Northern California racing returns to its roots Wednesday when the San Joaquin County Fair opens the racing season in Stockton with a revised schedule.
Date switches have taken place, and racing at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo, once referred to the Biggest Little Fair in California, will not be offered.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Carolyn Costigan has always had the highest regard for Roan Inish. The filly's owner/breeder Bob Costigan had faith in his daughter's judgment.
And, Roan Inish justified those good opinions with a game head victory under jockey David Moran in Sunday's 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
"I was very confident in her competitiveness and in her ability to go the distance," said Carolyn Costigan. "I thought the race would shape up the way I needed it to, and I thought I had a fit horse."
American Runaway became the lone horse eligible for a $4 million bonus tied to Ruidoso Downs's three major futurities for Quarter Horses after he rolled to a 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity on Sunday.
To collect the bonus, American Runaway will now have to win both the Rainbow Futurity on July 25 and the All American Futurity on Sept. 6.
Rachel Alexandra emerged from her easy victory in the Fleur de Lis Handicap in good shape, while the connections of the 2009 Horse of the Year mull her next start en route to their stated long-term goal, the Nov. 5-6 Breeders Cup at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Calvin Borel, Rachel Alexandra won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on Saturday at Churchill by 10 1/2 lengths, her first victory after starting the season with back-to-back losses.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Mike Smith had been in this situation too many times in the past to panic. Zenyatta ran past the eighth pole of Sunday's $250,000 at Hollywood Park, seeking to extend her unbeaten streak to 17 races, but still trailed St Trinians by 2 1/2 lengths.
"I turned for home and I said, 'I got it easy,' " Smith said.
Then, Smith realized that the thought went through his mind too soon. St Trinians was not stopping. But St Trinians is no Zenyatta.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Starfish Bay broke the track record for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf as she romped in the $102,000 for fillies and mares on Sunday at Monmouth Park.
She zipped home in 1:00.76. Smart Enough held the old mark of 1:00.81, set on June 2, 2007.
Starfish Bay and jockey John Velazquez bounded right to the front from the inside post, and the race was over. The 4-year-old Starfish Bay ($3.80), trained by Todd Pletcher, was never threatened, scooping up her sixth win in 12 starts.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Roan Inish punched her ticket to the $1 million Queen's Plate with a gritty victory over 24-1 shot Moment of Majesty and 2-5 favorite Embur's Song in Sunday's $501,200 .
Embur's Song went right to the front, and was rank in the early going while setting quick fractions under Garret Gomez in the nine-furlong race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
LINCOLN, Neb. - Bach's Homebrew registered his second straight stakes win with a hard-earned three-quarter-length victory over his entrymate, Bingosablumin, in the $20,600 Lincoln Breeders' Special at Lincoln Race Course on Saturday afternoon.
Indiana Downs canceled the remainder of its 13-race card after the sixth race Saturday night, due to a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Indianapolis area.
The $70,000 Snack Stakes will be rescheduled, but no new date has yet been announced.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Classic Cascade ($32.20), the second longest shot in Saturday night's $50,000 Acclaim Stakes at Evangeline Downs, kicked clear in the final stages of the seven-furlong race for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds to record his first stakes victory.
Mr. Wildee, the early pacesetter, finished 3 1/4 lengths back in second, followed by Smitty's Moonshine. Canon Man, the 6-5 favorite, tired late and finished sixth in a field of seven.
