HENDERSON, Ky. - In a race with plenty of speed, Whirlie Bertie proved fastest of the fast Saturday when giving 54-year-old jockey Larry Melancon his third victory in the 28th running of the Grade 3, , the annual showcase at Ellis Park.
"Easy game, huh, Steve?" a grinning Melancon asked trainer Steve Margolis when returning to the winner's circle following the 3 1/2-length, front-running score.
"You just played cat-and-mouse with them," replied Margolis.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Just Jenda powered to a 4 1/4 length victory over the pacesetting Malibu Prayer Saturday in the at Monmouth Park.
The 3-5 favorite following her dominant victory here in the Serena's Song Stakes on July 19, Just Jenda benefited from the trip negotiated by Gabriel Saez. Just Jenda rated behind the speed while racing between horses. Angling three wide turning for home, Just Jenda surged clear and improved to 2 for 2 at Monmouth.
Ginger Brew, last year's Woodbine Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly in Canada, turned back two challenges in her determined score in Saturday's $110,300 Belle Mahone Stakes at Woodbine.
Ginger Brew ($5.30) went right to the front in the 1 1/16-mile race, and set slow fractions while being pressed by Smart Surprise, the even-money favorite.
DEL MAR, Calif. - M One Rifle won his stakes debut in Friday's $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for statebred sprinters, the sort of races that are firmly in trainer Bruce Headley's plans for the gelding this fall.
Saturday, Headley said that M One Rifle is a candidate for the $100,000 California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 3.
"Once I get him in a sprinting mode, I'm not one to experiment," Headley said.
Friday, M One Rifle used his speed on a track that favored such horses to win the Real Good Deal.
ALTOONA, Iowa Don ttalktome, the starlet of Judi Hicklin's locally-based stable, returned to form Friday evening when defeating her elders in the $50,000 Iowa State Fair Stakes. Returning to six furlongs after tiring last out in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks, Don ttalktome stalked Daguerreotype s pace, pounced at the furlong marker, and did well to fend off 3-2 favorite Nursery Rhyme s rally by three-quarters of a length.
DEL MAR, Calif. - M One Rifle used his speed on a track that favored such horses to win Friday's $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar.
Ridden by Mike Smith, M One Rifle ($5.40) led from the start, set fractions of 22.72 and 45.64 seconds and was never bothered, winning by 3 1/2 lengths over Korban. J P Jammer was third in the field of nine 3-year-old statebreds. M One Rifle was timed in 1:22.32.
Delta Downs in Vinton, La., has added a new twist to the purse structure for its two biggest races, the Grade 3, $750,000 Delta Jackpot and the Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Princess. If a Grade 1 or Grade 2 winner is entered in either race, that horse will be running for an additional $250,000 in purse money.
The incentive was announced Friday night, along with the track's entire 34-race, $4.4 million stakes schedule. Delta will open its 90-date meet on Oct. 14. The season will run through March 20.
MIAMI - Mach Ride hasn't won a race in more than two years nor run at all in nearly 19 months, but the former Grade 2 winner still figures to be the public's choice when he makes his much-anticipated return in Sunday's $34,000 allowance feature at Calder.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Three years ago, trainer Bill Mott won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes with the promising After Market. Four months later, owner Marty Wygod moved the horse to California and Mott was out of the picture.
Fast forward to Friday and Mott a 1998 Hall of Fame inductee wins the Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga with Courageous Cat, a full brother to After Market. This time, Mott will not let the horse out of his sight.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mike DePaulo will be looking for a couple of wake-up efforts here Sunday when he sends out both Tenjectory and Krz Exec for the $125,000 Victoriana.
Authenicat, trained by Josie Carroll, will be favored for the Victoriana, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares that attracted a field of nine.
DePaulo can take heart in the fact that Tenjectory defeated Authenicat in that one's only previous start on turf, which came in last year's La Prevoyante over one mile on yielding going.
