ARCADIA, Calif. - It was not as flashy as the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap back in July, but the objective was achieved with Presious Passion in Sunday's $300,000 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita.
The quirky 6-year-old gelding led throughout the Grade 1 race to record his fourth stakes win of the year and move closer to a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf here on Nov. 7.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A quarter-mile move that took Gayego from the back of the field to the lead in Sunday's $300,000 Ancient Title Stakes at Santa Anita was enough to assure the 4-year-old a berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Gayego passed the quarter-pole trailing by five lengths and won the Grade 1 Ancient Title by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths. The margin that Gayego needed to find in the stretch did not concern trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
"No problem," Suroor said. "He's always had a good turn of foot. He handled the surface really well."
LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was all going to be so fitting. Juddmonte Farms sponsored the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, and there came the Juddmonte homebred Proviso, making her North American debut Sunday, racing to the eighth pole with a clear lead in the .
And then Proviso turned right.
In so doing, she cut off the surging run of Mushka, and after a relatively short review of the stretch action, Keeneland stewards disqualified Proviso to second, placing Mushka first.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Interactif won, and he is most definitely in.
But not only did Interactif win the on Sunday at Keeneland, guaranteeing himself a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Win and You're In program, he also looked much like the horse to beat in the third edition of the BC Juvenile Turf with an overpowering victory in the Bourbon.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The imposing Bear Tough Guy probably punched his ticket to next month's Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a victory in the 99th running of the at Woodbine on Sunday.
Bear Tough Guy raced in fourth on the outside until the far turn, while longshot Ring My Surprise set slow fractions in the 1 1/16-mile route. Bear Tough Guy loomed into contention on the far turn, and then held off a game Korvette Kid in the final furlong to prevail by a neck, in a time of 1:45.34.
Girolamo passed his first significant test and gave his connections something to think about after winning Sunday's for 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park.
Girolamo overcame a staggered start to stalk the pace while racing wide down the backstretch under Alan Garcia. He confronted the multiple graded stakes winner Kensei turning for home, put him away at the sixteenth pole, then held the late-running Burley's Gold at bay for the victory. Burley's Gold finished second by 2 3/4 lengths over Kensei. Denver and Pitched Perfectly completed the order of finish.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It is a performance that trainer John Shirreffs and thousands of others never tire of watching - Zenyatta running through the stretch.
Saturday at Santa Anita, Zenyatta, the champion older female of 2008, extended her unbeaten streak to 13 with a comprehensive win in the $299,000 Lady's Secret Stakes over 1 1/16 miles. She won by 1 1/4 lengths over Lethal Heat, but the margin was somewhat deceptive. Jockey Mike Smith hand-rode Zenyatta to the wire in 1:42.89.
First Klas Fred recaptured his best form Sunday when he edged All American Futurity winner Runnning Brook Gal by a neck in the Grade 3, $302,440 Hobbs America Quarter Horse Futurity at Zia Park. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Fedricka.
First Klas Fred, the winner of the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity in June who was third in his trial for the Hobbs, paid $26.40. He covered 400 yards on a track rated fast in 19.17 seconds. G.R. Carter Jr. rode the winner for Denis and Julie Schoenhofer and trainer Michael Joiner.
The win streak Fiddlers Afleet is building keeps getting more significant. It began in the New York-bred ranks back in July and extended to open company on Sunday when he held off a charging Massone to win the by a half-length. It was the third consecutive win for Fiddlers Afleet, who had taken an allowance at Belmont Park in July and the $150,000 Albany at Saratoga in August prior to his trip to Remington Park.
Freaky emphasized his status as the nation's leading older Quarter Horse with an easy win in Saturday's $150,000 Los Alamitos Championship, his fourth consecutive victory.
A 4-year-old gelding, Freaky won the 440-yard Grade 1 race by 1 1/4 lengths over A Mere Splash. Ridden by Francisco Rubio, Freaky ($3.60) led from the start and was three-quarters of a length in front after 100 yards.
