OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Buddy's Saint stamped himself as a legitimate contender for next year's Kentucky Derby with a stylish-looking 4 3/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 at Aqueduct.
Peppi Knows rallied to be second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Citrus Kid. He was followed in the order of finish by Fudge Truffle, Homeboykris, and Grand Rapport.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Kodiak Kowboy threw his hat in the ring to be considered champion sprinter by running down Bribon to win Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000
by three-quarters of a length at Aqueduct. It was a head back to Vineyard Haven in third.
The victory was the third Grade 1 of the year for Kodiak Kowboy and his fourth stakes win this season. He has twice defeated Fabulous Strike, considered by many to be the top dirt sprinter in North America.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dale Romans was denied his first Golden Rod Stakes when he sent out Sara Louise to a runner-up finish to Rachel Alexandra last year. There was no denying Romans this year, as Sassy Image, getting a perfect trip under Robby Albarado, glided to a 3 3/4-length score Saturday on the "Stars of Tomorrow" program that closed the 21-day Churchill Downs fall meet.
"This was a nice one," said Romans, who trains Sassy Image for his older brother, Jerry Romans Jr. "Especially with the family ties and all."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After months of high expectations, Fluke gave a career-best performance in Friday's Grade 1 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, confirming his status as a turf miler to follow in 2010.
Since winning his second start in the United States last March, in a one-mile optional claimer on turf at Santa Anita, the Brazilian-bred Fluke seemed like a 4-year-old colt who would play a role in major stakes.
Pleasant Storm and Shotgun Gulch are both being considered for 3-year-old stakes at Oaklawn this coming year following their sharp stakes wins last weekend at Remington Park.
Pleasant Storm remained undefeated in two starts when he closed from 10th to win the $60,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Nov. 22. He covered six furlongs in 1:10.80, one start after winning a maiden special weight at the same trip Oct. 17. Both races were at a distance less than optimum for Pleasant Storm.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - At the Disco led all the way Friday night, beating Dubai Gold by two lengths in the $80,000 Alysheba Stakes at the Meadowlands.
The 1 1/16-mile Alysheba was the final stakes of the meet that concludes Dec. 5.
It was also the final race of season for At the Disco ($23.60), who got his third win this year - all in stakes.
The previous two came against New Jersey-breds at Monmouth Park in the Bernie Dowd and Lincroft handicaps.
A shorter distance and a drop into restricted company helped Listen In capture her first career stakes win in Friday night's $75,000 Blue Mountain Stakes at Penn National.
Shortening up to six furlongs after an unsuccessful experiment going long, Listen In ($5.60) also got some class relief by facing Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old fillies for he first time. Ridden by Joe Rocco Jr. for trainer Joe Kasperski, Listen In stalked the pace set by Red Bandera, took command in the stretch drive, and scored by four lengths while completing the distance on a track rated good in 1:12.46.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Fluke's win in Friday's at Hollywood Park was a milestone that trainer Humberto Ascanio would have gladly postponed indefinitely.
The Grade 1 race was Ascanio's first stakes win since the death of his boss, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, from a lengthy illness on Nov. 16. Ascanio has taken over Frankel's 22-horse stable at Hollywood Park, and Fluke and Proudinsky, who finished fourth in the Citation, were the stable's first stakes starters since then.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Three-year-olds got the best of their elders in dramatic fashion Friday when Blame, ridden by Jamie Theriot, beat Misremembered by a neck in the 135th running of the at Churchill Downs.
Blame, bred and owned by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, returned $10.80 as second choice after finishing the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:49.39. Misremembered and fourth-place finisher Giant Oak were the only other 3-year-olds in the field.
