Sun, 08/23/2009 - 00:00

Summer Bird looks sharp in drill

Barbara D. Livingston
Although Summer Bird's first Saratoga workout on Aug. 15 (above) may not have been his best, he was sharper Saturday when working five furlongs in 1:00.91 for this weekend's Travers.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tim Ice was already feeling good about his 3-year-old Summer Bird's chances in next week's $1 million Travers Stakes. But the trainer's confidence level ratcheted up a notch after watching the Belmont Stakes winner work a solid five furlongs in 1:00.91 early Saturday morning over a muddy Saratoga strip.

Even though Ice was satisfied with Summer Bird's five-furlong work last week, he was encouraged to see the pattern that has developed with this horse continue. That is, his second work at a new track is better than the first.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Internallyflawless scores in Del Mar Oaks

DEL MAR, Calif. - The good trip that had largely escaped Internallyflawless in her brief career finally came her way Saturday at Del Mar, and she took advantage of the situation to record her first Grade 1 victory in the $350,000 Del Mar Oaks.

Internallyflawless ($15.80) benefited from a heads-up ride from Garrett Gomez, and a sluggish pace and wide trip that compromised the chances of favored Well Monied, to score a mild upset. She turned back a tenacious Nan, a 30-1 shot, in the final furlong to win by a half-length. Well Monied was another length back in third.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Tommy Danzigger surprises in Canadian Derby

EDMONTON, Alberta - Hastings-based Tommy Danzigger scored an upset Saturday in the at Northlands Park.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Careless Jewel romps in Alabama

Barbara D. Livingston
Careless Jewel, with Robert Landry up, wins Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama by 11 lengths.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - While there was no Rachel Alexandra in Saturday's at Saratoga, there was a Rachel-esque performance turned in by the winner.

What looked like an evenly-matched 129th renewal of the Alabama Stakes on paper turned into a mismatch on the racetrack as Canadian invader Careless Jewel demolished seven 3-year-old fillies to win Saturday's $600,000 Alabama by 11 lengths.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Mr. Windjammer quickest late in Reed Memorial

Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley
Mr. Windjammer gets up in time to win the $50,000 Reed Memorial at Finger Lakes on Saturday.

Mr. Windjammer ($16) pulled off the upset Saturday in the $50,000 Leon Reed Memorial Handicap for New York-breds at Finger Lakes.

A 4-year-old chestnut gelding trained by Jonathan Buckley, Mr. Windjammer faced open company in his last two races, a seventh in the Wadsworth Memorial behind Sweetnorthernsaint and a fourth in an allowance race.

He perked up on the return to the statebred ranks. Mr. Windjammer improved to 8-for-17, earning his first stakes win since the Ontario County here last summer.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Secretintelligence wires New Castle

Secretintelligence took the lead shortly after the start and never looked back in winning Saturday's restricted $75,700 New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park.

Secretintelligence, ridden by Jose Caraballo and trained by Tim Ritchey, pulled clear from Homecroft in upper stretch and was able to hold off a fast-closing Wawaset Park by a half-length at the wire. Homecroft finished another 1 1/2 lengths behind in third.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Chirac pulls upset in Iselin

Bill Denver/Equiphotos
Chirac, with jockey Elvis Trujillo up, upsets the Grade 3, $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - As expected, a front-runner captured the on the sloppy, sealed track Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Stunningly, the winner was not Coal Play, the 4-5 favorite who finished fourth.

The victory went to Chirac ($26.40), a 4-year-old gelding overlooked by the bettors despite having won three of four starts at the meet.

Chirac pulled clear in the lane, beating You and I Forever by 6 3/4 lengths, with Pampered Sir third.

Elvis Trujillo was aboard for trainer Jane Cibelli as Chirac improved to 7 for 16 with the biggest victory of his career.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Blind Date shows class in Pearl Necklace

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Blind Date wins the off-the-turf $50,000 Pearl Necklace Stakes at Laurel.

Blind Date took a big drop for the $50,000 Pearl Necklace Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday and her class was apparent through the stretch run as she pulled away under confident handling by jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. to win by 4 1/2 lengths.

Due to wet weather, the Pearl Necklace was switched from 1 1/16 miles on turf to a one-turn mile on Laurel's good main track, and the field scratched down from nine entrants to five starters.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Excessive Blend on a roll

Benoit & Associates
Excessive Blend stays perfect at the Del Mar meet with a victory in Friday's Sandy Blue Handicap.

DEL MAR, Calif. - With two stakes wins in as many starts at Del Mar this summer, Excessive Blend has had a perfect meeting and left trainer Carla Gaines perfectly confused as to what to do with the rapidly improving 3-year-old filly.

Excessive Blend won the Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred filly sprinters on July 25. In Friday's $112,525 Sandy Blue Handicap, her first stakes appearance on turf, she turned in the best performance of her five-race career, storming clear in the final furlong to win the one-mile race by 1 1/2 lengths over Ultra Blend.

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 00:00

Double Malt romps in 'steer job'

Double Malt ($2.90) took control on the far turn and then drew away in the stretch for a decisive score in the at Woodbine on Saturday.

Dancing Charm and Cataleenda vied through moderate fractions in the 1 1/16-mile contest for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies, while Double Malt assumed a stalking position.

Double Malt went three wide on the far turn and hit the front at the five-sixteenths pole en route to a 4 3/4-length win over Lunar Linda in a time of 1:44.75. Cataleenda faded to third, and Dancing Charm trailed in the four-horse field. Moonlit Beauty was scratched.