INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A day after being privately acquired by Frank Stronach, Mast Track ended a nine-race losing streak in Saturday's $100,000 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park.
The winner of the 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup, Mast Track used his customary front-running style to win the by 1 1/2 lengths. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Mast Track ($8.20) ran 1 1/8 miles on the main track in 1:50.53.
"When he gets the lead, he gets real brave," trainer Humberto Ascanio said. "Rafael did a good job."
NEW ORLEANS - Fair Grounds was forced to cancel the last four stakes races of its Louisiana Champions Day card Saturday as heavy rains washed away a section of the track and made racing impossible.
After an afternoon of drizzle, lightening, and then torrential rains, the horses were saddled in the paddock and awaiting the ninth race, the $100,000 Champions Day Turf, when the decision to halt the card was made.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Six months ago, Rodman ran in a $35,000 claiming race. In two months, he may be running in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap.
Rodman possibly punched his ticket to the $500,000 Donn at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 6 with a dominant, front-running 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday's at Aqueduct. Researcher, the defending Queens County champion, was second by a head over longshot More Than a Reason.
Sourdough Sam ($4), second in his stakes debut while suffering the first loss of his career in his previous start, handled his first try around two turns, edging clear of stakes winner Our Minesweeper in the lane to win Saturday's $61,400 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Sourdough Sam, who usually has to make a big late move when sprinting, had a perfect stalking position in the one-mile Gold Rush, sitting third early behind pacesetting Swiss Memo. He made a strong four-wide move on the second turn as he and Our Minesweeper closed ground on the leader.
Saturday's $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park didn't come down to speed or trip. It was all about class and effectiveness over Polytrack, the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.
Timeless Fashion, the only stakes winner in the field over Polytrack, proved successful in stakes company once again, settling in fourth off the early pace set by 16-1 longshot Omaggio before taking command and inching away to a 1 1/4-length victory over that pacesetting rival.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Trainer Rusty Hellman hoped that Devient Behavior would relax more in his second start around two turns than the horse had in his first try running long. That didn't happen -- and it didn't matter. Rank early and tugging ceaselessly, Devient Behavior still was able to win the $106,475 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity by 2 1/4 lengths over onrushing Sheltowee.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Taking the lead from the start, Taletobetold raced Charlie Papa into defeat after three furlongs, opened a daylight lead with a furlong remaining, and then had enough left to turn back the late challlenge of favored Easy Ashley to score a hard-earned half-length win in the $65,000 Lightning City Stakes as Tampa Bay Downs kicked off its 2009-2010 racing season.
Under a strong ride by Tony Farina, who was posting his second win on the 11-race program, Talebetold covered the five furlongs over a turf course listed as "good" in 58.19 seconds and returned $16.80.
Our Commander stretched his winning streak to three and earned his first stakes victory when running down Not Abroad in the final 70 yards of Saturday's $50,000 Maryland Juvenile Championship Stakes for registered Maryland-breds at Laurel Park.
Apparently Stable H.M.A. and trainer Ed Kereluck knew what they were doing when they plunked down $20,000 to claim Tie Rod on Nov. 17. The 5-year-old gelding, a stakes winner at 3, recaptured some of his former luster, posting a mild upset in Saturday's $50,000 Hank Mills Sr. Handicap at Turf Paradise.
Even a handicap could not stop Superior Storm from winning the for the second year in a row.
Racing over a sloppy track for which she does not care, Superior Storm stalked the pace of Miss Bean Wah, took over at the quarter pole, and went on to a 1 1/2-length victory. Vickies in Town, a 56-1 longshot, finished second, with Hisse rallying for third.
"Her class showed up," said trainer Richard Jackson. "I don't think she handled this off going as well as we'd have liked."
