Eclisse has always been better on turf than dirt. But over a speed-favoring, sloppy track, Eclisse ($9) was more than good enough to register a wire-to-wire 2 1/4-length decision over Cat Can Do in the $55,000 Liberada Stakes at Calder.
As has been the case with turf racing locally for much of the past month, the 1 1/8-mile Liberada was scheduled for grass but switched to a wet main track.
With a slight flare for the dramatic, Tuscan Evening won her first stakes in the $74,525 Redondo Beach Stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday.
Four times on the backstretch of the one-mile turf race, Tuscan Evening jumped shadows created by infield light poles. Through the stretch, she was fully extended to hold off a determined run by Gotta Have Her.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Tuscan Evening ($6.20) won by a half-length in 1:33.78. Charming Legacy finished third, a head behind Gotta Have Her in the field of nine fillies and mares.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Grade 3 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap on Saturday came down to a pair of 4-year-old fillies exiting subpar efforts in Grade 1 events. In the final yards, Acoma held off Pure Clan by a neck, leaving the other four fillies and mares well behind in the $109,000 turf race at Churchill Downs.
Go Go Shoot had been flashing high speed and stopping in his last four starts, dating back to last summer's Grade 3 Jersey Shore. On Saturday, however, he maintained his high energy throughout six furlongs.
Sent to the front by new rider Eddie Castro, the 4-year-old Go Go Shoot ($13) set swift fractions of 21.53 and 43.70 seconds, yet had plenty left in the stretch while pulling away to a 9 1/2-length victory in the $70,000 Longfellow Stakes at Monmouth Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Short or long, firm or soft, it doesn't seem to matter to Gio Ponti. His explosive kick is effective at any distance on any footing.
Two months after exploding through the firm Santa Anita stretch to win the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Handicap at one mile, Gio Ponti used a similar late kick under Garrett Gomez to propel himself to a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at 1 1/4 miles.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Shaking loose soon after the start, Gabby's Golden Gal shook off Doremifasollatido on the far turn and remained clear to win Saturday's $300,000 Acorn Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths over 9-10 favorite Justwhistledixie.
Gabby's Golden Gal had set the pace in the Kentucky Oaks and must have been heartened to see that Rachel Alexandra - who had originally been pointed to the Grade 1 Acorn after her Oaks tour de force - was not among those chasing her down the backstretch through fractions of 22.61 and 45.39 seconds.
ELMONT, N.Y. - From the day he won his debut by more than four lengths at Saratoga last July, Munnings seemed destined to be a graded stakes winner.
It took 11 months, but Munnings met his destiny Saturday at Belmont Park, using an explosive kick in upper stretch to split horses and draw clear to a 5 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $250,000 Woody Stephens Stakes for 3-year-olds.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Since she moved to turf 13 months ago, few, if any, have outfinished champion Forever Together. But it happened Saturday at Belmont Park in the Grade 1, $400,000 Just a Game Stakes. Diamondrella, a mare who had not raced beyond a sprint distance since August 2007, but who had won her last five starts, looped her field down the stretch and powered away from the 3-5 Forever Together to post a $21.20 upset.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Fabulous Strike returned to his favorite distance - and perhaps his favorite track - and put on an awesome display of speed, scoring a 1 1/4-length victory over defending sprint champion Benny the Bull in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.