ARCADIA, Calif. - Regardless of whether time is measured in decades or years, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been waiting for a horse like Misremembered and a race such as Saturday's $750,000 for a long time.
Baffert bred Misremembered, who is owned by his wife, Jill, and good friend, George Jacobs. Saturday, Misremembered gave the star trainer his biggest win as a breeder in the Big Cap, the second time he has won Santa Anita's signature race for older horses.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The decision to keep Crisp near the front throughout Saturday s $250,000 gave the filly her first win in a Grade 1 race, and led to an upset of division leader Blind Luck.
Crisp ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.50, outfinishing pacesetter All Due Respect by a neck. Blind Luck, the 2-5 favorite, closed from last on the backstretch to finish a neck behind All Due Respect.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano rode Blind Luck and was critical of his ride in the stretch, when he guided his mount toward the rail instead of trying to rally to the outside between fading rivals.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Win Willy removed blinkers for Saturday's and turned in a sterling, come-from-behind performance to win the Oaklawn Park stakes by 3 3/4 lengths. Spotsgone finished second after setting the pace, and it was another length back in third to favorite Gone Astray.
Rinterval turned back all comers, the last one being favored Danzon, when posting the first stakes victory of her career Saturday in the $50,000 Wintergreen Stakes at Turfway Park.
Trainer Eric Reed had promised before the one-mile race that Ben Creed, who was riding without his usual five-pound apprentice allowance because of the stakes conditions, would permit Rinterval to run freely early.
The third time proved to be the charm for the 3-year-old filly Jim's Prospect in her rivalry with Gator Prowl.
Beaten by a head and 1 3/4 lengths by Gator Prowl in a pair of six-furlong sprints earlier this winter, Jim's Prospect turned the tables with the help of an extra furlong in Saturday's $70,000 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park.
Ridden by Vladimir Diaz for trainer John Secor, Jim's Prospect ($9) rallied from far back and outbattled That's How I Roll by a head as pacesetter Gator Prowl faded to third as the 8-5 favorite, ending her three-race winning streak.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Bold Start went right to the front at the start of the $65,000 Challenger Stakes and took advantage of a very speed-favoring racing strip to set a track record Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
Bold Start ($10.80), trained by Ken McPeek, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.83, breaking the track record of 1:43.11 set by Street Sense in the 2007 Tampa Bay Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Machowsky has seen enough.
After Caracortado worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, or six furlongs in 1:12 by Machowsky's watch, on Friday the trainer pronounced the undefeated 3-year-old ready for the $150,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita this Saturday.
"I'll just gallop him the rest of the week," Machowsky said. "Everything is good."
Finger Lakes will retain the same stakes schedule as last season when it opens for its 49th season on April 16.
The track in western New York will offer 17 stakes worth a collective $1.2 million, identical to 2009.
As usual, the highlights will be the $200,000 New York Breeders' Futurity for statebred 2-year-olds on Oct. 2 and the 38th running of the $150,000 New York Derby on July 17.
NEW ORLEANS - Rachel Alexandra schooled in the Fair Grounds paddock on Saturday, arriving with the entrants for the seventh race, and remaining during and after the seventh race was run.
She appeared calm as she was led around the paddock by Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen.
Steve Asmussen watched the schooling, and stood with Rachel Alexandra in the saddling stalls into which she was led at varying times.
"She was relaxed for her not having run in six months," said Asmussen.
