OCEANPORT, N.J. - Uptowncharlybrown was scratched from the $1 million Haskell, reducing the field to seven for the race on Sunday afternoon at Monmouth Park.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Uptowncharlybrown was slated to make his first start since the Belmont Stakes. The colt developed a fever Sunday morning before vanning down to Monmouth from Belmont Park.
“He spiked a fever of 103 to 104,” McLaughlin said. “It’s unlucky for the owners, but we’ll have to regroup.”
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – It looked as if the connections for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer would make it to the winner’s circle as favored You Lift Me Up split leaders Ms. G.I. Jane and Lady Railrider in deep stretch in the $59,950 Luther Burbank Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday.
The Hollendorfer connections did make it to the winner’s circle but with Christmas Ship ($15.20), who swung outside the three leaders after stablemate You Lift Me Up passed her and got her nose to the wire first in the final stride for a mild upset.
Last summer, Chamberlain Bridge was narrowly beaten as the favorite in the Arlington Sprint Handicap and had to settle for third at 7-2 odds in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National.
The now 6-year-old Chamberlain Bridge has now atoned for both of those defeats after holding off a belated bid from Phosphorescent to win the 38th running of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup upon his return to Penn National on Saturday night.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A string of 16 consecutive losses, including 12 stakes, ended for Dakota Phone in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. The win left trainer Jerry Hollendorfer planning to run Dakota Phone in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 28.
“It’s nice to win a race like this,” Hollendorfer said.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A wide trip aboard La Nez in Saturday's $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes left jockey Victor Espinoza with soaring confidence as the race unfolded.
La Nez was four-wide entering the stretch and rallied from last in a field of nine to win the seven-furlong race for statebred 3-year-old fillies by a half-length over 9-2 shot Thisoneforyou. Tornado Betty, the longest shot in the field at 30-1, finished third. Excellent News, the 2-1 favorite, could only finish sixth after a poor start.
A horrific accident involving a runaway horse in the sixth race at Hastings on Saturday forced the cancellation of the last two races.
Private Mombo stumbled badly and lost her rider, Geovanni Franco, coming out of the starting gate. When Private Mombo stumbled, her blinkers and the cones she was wearing came over her head, and she appeared to be blinded. Private Mombo started running out of control and ran full speed into the atrium that is adjacent to the winner's enclosure.
Turnpike Token, reacquired by owner-trainer M. Anthony Ferraro in mid-June out of a claiming race, returned big dividends when he outfought pacesetter Vital Argument to get up by a nose in Saturday's $50,000 Ontario County Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Finger Lakes.
Turnpike Token ($27) was rated off the early pace by jockey Wilfredo Rohena and rallied up the inside to just reach the wire ahead of Vital Argument, who was attempting to bite his rival's face during the stretch battle.
Trainer Jim Meyaard finished one-two with No Hesitation and Professor Pollard in the $50,000 Count Lathum at Northlands Park on Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile Count Lathum is the final local prep for the Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby on Aug. 21.
Fort Hood and Take Me Home Too are moving up the class ladder. Both horses became stakes winners on Saturday at Louisiana Downs, with Fort Hood upsetting odds-on favorite Brian's Choice in the $50,000 Stardust, and Take Me Home Too dominating the $50,000 Laurel Lane.
The races were restricted to 2-year-olds bred in Louisiana.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Saratoga shipper Sensational Slam prevailed by a head in a head-bob finish with 15-1 shot Ice Danger in the $151,600 Vandal Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.
Sensational Slam ($2.70) pressed Ice Danger through splits of 22.52 and 45.68 seconds in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Ice Danger held a slim lead in midstretch, before Sensational Slam dug in and won in a time of 1:11.21. A stalking Wonder Phil finished another 2 ½ lengths back in third in the nine-horse field of Ontario-breds.