CHICAGO - Jockey Rene Douglas, hurt in an accident late Saturday afternoon at Arlington Park, was to undergo surgery at 11 p.m. Central at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago after being transported via helicopter from Northwest Hospital near Arlington.
Douglas has an injured back, according to his longtime agent Dennis Cooper, and was to have arthroscopic surgery, the concern being the possibility that a bone splinter had lodged in his spine.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Buff Bradley always felt Brass Hat was a quality turf horse, even though the 8-year-old gelding had been winless in all seven of his starts on the surface.
Saturday in the Grade 3, $111,800 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs, that assessment proved accurate, as Brass Hat rallied from sixth to outkick favored Spice Route by a half-length under Calvin Borel.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Criticism continues to excel at the game of catch-me-if-you-can.
For the third time in her last four starts, Criticism made the lead soon after the start and never gave it back, this time rolling to a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park. Mushka, who chased Criticism all the way from second, held the place by a nose over Caprice. Colina Verde, Backseat Rhythm, and Venetian Causeway completed the order of finish. Russian Rosie and Shadiyna scratched.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Giant Oak's giant strides carried him to a one-length victory in the Arlington Classic Stakes, the last of four stakes races Saturday at Arlington Park. Jockey Eddie Razo, re-united with Giant Oak for the first time since last fall, thinks there might be more to come.
"It's kind of scary, but I think he can still improve," said Razo.
Livingston Street proved he is anything but a one-dimensional horse when he ralllied from last over a sloppy, speed-favoring track to register a three-quarter-length victory over Powerchord in the $55,000 Ride the Rails Stakes at Calder.
Livingston Street was the fourth winner on the day for jockey Manoel Cruz. The meet's leading jockey, Cruz also rode Jabbok to an apparent victory in the finale for what would have been his 2,000th career win only to be disqualified for inadvertently striking the runner-up, Deisel Power, with his stick at midstretch.
Sans Sousi ($10.20) came inside the leaders in the stretch to win her first stakes in the $126,200 Lady Angela at Woodbine.
Favored Minkredible set uncontested fractions of 22.93 and 45.85 seconds in the seven-furlong sprint, while being tracked by Koonunga Hill.
Sans Sousi raced near the back of the pack on the backstretch, and began to make up ground on the turn. She overtook the leaders at the sixteenth pole, and prevailed by a half-length over Koonunga Hill. Minkredible faded to third in the nine-horse field of Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.
Amie's Legend ($3.20) surged up the rail in deep stretch to run down Five Diamonds in the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes, the closing-day feature at Pimlico.
Ridden for the first time by Luis Garcia, the 4-year-old Amie's Legend was still third, trailing by three lengths, with a furlong remaining in the 1 1/16-mile race for Maryland-bred fillies and mares. As the 3-year-old Five Diamonds grew leg-weary, Amie's Legend came on strong to draw clear by 2 1/2 lengths.
Joey P. bounced back from a recent illness with a dazzling victory Saturday in the $60,000 John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey breds at Monmouth Park.
The 7-year-old gelding started the season with a sixth-place finish in the Toboggan Handicap on March 7 at Aqueduct. He came down with a respiratory infection following the race, and that shut him down.
Given time to recover, Joey P. ($4.40) bounced back with an 8 1/4 length win over 101-1 longshot Hermosillo in the return to his favorite track. The time was 1:08.62 for the six furlongs.
Even with the absence of the race's biggest name, a star performance was still produced in Saturday's $250,000 My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park.
Indian Way, who inherited the role of favorite when trainer Todd Pletcher scratched multiple graded stakes winner Game Face so that she could run in Sunday's Vagrancy at Belmont Park, fought off an extended challenge from Sunday Geisha en route to her first stakes victory in track-record time.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - For many years, the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on turf was a Memorial Day fixture at Hollywood Park, sharing the role of feature race of the day with the Shoemaker Mile.
This year, the Shoemaker is the only stakes on Monday's 10-race program. The $250,000 Gamely will be run this Saturday, and will get the singular billing that it deserves.
