Sun, 08/30/2009 - 00:00

Gold Cup likely for Summer Bird

Justin N. Lane
Summer Bird and jockey Kent Desormeaux win the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Summer Bird came out of his victory in Saturday's $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes in good order and will most likely remain in New York to run in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct 3., trainer Tim Ice said Sunday morning.

Sun, 08/30/2009 - 00:00

Kelly Von Hemel wins three on Iowa Classic Night

ALTOONA, Iowa - Trainer Kelly Von Hemel's stable rose to the occasion Saturday night, serving up three winners and other valuable placings on Iowa Classic Night, which featured seven Thoroughbred stakes events restricted to Iowa-breds. On an unseasonably chilly evening, Von Hemel scored with the 2-year-old gelding Launch Light in the $78,000 Iowa Cradle, the 5-year-old gelding Red Hot N Gold in the $85,200 Ralph Hayes, and the 5-year-old gelding Crimson King Cat in the $54,700 Iowa Classic Sprint.

Sun, 08/30/2009 - 00:00

Ferneley back on top of his game

DEL MAR, Calif. - Ferneley's 2009 season was rejuvenated on Saturday with an upset win in the $238,000 Del Mar Mile.

Four months ago, Ferneley was the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields, but could only finish sixth. After the race, he was found to be suffering from a throat ulcer.

With that ailment far behind him, Ferneley gave the best performance of his 26-race career in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Dance With Gable overcomes traffic at Sacramento

Dance With Gable, claimed for $40,000 in his last start, stalked the pace in perfect position, then overcame trouble as he made a winning move near the quarter pole to upset the $81,000 California State Fair Sprint Handicap at Sacramento on Saturday.

Frumious, making his first start as a 3-year-old, shot to the early lead in the six-furlong race, blitzing the field with fractions of 21.15 and 42.76 seconds. The pace proved too fast for defending champion Tribesman, the 3-5 favorite who sat third down the backstretch behind Frumious and Dance With Gable.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Jackson Bend takes second leg of Stallion Stakes

Jackson Bend is unquestionably the leader of the local 2-year-old division at Calder. But not by much.

Jackson Bend solidified his position as the best juvenile in south Florida by virtue of his hard-fought 1 1/2-length victory over Mr. Green in Saturday's at Calder. The Affirmed, middle leg of the open division of the Florida Stallion series, highlighted Saturday's 13-race, all 2-year-old Juvenile Showcase at Calder.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Summer Bird cruises to Travers victory

Barbara D. Livingston
Summer Bird wins the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - He is no longer the other Bird.

Summer Bird flew out from underneath the shadow of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird Saturday with a surprisingly easy 3 1/2-length victory in the at sloppy Saratoga.

Hold Me Back, the longest shot on the board at 17-1, rallied from last to be second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Quality Road, the 3-2 favorite. He was followed in the order of finish by Charitable Man, Warriors Reward, and Kensei. Our Edge, who set the pace for the opening half-mile, was eased.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Pay the Man much best at Thistledown

Pay the Man continued to dominate her Ohio-bred filly-mare rivals with a 7 1/4-length win over five rivals in $75,000 Rose De Bartolo Memorial Stake at Thistledown on Saturday. Slides Choice finished second in the 1 1/8-mile race, 3 3/4 lengths in front of Pyrite Marci in third.

Pay the Man, a 5-year-old daughter of Bernstein, is owned by her breeder, Pyrite Farm, and trained by Miguel Feliciano. She was ridden by his nephew Ricardo Feliciano. Pay the Man kept her record of never have been beaten by a female rival at Thistledown in 10 races.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Jungle Wave gives Attard a repeat

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Jungle Wave gave trainer Sid Attard his second consecutive victory in Saturday at Woodbine. The Grade 2 turf event is an important prep for next month's Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

Jungle Wave ($5.70) dueled on the lead with Cross Every Bridge through moderate fractions in the seven-furlong sprint, which was run over a course labeled yielding. Jungle Wave assumed a clear lead early in the stretch, and then held off Field Commission in the final strides to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:23.06.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Wilkes gets his Grade 1 in King's Bishop

Barbara D. Livingston
Capt. Candyman Can (left) was put up after Vineyard Haven bumped him.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Capt. Candyman Can gave Ian Wilkes the first Grade 1 victory of his training career after being placed first following the disqualification of Vineyard Haven in Saturday's $300,000 King's Bishopat Saratoga.

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 00:00

Don'tgetsuspicious holds on at Monmouth

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Don'tgetsuspicious edged Noisy Feet by a nose in the slop Saturday to capture the $70,000 Miss Woodford Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Scott Lake and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, Don'tgetsuspicious ($17.80) earned her seventh win in 11 starts, surviving a stewards' inquiry prompted by a very tight stretch run in which she and Noisy Feet raced side-by-side with some contact.