OLDSMAR, Fla. - The training race at the 2009-2010 Tampa Bay Downs meeting came down to the final day, and both Kathleen O'Connell and Jamie Ness captured a race on the final program to wind up tied for the top spot with 51 victories each at the meeting.
O'Connell, who had a total of nine runners entered in seven races, won the sixth race with Lacy's Tune ($4.60), but Ness won with his only starter on the card, capturing the eighth with Friendly Selection ($12.40).
GRAND ISLE, Neb. - Gracie Jane got her biggest career win as she rallied clear in the stretch to score by 2 1/4 lengths in the $26,800 Al Swihart Memorial Stakes on Saturday evening at Fonner Park.
Gracie Jane settled off a hotly contested pace set by 8-5 favorite Miss Missile and local speedster Noble Bandit among others. With Jordan Olesiak riding, Gracie Jane challenged outside Noble Bandit into the far turn of the 6 1/2-furlong race and then dueled that rival into defeat through the final sixteenth of a mile to gain her first career stakes win for trainer Jim Cranwell.
Borrowing a page from Calvin Borel's playbook, Gerard Melancon saved ground throughout before rallying up the rail with Seeking Ms Shelley to capture the $50,000 Tellike Stakes on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. Elle a Gent finished 4 1/2 lengths back in second, followed Flawless Gold, last year's winner of the Tellike.
Jockey Nena Matz swept both stakes at Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa on Saturday, when she guided Miranda Diane and Fifth Date to front-running wins in the slop.
Miranda Diane ($4.60) romped by 5 3/4 lengths in the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller, a race she also won last year. She covered six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:09.73. Shane Seaton trains Miranda Diane for B&S Racing.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - From his seat aboard Dean's Kitten in the back of the pack in Saturday's Kentucky Derby at sloppy Churchill Downs, jockey Robby Albarado said he made a point to find where Calvin Borel was in the race aboard Super Saver.
Seeing Borel in fifth position along the inside and moving fluidly aboard Super Saver, Albarado had a sense the race was over at the half-mile pole.
"I said he's going to get to the fence," Albarado said. "He's going to win."
Again.
The following is the complete order of finish of Saturday's Kentucky Derby with margins.
1. Super Saver (2 1/2 lengths)
2. Ice Box (neck)
3. Paddy O' Prado (2)
4. Make Music for Me (1 1/4)
5. Noble's Promise (1)
6. Lookin at Lucky (1/2)
7. Dublin (1 1/4)
8. Stately Victor (2)
9. Mission Impazible (1 1/4)
10. Devil May Care (6 3/4)
11. American Lion (neck)
12. Jackson Bend (6 1/2)
13. Discreetly Mine (3 1/4)
14. Dean's Kitten (14 1/2)
15. Conveyance (10 1/2)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The week had been emotionally draining for both trainer Todd Pletcher and the WinStar Farm of Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt. Both had multiple entries for the 136th on Saturday at Churchill Downs, but went to battle with less ammunition than they first envisioned.
For Pletcher, he had to withdraw the race's acknowledged favorite, Eskendereya, last weekend because of swelling in the colt's left front leg. Pletcher still had four runners, but not the one he thought he needed most.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Medaglia d'Amour has gone from a maiden winner to a graded stakes winner in three months this year.
Making her stakes debut in Saturday's at Hollywood Park, Medaglia d'Amour had an ideal trip under jockey Alonzo Quinonez in a performance that bettors predicted. Medaglia d'Amour was the 3-1 second choice despite being listed at 15-1 on the morning line.
Taking full advantage of a paceless field, Dynaslew controlled slow fractions from the get-go under Eibar Coa and sprinted home to win Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 at Belmont Park.
Making her graded stakes debut, and second start for trainer Seth Benzel after an allowance win at Gulfstream Park to start her 4-year-old campaign, Dynaslew broke alertly from post 6 and moved inside through an easy first quarter in 25.87 seconds.
The Fortune 6 at Beulah Park, which attracted a pool of more than $1 million, paid $3,750.40 for each of the 262 winning 25-cent tickets on Saturday. With a mandatory payout on the last day of the meet, the Fortune 6 attracted $704,000 in bets on Saturday on top of a $445,000 carryover.
Normally, the Fortune 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single winner. But because the sale of the track to Penn National Gaming is pending, management decided to have a mandatory payout on closing day.
