Salt Flat Speed broke on top and never was seriously threatened en route to a 2 1/2-length victory over Shem in the $50,000 Spangled Jimmy at Northlands Park on Saturday.
Setting honest fractions of 24 seconds, 47.40, and 1:11.40 in the one-mile race, Salt Flat Speed took a 4 1/2-length lead into the stretch and under strong urging from Anthony Selgado, he was able to comfortably hold off Shem. Footprint made a late move to finish third. The final time was 1:37.40.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Talk about an international moment.
Chinchon, a horse bred in Ireland and raced primarily in France, flew through the lane Saturday to win the Grade 1, $750,000 , capping the weekend that celebrates America's birthday at Monmouth Park.
This was one of the deepest recent editions of the U.N. with a field that contained five Grade 1 winners. Now there is a sixth, as Chinchon joined that select company with a breath-taking rally from last in the nine-horse field with Garrett Gomez aboard.
LINCOLN, Neb. - Another Bumper made his career debut a stakes-winning effort, scoring by a length as the 4-5 favorite in the $21,000 Lincoln Futurity for Nebraska-bred 2-year-olds at Lincoln Race Course on Saturday afternoon.
Ridden by Jake Olesiak, Another Bumper challenged early leader Perfect One after a quarter-mile of the 4 -furlong dash, moved clear, and then held Miss Stryker safe in the lane. Mis Stryker rallied outside in the stretch to gain second while Perfect One faded to third, another 3 3/4 lengths back.
ELMONT, N.Y. - It was March 2009 when Haynesfield's Triple Crown dreams were dashed with a disappointing performance in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, a race won by a then unheralded 3-year-old named I Want Revenge.
Sixteen months later, it was Haynesfield, under Ramon Dominguez, ruining the return to the races of I Want Revenge with an impressive-looking 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday's at Belmont Park.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The father sang the national anthem before the races. The son won the first stakes of the afternoon. For Earl Baze, and his son, Tyler, Saturday was a memorable afternoon at Hollywood Park.
Tyler Baze guided Gotta Have Her ($4.20) to a come-from-behind win in the $150,000 for older fillies and mares. It was the 6-year-old mare's fifth stakes and Baze has been aboard for four of those victories.
The well-traveled Mr. Meso returned to Suffolk Downs to take the $50,000 Rise Jim Stakes for Massachusetts-breds over his former stablemate and fellow old-timer Ask Queenie Saturday at Suffolk Downs.
Mr. Meso has now won both his starts at age 10, including a $5,000 Delaware Park claiming race where trainer James MacFarlane claimed him in April with the hope of returning to his home state for his New England Stallion Station.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The same owner-trainer-jockey team that earned Horse of the Year honors two straight years with Curlin appears to have another extremely live prospect ready to make it to the national scene.
Kantharos, a 2-year-old colt by Lion Heart, ran off to his second straight easy triumph when crushing five other juveniles Saturday in the 109th running of the at Churchill Downs.
That's a Heckofacat, under a cool ride by Scott Spieth, scored a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday s $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup for 3-year-old Ohio-breds at Thistledown.
That s a Heckofacat ($4.80) overcame traffic problems going into the first turn, then angled three-wide to make the lead by a head after a half-mile in 47.34 seconds. After he gave up ground and dropped back to third, That s a Heckofacat made a three-wide move into the stretch to regain command inside the eighth pole and drew clear.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Danzon recouped a big chunk of her recent purchase price on Saturday, dealing Happiness Is and jockey Greta Kuntzweiler a wicked beat in the at Churchill Downs.
Danzon, claimed from her last start for $80,000 by owner Alfred Nuckols Jr., rallied farthest outside under Alex Solis to take the one-mile turf race by perhaps an inch in a five-horse photo finish. Happiness Is, a 48-1 shot, had desperately clung to the lead until the final stride, disappointing Kuntzweiler, who was seeking her first victory since returning from a layoff of nearly five years.
Alex s Vision became the latest stakes winner for the hot young sire Afleet Alex when he overcame a poor start to dominate Saturday s $75,000 Peppy Addy Stakes for 3-year-old Pennsylvania-breds at Philadelphia Park.
Afleet Alex, best known for winning the 2005 Preakness despite going to his knees when he was bumped in the stretch, has accounted for seven stakes winners with his first crop that are now 3-year-olds. Most prominently, Afleet Express won the Grade 3 Pegasus and Afleet Again captured the Grade 3 Withers this year. Last summer, Dublin took the Grade 1 Hopeful.
