ARCADIA, Calif. - Zardana showed a new dimension at Santa Anita in Monday's $64,100 Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile on turf. Instead of taking the lead, as she had in past races, she stalked pacesetter Bahama Mama to early stretch and held off a late threat from General Consensus to win by three-quarters of a length.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Zardana ($5.80) ran a mile on turf in 1:34.87. Bahama Mama held third in the field of six.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stunning Stag ($7.70) assumed command from favored You Don't Pass in the stretch before pulling away to register his first stakes win Monday in the $101,200 Mt. Sassafras at Woodbine.
You Don't Pass set a slow pace, while Delaforce and Stunning Stag both raced in a stalking position in the seven-furlong sprint. Stunning Stag was boxed in on the turn, but after finding room, he overtook You Don't Pass at the eighth pole, and went on to score by 2 1/2 lengths, in a time of 1:22.21.
Two-year-olds will have the chance to get rich quick at the Delta Downs meet that opens Wednesday night. The theme of the stakes schedule in November and December is six-figure races for juveniles.
There are the track's traditional Grade 3 offerings, the $750,000 Jackpot and the $500,000 Delta Princess; the preps for those races, the $175,000 Jean Lafitte and $125,000 My Trusty Cat; and a new pair of $250,000 stakes for Louisiana-breds, the Legacy and Jewel.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Magical Fantasy's scheduled start in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 6 will likely be her last for the three-man partnership that owns her and trainer Paddy Gallagher.
The winner of four consecutive graded stakes and a contender for the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding turf female, Magical Fantasy is scheduled to be sold at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 10.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The connections of the unbeaten Zenyatta, who raced to her 13th straight victory in the Lady's Secret Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting, said Monday they would wait as long as possible before determining which Breeders' Cup race she will run in. Zenyatta is the defending champion in the $2 million Ladies' Classic, which will be run this year on Nov. 6, but there is the very real possibility Zenyatta could take on males for the first time in the $5 million BC Classic on Nov. 7.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Legal Review held off 6-5 favorite Doctor Jack in the final strides to prevail in Monday's $126,200 Bull Page Stakes at Woodbine.
Foxley and It's Time Bear battled through honest fractions in the six-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds, while Legal Review assumed a stalking position near the rail under Patrick Husbands.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The European visitors are in the house for Saturday's Canadian International and E.P. Taylor Stakes.
Arriving en masse at 6:30 a.m. last Saturday were Buccellati and Allied Powers, both candidates for the Canadian International, plus E.P. Taylor hopefuls Rainbow View, Look Here, and Lahaleeb.
Jukebox Jury and Eastern Aria, both trained by Mark Johnston, checked in at 9 a.m. Sunday for their respective engagements in the Canadian International and E.P. Taylor.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fatal Bullet earned a return trip to the Breeders' Cup with his victory in last Friday's Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland for trainer Reade Baker.
And, after sweeping the 1 1/16-mile weekend stakes for 2-year-olds here with Bear Tough Guy and Biofuel, it appeared that Baker could have another pair of Breeders' Cup candidates.
Plans for Bear Tough Guy were on hold Monday, however, after the colt emerged from his Grey win with some filling in an ankle.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The nine graded stakes run on FallStars Weekend at Keeneland appear to have produced at least 16 starters for the Breeders' Cup, with another handful possible to run in the Nov. 6-7 races at Santa Anita.
Two of the more notable Breeders' Cup prospects are Informed Decision and Forever Together, the late-running grays from the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard. Both are headed for a brief freshening at Sheppard's Pennsylvania farm before returning to Keeneland to make final preparations for their respective Breeders' Cup races.
