying stretch run, rallying from last to win the $58,500 Joseph Grace at the Sonoma County Fair on Sunday.
The victory was his third straight, but his first since April 19, 2007, when he won the Forerunner at Keeneland.
An Irish-bred son of Xaar, Moudez broke well and stalked nicely through the opening quarter-mile of the 1 1/16-mile turf race. As the field turned into the backstretch, jockey Michael Martinez dropped him back to last, biding his time seven lengths behind pacesetter Restless Youth.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Heza Wild Guy outdueled 5-2 favorite Kaddish to score a half-length victory in the $50,000 John Bullit at 1 1/16 miles on turf Sunday at Canterbury Park.
A 9-year-old, Heza Wild Guy ($7.20) won his second straight race, moving his career wins total to 27. In his previous start, he scored a 1 3/4-length win in the AJ Foyt at Indiana Downs on July 14.
Sunday, Heza Wild Guy took the lead early and set easy fractions of 24.89 and 50.16 seconds. Kaddish stalked in second and challenged the leader turning for home.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - J P's Gusto is proving impossible to beat in sprint stakes for 2-year-olds in Southern California this summer.
Sunday, J P's Gusto won his third consecutive stakes in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs, a prep to the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs Sept. 8.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Officially, it took Majesticperfection a little more than 68 seconds to win Sunday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. In reality, the race was over in just under 23 seconds.
When Majesticperfection, under Shaun Bridgmohan, got to run uncontested through an opening quarter in 22.80 seconds, trainer Steve Asmussen said he thought "you'd better win from there."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Secret Gypsy’s love affair with Saratoga’s main track continued Sunday when she rallied past the pace-setting One Smokin’ Lady approaching the quarter pole and cruised to a two-length victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss Stakes.
Hour Glass finished second by a neck over Warbling, the 3-2 favorite who was moving when the gates opened and broke last under Julien Leparoux. Pretty Prolific and One Smokin’ Lady completed the order of finish.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Zenyatta may run in the Zenyatta Stakes in her next start.
A day after the wildly popular 6-year-old mare extended her unbeaten record to 18 races in Saturday’s $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, trainer John Shirreffs hinted that Zenyatta will make her next start in Southern California in October.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Sand Cove ($3.70) established a very slow pace and kept on going to take the Grade 3, $179,100 Seagram Cup Stakes at Woodbine Sunday.
With Richard Dos Ramos aboard, Sand Cove set fractions of 26.00, 50.38, and 1:13.76 in the 1 1/16-mile route while being pressed by Pool Play.
Sand Cove opened up a clear lead exiting the far turn and held off a closing Stunning Stag to win by a length. The winning time was 1:43.57.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will begin serving a 7-day suspension on Monday for careless riding as a result of the much-talked-about non-disqualification from Friday's fifth race at Saratoga.
Bridgmohan is still permitted to get on horses in the morning, according to the stewards, enabling him to take his regular seat aboard reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra for a workout Monday.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Tuscan Evening, the winner of six stakes for turf females this year and a leading contender for the Eclipse Award as outstanding turf female, died of an apparent internal injury after a workout at Del Mar on Sunday, according to a racing official.
Tuscan Evening collapsed while galloping out after a six-furlong workout on turf in 1:15.60. She was being prepared for an expected start in the $750,000 Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 21.
