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."
MIAMI - Trainer Kathleen O'Connell thought enough of her promising 2-year-old Fly by Phil that she planned to run him against the mighty Jackson Bend in the In Reality division of the Florida Stallion Stakes off his maiden win. Unfortunately, she never got that opportunity after Fly by Phil suffered a minor foot injury training up to the final leg of the Stallion series.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Good Reason SA proved Friday that experience is not necessary to win the nation's richest Quarter Horse race.
Making his fourth career start, Good Reason SA ($49) had a clean trip in a somewhat messy race to win Friday's Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.
Ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, Good Reason SA led throughout the 400 yards, winning by a neck over even-money favorite Apollitical Jess, the fastest qualifier to the Los Alamitos Two Million. Fovee, a 20-1 outsider, finished third in the field of 10, a nose behind Apollitical Jess.
Lost in the glare of the record-setting season that trainer Steve Asmussen has had at the Remington Park meet that closes Monday were the strong performances of trainers John Locke and Chris Hartman.
Both will now head to different regions. Locke will look to continue what has been one of the best years of his career at Delta Downs and Sam Houston Race Park. Hartman, meanwhile, is heading to New Mexico to chase his fourth consecutive title at Sunland Park.
Lava Man was officially scratched from Saturday's $150,000 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park on race morning because of track condition, trainer Doug O'Neill said.
The 8-year-old gelding, unraced since July 2008, will be pointed for the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 27.
O'Neill said on Friday that he would scratch Lava Man from the Native Diver because of rain that day and expected rain early Saturday. Rain fell until late morning on Saturday and was expected to continue through the afternoon.
