SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Headache got a perfectly timed ride from Julien Leparoux to nail the race-long front-runner, Smarten Destiny, to post a neck victory Saturday in the $138,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, the anchor event of the 12th annual Claiming Crown series at Canterbury Park.
Leparoux, the 2009 Eclipse Award-winning jockey, lagged well back on the gray gelding before launching his winning rally down the center of the track.
"It set up very nice for us," said Leparoux.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Vineyard Haven came out of his 1 3/4-length victory in the $75,000 James Marvin Stakes in good order and will now set his sights on the Grade 1 Forego here on Sept. 4.
Vineyard Haven, under Alan Garcia, went gate to wire, running seven furlongs in 1:22.30 and earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Rick Mettee, assistant trainer for Godolphin Stable, said Vineyard Haven's effort was better than expected.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - La Rocca turned back a stretch bid from favored Simply Splendid to take the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes at Woodbine Sunday.
La Rocca set fractions of 25.75 and 50.17 in the 1 1/16-mile route while racing well off the rail. Simply Splendid came along the rail at the quarter pole to assume control until the sixteenth pole, but La Rocca battled back to prevail by a half-length in 1:45.63. Euphony nosed out the U.S. shipper Floating Heart for third.
Jim McAleney rode La Rocca for trainer Terry Jordan.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Category Seven successfully defended her title in the $50,000 Matron Stakes at Evangeline Downs Saturday night, rallying from off the pace under Richard Eramia to narrowly prevail in the one-mile test on the turf for fillies and mares. Clear Sailing finished a stubborn neck back in second and 5 1/4 lengths in front of Warrior Maid in third.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - On a morning when most horsemen opted not to work their stakes horses due to wet track conditions, trainer Nick Zito sent out Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box for a half-mile breeze in 48.82 seconds Sunday morning at Saratoga. Ice Box is preparing for a start in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 1.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Proceed Bee stretched his win streak to three by winning the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap on Saturday. The 1 1/4-mile handicap went with five starters after the scratch of Country Flavor because of a licensing issue.
Proceed Bee went off as the second choice at 7-5 off victories in an allowance race at Indiana Downs, and the Illinois Owners Stakes at Arlington Park. He took the lead from the gate and went through the early fractions in a pedestrian 24.72, 49.69, 1:14.89, and 1:39.03.
"He was going slow and very comfortably," said jockey Michael Baze.
OMAHA, Neb. - Reach One More had no problem with his 128-pound weight assignment as he claimed a third straight stakes victory with a 1 3/4-length win over four other older Nebraska-bred rivals in the $28,000 Who Doctor Who Handicap at Horsemen's Park on Saturday afternoon.
DEL MAR, Calif. - St Trinians, who gave the undefeated champion Zenyatta a scare in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park in June before losing by a half-length, will miss an expected start in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 7 because of soreness, trainer Mike Mitchell said on Saturday.
St Trinians will be turned out and pointed for a 2011 campaign, Mitchell said. The decision was reached on Saturday after consulting with owners Dan Capen and Laura Chavers.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The Usual Q.T. had a six-race winning streak in the second half of 2009 that featured four stakes wins. He may be in the midst of another late-season streak this year.
Saturday at Del Mar, The Usual Q.T. rallied from just off the pace to win the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes by two lengths, his first stakes victory since December and his first stakes win against older horses. The Grade 1 Read was The Usual Q.T.'s second consecutive win, preceded by an allowance race at Hollywood Park on June 27.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad ran one-two in Saturday's Grade 2, $312,400 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine, with Windward Islands and Grand Adventure. Grand Adventure, the 6-5 favorite in the nine-furlong turf route, dueled with Southdale through honest fractions, over a course labeled yielding. Grand Adventure took control early in the stretch, but was overhauled in the final sixteenth by Windward Islands, who went on to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths. Southdale faded to finish third, in a field reduced to six with the scratches of Spice Route and Utterly Cool.