ELMONT, N.Y. - As it went on, Bill Mott's weekend got progressively better.
It began Saturday afternoon when Treat Gently captured the Grade 2, $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes. On Sunday morning, Mott watched in awe as his Grade 1-winning mare Proviso sizzled in a workout over Belmont Park's turf course in preparation for the Grade 1 Just a Game on Belmont Stakes Day.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's $167,800 La Lorgnette was designated as Biofuel's launching pad toward a campaign that would see her take on the best of her division in the United States.
After watching Biofuel score by a measured length under regular rider Eurico Rosa Da Silva in the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette for 3-year-old fillies, her trainer, Reade Baker, was ready to begin making travel plans.
"We want to run her in the Mother Goose," said Baker, looking toward the Grade 1, $250,000 stakes over
Zenyatta worked six furlongs in 1:13.00 at Hollywood Park on Monday, moving closer to a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap there on June 13.
Zenyatta worked in company with El Vino, a maiden, with whom she has worked frequently in recent months. Zenyatta ran the first three furlongs in 36 and a half-mile in 48, according to Hollywood Park clocker Russell Hudak.
Zenyatta also worked six furlongs at Hollywood last Monday, going in 1:13.20.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rachel Alexandra sped things up a bit with her third straight Monday morning workout at Churchill Downs, going five furlongs in 1:00.40.
With Shaun Bridgmohan aboard at about 6:30 a.m. and over a fast track, the 2009 Horse of the Year went in splits of 12.20, 24.20, 36.20, 48.40, before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80 and seven furlongs in 1:26.60, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Ibboyee broke through with his first win of the year, and first victory against open company, in the for 3-year-olds on Sunday at Monmouth Park.
The second card of 50-day, $50 million meet was another rousing success at the betting windows. Following the over $9 million bet on Saturday's opener, total handle Sunday was $7,046,389 from all sources, an increase of 126 percent over last year. The crowd was 8,500.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park has cancelled racing on Wednesday because of a lack of entries, a decision partially influenced by the lack of racing on the same day at Golden Gate Fields, near San Francisco.
The decision to cancel Wednesday's scheduled eight-race program was made on Sunday, when entries for being taken for Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday, Golden Gate officials said they would not run on Wednesday because of insufficient entries.
WHO'S HOT
Alan Goldberg
With two wins at the meet, his name didn't appear in the standings to start the week. Yet, no trainer in the Northeast is hotter than this man, who had the Midas Touch with nine winners in May, including seven exacta finishers from eight starters from May 13-17.
The common threads with most of them were threefold: turf, layoffs, and extraordinary value.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia Jockeys Dave Wilson and Justin Jensen appear to be okay after being involved in a spill in the fifth race at Hastings Sunday. Jensen was shook up but alert in the jockeys quarters after the incident. Wilson reported some pain in his upper body and was taken to the Burnaby General hospital for observation.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Quick thinking by leading jockey Rafael Bejarano on U R All That I Am in Sunday's at Hollywood Park saved the race for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Bejarano guided U R All That I Am to a stalking position behind pacesetter Woman Warrior in the first turn of the one mile turf race. Hollendorfer thought the strategy helped U R All That I Am run past Woman Warrior in the stretch on her way to a comfortable 2 1/4-length win.
