Favorites ruled the roost on the Heritage Stakes Day program at Marquis Downs on Saturday evening, taking five of the six events for Saskatchewan-breds.
Trainer Fern Zdunick saddled four of the winners, with two of those ridden by Tim Moccasin and two by Neville Stephenson.
J C’s Action ($2.60) got the evening rolling with a neck victory in the $10,000 Lakeland Heritage, a one-mile race for colts and geldings, 4 and up.
Moccasin rode J C’s Action for Zdunick.
Down Town Allen solidified her status as this year’s 3-year-old West Virginia-bred filly by cruising to an easy 13 1/4-length victory in Saturday night’s $51,100 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.
The seven-furlong Bishop is the local prep for the $75,000 West Virginia Division of Tourism on Oct. 16, part of the West Virginia Breeders Classic program.
Ruby’s Big Band continued her run of success at Assiniboia Downs with a three-quarter- length victory in the $30,000 Jack Hardy Stakes on Saturday evening.
Trained by Charlie Smith and with regular local rider Rohan Singh in the irons, Ruby’s Big Band ($3.50) dueled until late in the final turn with arch-rival Honorable Lady and then had to hold off a closing Gorgeous Goomah through the stretch run of the 1 1/16-mile feature.
Roma Tomato ended another 7 1/2 lengths back in third with Honorable Lady fading to fourth in the field of five 3-year-old fillies.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Jess a Runner turned in the most impressive performance during Saturday night’s MBNA challenge races for Quarter Horses at Prairie Meadows when he closed with a rush on the outside to defeat Feature Jesss Rockin by a length in the Grade 2, $66,870 Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge.
.Jess a Runner ($21), who scored a 1 1/4-length victory in an optional claiming race at Canterbury on Aug. 1 in his most recent start, finished the 440 yards in 21.539 seconds. XO Kate, the even-money favorite, broke well but faded to eighth.
Evening Reward has a new favorite surface at the age of 7. He won the first turf race of his career with style on Saturday night, when he edged the mare Skedee by a nose in the $50,000 Red Earth at Remington Park. It was another three lengths back in third to Ti Township.
Rogue’s Jewel, racing beyond a mile for the first time after eight starts at a mile or less, outbattled the maiden D’ Oratory by a nose to win Saturday’s $75,000 New York Oaks for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Finger Lakes.
Ridden for the first time by Dennis Carr, Rogue’s Jewel ($8.90) was seventh, about 5 1/2 lengths behind pacesetter Helyna’s My Mom, through the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile race. Rogue’s Jewel rallied alongside another closer, the second-time starter D’Oratory, throughout the stretch and just got up at the wire.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Joel Rosario was the riding star of the day on Saturday at Del Mar, winning five races, and he saved his best work for late in the card in the Grade 1, $300,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes, when he sent El Brujo to a front-running victory with an aggressive ride.
Apart is headed to the Super Derby after overcoming a troubled trip to win his stakes debut Saturday in the $100,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs.
He stumbled badly at the start of the mile and a sixteenth race, was hung well wide in both the first turn and second, then ran down 4-5 favorite Coyote Legend for a length and three-quarter win.
“Nobody could have been happy with the trip at any point until the end,” said Al Stall Jr., who trains Apart for Adele Dilschneider.
BDEL MAR, Calif. - Reunited, and it felt so good.
Last year, jockey Mike Smith climbed aboard Richard’s Kid for the first time, and they won the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Not until Saturday, some 51 weeks later, did Smith get back on Richard’s Kid. He hadn’t ridden him in another race, not even been aboard for a workout. It didn’t matter.