ELMONT, N.Y. - Bribon picked the most opportune time to record back-to-back wins.
In what was considered a wide-open renewal of the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap, Bribon, the 3-1 favorite, outfinished second choice Smooth Air, also at 3-1, by a half-length Monday at Belmont Park. It was another length back to Driven by Success, who held third by a nose over My Pal Charlie.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Wasted Tears shattered the Lone Star Park course record for a mile on turf on Monday, when she was prominent throughout to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Handicap in a blazing time of 1:32.81.
The previous mark of 1:33.56 was set in 1997 by Kiraday during the inaugural meet.
The Ouija Board was one of six stakes worth a cumulative $1.1 million on the annual Lone Star Million Day program.
A horse with a strong affinity for the surface at Finger Lakes took the $50,000 George Barker Handicap, but it wasn't three-time defending champion Johnie Bye Night, who was an early scratch.
Mr. Windjammer ($8), last of five early, rallied between horses in the stretch to score a one-length victory in the six-furlong stakes restricted to New York-breds.
Maren's Meadow, back at Monmouth Park for the first time since taking the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks last August, held off All Night Labor by a head to win the $70,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes.
Given 2 1/2 months to recuperate after finishing last in the Grade 3 Azeri at Oaklawn, the 4-year-old Maren's Meadow ($7.40) was sent to the front by jockey Justin Shepherd, opened up a length on All Night Labor and they raced one-two throughout the mile and 70-yard race for fillies and mares. All Night Labor nearly drew even in deep stretch, but lost a head-bob at the wire.
Trainer Javier Negrete fully expected Finallymadeit to bounce back from his poor performance in the Sumter Stakes with a big effort in Monday's $100,000 Memorial Day Handicap. He even went a step further and guaranteed a victory if the track should come up sloppy for the Grade 3 race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dubai Majesty emerged best following a virtual race-long duel and proved herself a deserving favorite Monday in the sixth running of the Grade 3, $108,900 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Sent away a solid choice in a field of seven fillies and mares, Dubai Majesty returned $4.60 to win after finishing six furlongs in 1:10.61 over a drying-out track rated good. Jamie Theriot was aboard for the partnership of Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan and trainer Bret Calhoun.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Malcolm Pierce and jockey Patrick Husbands have been an extremely potent combo at the Woodbine meeting.
On Sunday, Pierce and Husbands ran their 2009 Woodbine record here to 4 for 4 in stakes and 9 for 12 overall when Sterwins got up in the last jump to capture the $173,300 Connaught Cup in a track-record clocking of 1:38.99 for the 1 1/16 miles of turf.
The Connaught Cup was the first start of the meeting for Sterwins after he finished a lackluster fifth when looking for a second straight win in the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland.
CINCINNATI - Trainer Wesley Ward worked six horses over the River Downs turf course Sunday to prepare them for upcoming races at Royal Ascot in England. The six horses, five 2-year-olds and one older horse, will be shipped to England on June 4.
Ward said he was pleased with the works, which were at three furlongs and came in front of the raceday crowd.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Zenyatta is likely to have a conventional campaign of major stakes in California through the summer and fall in defense of her title as the nation's outstanding older female.
Two days after her easy win in the Grade 2 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday, Zenyatta was walked at trainer John Shirreffs's barn on the track's backstretch. The 5-year-old Zenyatta, unbeaten in 10 starts, is likely to return to racing in the $300,000 Vanity Handicap, a Grade 1 over 1 1/8 miles on June 27.
Ventura, the 5-year-old millionaire mare, was withdrawn from Monday's $250,000 Shoemaker Mile on the morning of the race after trainer Bobby Frankel said he was not pleased with her training.
Frankel said that Ventura is not injured, and that she trained on Monday morning.
"She's really quiet and she's usually really animated," Frankel said. "Maybe she's in heat. I don't know."
