Einstein, who sits atop the rankings in the NTRA poll for all North American horses, had his first workout since his victory in the May 2 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic when breezing a half-mile in 49.40 seconds over a fast main track here Sunday. Regular jockey Julien Leparoux was aboard.
Einstein, trained by Helen Pitts, is being pointed to the Grade 1, $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 13 at Churchill.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With a pick six carryover of $109,818 from Sunday and a longstanding guarantee of $300,000 for the Memorial Day program on Monday, the holiday pick-six pool is now expected to greatly surpass the guarantee. In the feature race, the Shoemaker Mile, favored Ventura is a likely scratch.
Monday's pick six covers the fifth through 10th races and includes the $250,000 Shoemaker Mile, a Grade 1 race on turf.
There were early scratches in three of the pick six races.
What appeared to be a match race on paper turned out to be anything but Sunday at Belmont Park.
Race favorites Game Face (6-5) and Any Limit (3-2) both finished out of the money and well behind Carolyn's Cat who went gate to wire under Alan Garcia to win Sunday s Grade 2, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont.
Mr. Fantasy, the Grade 3 Withers winner, has been scratched out of Monday's Grade 1 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park due to a temperature, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Sunday. Mr. Fantasy, one of two 3-year-olds entered in the race, will now try to make the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on June 6, McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said Mr. Fantasy "wasn't acting quite right on the racetrack" Saturday morning and came back from his training session with a temperature of 102.
LINCOLN, Neb. - Reach One More collected his third straight stakes victory in dominating fashion with a nine-length win in the $16,080 Journal Star Stakes for 3-year-olds at Lincoln on Saturday afternoon.
Trained by David Anderson, Reach One More made a quick move to seize command into the far turn and drew off for the win under Mike Ziegler. He covered the six furlongs in 1:11.60 over a fast track as the 6-5 favorite in the field of six.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With shocking ease, Zenyatta launched her 2009 campaign with a virtually flawless win in Saturday's $150,000 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park.
In doing so, Zenyatta, the champion older female of 2008, stretched her unbeaten streak to 10, and won in a style that left jockey Mike Smith in awe.
"I'm numb," he said. "I'm looking for some emotion now, but I'm just numb. She's just amazing. Physically, I think she's better than she was last year."
Judy's Light caught 3-2 favorite Sax Appeal in the closing strides to win the $50,000 Power Doll in the slop at Louisiana Downs on Saturday. The six-furlong race was one of two stakes on the card for 3-year-olds and up bred in Louisiana.
Judy's Light ($34.20) trailed the field for a good portion of the Powder Doll, then came rolling down the middle of the track late. She covered the distance in 1:12.07. Jose Riquelme was aboard for Judy Ann Behler and trainer Theo Journet.
Diamond Doc upset heavily favored Teagues Fight in the colts and geldings division of the $50,000 Sales Stakes at Northlands Park on Saturday. With the track favoring speed, jockey Perry Winters had Diamond Doc sitting just off the pace while racing three wide. He moved up to engage the leaders at the five-eighths pole and then made the lead at the top of the stretch. Once in front, he was never threatened as he drew off to post a three-length win over Teagues Fight.
ALBANY, Calif. - Run It scored his second straight turf win, sitting just off Winning Vow's slow pace before pulling clear in the stretch to win the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Run It finished seventh in his only other stakes try, the Gold Rush Stakes last December. He won a first-level allowance race on the turf in his last start on April 12.
