INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Gallant Son may have found a permanent home on turf after his emphatic win in Sunday's at Hollywood Park.
After losing six consecutive races from April 2009 until earlier this month, including five on synthetic tracks, Gallant Son won the Inglewood by 1 3/4 lengths over Quindici Man. Glowing Praise finished third in the field of nine.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Essence Hit Man ($16.10) won his first stakes in rapid time Sunday at Woodbine, nearly setting a record in winning the 112th running of .
Jockey Chantal Sutherland let Essence Hit Man roll from the start, and he set fractions of 22.33 and 44.91 seconds in the six-furlong sprint. After holding a three-length lead at the eighth pole, he began to tire but managed to prevail by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:08.66, .35 seconds off the Polytrack record.
Mambo Meister returned to his favorite track and the winner's circle Sunday, when he rallied to a head victory over Pinckney Hill in the Grade 3, $100,000 Miami Mile Handicap at Calder. The Miami Mile highlighted the opening day program of Calder's 2010 racing season.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Zenyatta will make her next start in the Grade 1, $250,000 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 13, trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday.
The Vanity is run over 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic main track and is considered the championship race of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting.
"It's a logical choice," Shirreffs said.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Chicks A Flyin defeated six rivals to win the $60,000 Golden Circle, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds Saturday that closed out the stakes offerings on Prairie Meadows's opening weekend.
Chicks A Flyin stalked maiden KB's Reality through the half in slow fractions of 22.40,46.29, and 58.36. Glen Murphy urged his mount closer on the turn, and Chicks A Flyin outdueled 4-5 favorite Backtrack to win by 1 3/4 lengths. The winning time was 1:10.83 over the sealed sloppy track.
Blue Sailor set a track record and foiled stablemate Hesa Big Star's bid for a three-peat in Saturday's closing-day feature at Atlantic City Race Course.
Making his first start since early September, the 6-year-old Blue Sailor ($4.60) cruised to a three-length victory in the $51,800 Tony Gatto Dream Big Stakes, running the five furlongs on firm turf in 55.27 seconds.
The old track record of 55.86 seconds was set by Hostility on May 13, 2004.
It was the 13th win in 35 lifetime starts for Blue Sailor, who was ridden by Harry Vega for trainer Howard Wolfendale.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rain on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs forced trainer Todd Pletcher to adjust some of the final training for his prospective starters for next Saturday's 136th Kentucky Derby, but he won't mind at all if it pays off, and those April showers bring May flowers.
