VANCOUVER, B.C. - Despite being in obvious pain, jockey Mario Gutierrez gave Holy Nova a perfect ride to win the Grade 3, $124,575 Ballerina at Hastings Saturday.
Gutierrez hit the ground hard when he came off of Nite Time News in the first race and then took off all of his other mounts before guiding Holy Nova to a one-length win over odds-on favorite La Rocca.
NEW BOSTON, Mich. -- The favored Top Touch won the Michigan Juvenile Fillies while Sahmmy Falls posted a major upset in the Michigan Futurity in the final stakes races of the 2009 season at Pinnacle Race Course on Saturday. Both $50,000 races were contested at a mile. The meet concludes on Monday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Gotta Have Her needed a few warm-up seasons to figure out racing.
"She's got a ton of raw talent," trainer Jenine Sahadi said. "It's been a project to get her to settle down. She's been a bit of a slow learner."
Gotta Have Her has made it worth Sahadi's wait. The 5-year-old Gotta Have Her won her third stakes of 2009, and second consecutive added-money event in Saturday's $100,000 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meet.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The blue-blooded Champs Elysees made quite a splash in his final career start Saturday at Woodbine, capturing the over the sharp European shipper Jukebox Jury.
Favored Champs Elysees ($7.20) got a patient ride from Garrett Gomez, who had him racing eight lengths off a moderate pace on the backstretch of the 1 1/2-mile, Grade 1 turf race.
MIAMI - Jackson Bend proved he is not only one of the top 2-year-old prospects in the country but that he can overcome adversity as well, picking himself up after stumbling badly leaving the starting gate to register a 2 3/4-length victory over Thank U Philippe in Saturday's $400,000
at Calder.
By winning the In Reality, Jackson Bend became the seventh 2-year-old to sweep the open division of the Florida Stallion series.
FAR HILLS, N.J. - Irish import Your Sum Man, making his first American start, upset the $250,000 Grand National hurdle stakes at the Far Hills races Saturday - further clouding an already murky steeplechase championship picture.
Owned by The Fields Stable - of locals Betty and Laddie Merck - the winner relished the yielding turf and took control in the final stages to win by 3 3/4 lengths over fellow Irish-bred General Ledger with Tax Ruling third.
Ridden by Ross Geraghty, the 7-year-old son of Pistolet Bleu covered the 2 5/8 miles in 5:39.80.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lahaleeb, the longest shot a field of eight fillies and mares, burst onto the scene in midstretch and drew off for a 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $1,001,200
here at Woodbine.
Lahaleeb, one of three 3-year-old fillies in the field along with Rainbow View and Eastern Aria, returned $90.70, the highest winning payoff in the 54-year history of the E.P. Taylor.
Ridden by William Buick, Lahaleeb tracked a slow early pace contested by Roses 'n' Wine and Treat Gently while racing sixth into the far turn.
MIAMI - In 1992, the homebred Boots 'n Jackie gave trainer Manny Tortora his first victory in the My Dear Girl Stakes. Seventeen years later, the Tortora family did it again after Sweetlalabye withstood even-money favorite Joanie's Catch before edging away to a three-length victory in the , the final leg of the filly division of the Florida Stallion series, on Saturday at Calder.
