BALTIMORE - Five years ago, Martin Garcia, recently arrived from his native Mexico, was working in a deli in Northern California near Pleasanton racetrack when a patron walked in and asked him, based on his size, if he had ever thought of being a jockey.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Even with four scratches in the male division of the on Saturday at Arlington, there appeared to be three solid early-speed horses still running. Proceed Bee was not one of them, but he was the one who wired the race, posting a half-length victory over late-closing Princeville Condo in the $100,000 Owners Stakes.
Miranda Diane improved her record at Will Rogers Downs to 7 for 8 on Saturday, when she splashed to a six-length win in the $57,500 Cherokee Casino Classic. The race was one of two six-furlong stakes restricted to horses bred in Oklahoma on the card.
Miranda Diane ($3.40) was pressured through an opening quarter in 22.27 seconds, then began to move clear of her rivals on the final turn. She opened up on the field in the stretch, while covering the distance in the mud in 1:08.91.
Nena Matz was aboard for B and S Racing and trainer Shane Seaton.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Like most trainers, Steve Asmussen has a superior record with active runners than with those returning from long layoffs. More often than not, his comebackers are far more likely to be ready for a peak performance second time off the bench.
All of which makes the winning performance of Thiskyhasnolimit in Saturday's at Churchill Downs noteworthy, particularly with regard to what could lie ahead.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Acclamation had the easiest race of his career in Saturday's $150,000 at Hollywood Park, and the most important victory of his career.
Allowed to set an easy pace in the first half of the Grade 2 race over 1 1/2 miles on turf, Acclamation ($31) was never challenged and held his advantage to win by 7 1/2 lengths, the first stakes win in his 18th career start.
Correct Call was the correct call in the $50,000 Tomboy at River Downs on Saturday afternoon.
Jockey Justin Shepherd kept the 3-year-old Correct Call ($5.60) back early in the field of nine Ohio-bred fillies before angling her out on the far turn. For a brief moment, it looked as though Correct Call was in trouble when Shepherd steadied his mount entering the stretch. But Shepherd angled Correct Call out of trouble and went to work and his mount responded, closing with a rush to draw off and win by three widening lengths.
ALBANY, Calif. - Hudson Landing ($7.60) notched his third straight victory Saturday by winning the $60,000 Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Hudson Landing sat off the pace, avoiding early trouble in the 1 1/16-mile turf race. He made a strong move while moving three wide on the second turn and put his head in front at the eighth pole.
The two Grade 1 winners in Saturday's $147,000 finished first and second, but not in the order most bettors thought they would, as Funny Moon posted a decisive victory by 2 3/4 lengths over defending titlist Seattle Smooth in the Grade 2 race for fillies and mares at Belmont Park.
Funny Moon rose to prominence winning the Coaching Club American Oaks last year for trainer Christophe Clement, and had shown surprising early speed to begin her 4-year-old campaign in the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Essence Hit Man ($12) romped in the at Woodbine on Saturday, scoring in rapid time in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds.
Essence Hit Man set moderate fractions of 23.38 seconds and 45.38 under Chantal Sutherland, before drawing away in the final furlong to prevail by six lengths in a final time of 1:20.94.
Ghost Fleet outran D's Wando for third in the six-horse field. Heavily favored Hollinger, the previously unbeaten Canadian champion 2-year-old from last year, was a fading fourth in his first start of the year.
