HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer David Fawkes was hoping to use Sunday's $100,000 as a prep for the richer Sunshine Millions Turf here at Gulfstream Park later this month for Duke of Mischief. But after the Ft. Lauderdale came off the grass and Duke of Mischief rallied to a hard-fought neck decision over defending champion Kiss the Kid, Fawkes suddenly had a tougher choice on his hands.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Crisp, making only the third start of her career, made a successful jump from a maiden win to a stakes victory by rallying boldly on Sunday to capture the Grade 3, $100,000 for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Crisp ($9.20) got up in the final yards to beat Evening Jewel by one length, with Ellafitz another length back in third. Zilva, the 6-5 favorite, finished last in the field of five. Whispering Hush was scratched Sunday morning.
Indian Burn overcame a slow start by displaying a strong finishing kick to win Sunday's $65,000 for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths over Argent Affair at Aqueduct.
It was three-quarters of a length back to favored Funny Feeling in third. Wild News finished fourth, followed by E Z Passer and Milc Kids.
A pool of $99,084, the largest carryover in the eight months since Philadelphia Park began offering a pick six, awaits horseplayers on Sunday's card.
Track officials indicated that with additional money bet by those chasing the carryover, the pool could double.
The pick six sequence begins in the third race, scheduled for 1:12 p.m. Eastern. Each race in the sequence has at least nine betting interests, including the first two legs, divisions of a $7,500 claiming sprint for fillies and mares that drew full fields of 12.
Neko Bay gained a measure of revenge when he captured the on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, Neko Bay had been unable to handle Furthest Land when he finished sixth to that rival in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile here Nov. 7. A more patient trip got the job done here.
Under Mike Smith, Neko Bay sat midpack off solid splits, swung wide into the lane for the stretch drive, and proved most powerful in the lane, eventually drawing clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Sneaking Uponyou took the lead right from the start, then turned back a determined bid from Conchacer through the stretch to come away with a hard-earned neck victory in the 26th running of the at Tampa Bay Downs. The win came in front of 2,356 frigid ontrack fans on an afternoon that featured cloudy skies and record-breaking low temperatures.
Under a strong ride by Daniel Centeno, Sneaking Uponyou covered the six furlongs over a "fast" but somewhat dull racing strip in a very creditable 1:11.21 to post his fourth win from 11 career starts.
Sweet Goodbye got her year off to a winning start at on Saturday, coming from just off the pace to register a one-length victory in the $62,600 What a Summer Stakes at Laurel. In the process, she likely earned herself a start in next month's Barbara Fritchie Handicap there.
Proud Heiress successfully defended her championship Saturday in the $50,000 Wishing Well Stakes when driving to a half-length victory at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
With Rodney Prescott riding for owner Michael Cavey and trainer Wayne Mogge, Proud Heiress rallied wide while carried out by the pacesetter and eventual runner-up, Mindy Queen. Now a winner in 4 of 15 starts, she returned $6.60 after completing six furlongs in 1:11.96 over Polytrack. Rinterval was third in a field of nine fillies and mares.
NEW ORLEANS - Hallway just managed to hold off a late charge by odds-on favorite Desert Wheat to win the by a nose on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
After racing in fifth for most of the race, jockey Shaun Bridgmohan took Hallway forward at the top of the stretch, splitting horses mid-stretch to take the lead. Desert Wheat made a late charge, as he switched leads far into the stretch.
"My horse dug in and gave me a surge at the end," said Bridgmohan. "He's a horse that tries really hard."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Custom for Carlos, who has shown flashes of brilliance at times during his still-young career, turned in another of his top efforts on Saturday, posting a three-quarter-length victory over a determined Past the Point in the at Gulfstream Park.
The Grade 3 Mr. Prospector lost some of its luster after trainer Todd Pletcher scratched Munnings earlier in the afternoon because of the sloppy racetrack. Munnings was one of four horses scratched from the race, along with Prince Joshua, Gentleman James, and Peace Chant.
