ELMONT, N.Y. - Courageous Cat ($6.30) held off Al Khali by three-quarters of a length Sunday to win the $65,950 A Gift Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf at Belmont Park.
After opening up a clear advantage at the top of the stretch, Courageous Cat dug in as Al Khali made a strong late run.
Kent Desormeaux was aboard for trainer Bill Mott as Courageous Cat ran the 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:39.75 for his second win in five starts.
Mikoshi got third, followed by Hello Broadway and Anaan.
OMAHA, Neb. - Blumin Attitude seized the lead after the opening quarter-mile and made all the pace to take Saturday's $28,800 Who Doctor Who Handicap on the third day of the Festival of Racing at Horsemen's Park in Omaha.
Blumin Attitude was the unexpected pacesetter as Heso, the 8-5 favorite in a field of seven, was content to follow the pace then faded through the stretch to finish seventh, beaten nine lengths. Skwhirl checked in second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Well Said spoke volumes Saturday night in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace.
The leader of the 3-year-old pacing division delivered another dominant performance, winning the Pace by six lengths as the 2-5 favorite.
With Ron Pierce at the lines, Well Said took charge at the half-mile pole and immediately opened a clear lead.
In the lane, the only competition came not from his nine overmatched rivals, but from the clock. The final time for the one mile was 1:47.60, second best in the Pace to the 1:47 set by Art Official last year.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird continued his pattern of Sunday workouts, breezing six furlongs in 1:13.80 at Monmouth Park.
Summer Bird is slated to take on the sensational filly Rachel Alexandra here on Aug. 2 in the $1 million Haskell Invitational for 3-year-olds.
"He was perfect again," said trainer Tim Ice. "Everything is exactly on schedule. He'll have his final breeze next Sunday. Kent Desormeaux will be here for that."
DEL MAR, Calif. - Mad for Plaid, a maiden-claimer trained by Peter Miller, became the first horse euthanized at Del Mar this summer when she broke her left front sesamoids following a workout here on Sunday morning, and a delay in reaching and treating the stricken animal infuriated Joe Harper, the track's president, who said a review would be undertaken.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Not Bourbon, who was slated to make his seasonal debut in Sunday's 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture here at Woodbine, was announced as a late scratch on Sunday morning.
"He's in great shape," said Roger Attfield, who trains Not Bourbon for owner/breeder Charles Fipke. "I think he's looking for war. He's the kind of horse who runs his heart out, and it looks like a couple of others in there are ready to do the same.
"I don't think I really want a really hard race into him, off a long layoff. I don't think it's the smart thing."
ALTOONA, Iowa - Trainer Steve Asmussen shipped in a colt from his Churchill Downs string and a filly from his Lone Star Park outfit to easily sweep the final two stakes of the Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred meet, the $50,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile and the $50,000 Prairie Gold Lassie. Asmussen's talented duo easily dismissed their opponents in similar fashion in the five-furlong stakes.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Just when lucrative opportunities for 3-year-olds on the main track are drawing to a close in Southern California, Misremembered seems to have figured out racing.
On Saturday at Hollywood Park, Misremembered won his first stakes in the . The Grade 2 Swaps is the final two-turn graded stakes of the year on the main track for 3-year-olds in Southern California. The graded stakes schedule for the rest of the year is dominated by turf races and one-turn events.
Vito Filitto gave jockey Francisco Torres his fourth winner on the card Saturday at Louisiana Downs, when he drove home by 1 1/2 lengths in the $50,000 Minstrel. Chance Meister finished second in the five-furlong turf race for 2-year-olds, while it was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Perfect Lou in third.
Vito Filitto ($6.60) stalked the pace set by Becca's Beau, who led the field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.91 seconds. The eventual winner moved to the lead in the stretch and covered the distance in 57.04 seconds.