Three-year-olds, appropriately enough, will be in the spotlight locally Saturday in the $75,000 Silky Sullivan at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
The race is named for Northern California's most famous horse, who captivated racing fans with his stirring finishes. Silky Sullivan, who is buried in the Golden Gate Fields infield, finished 12th in the 1958 Kentucky Derby.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bearcatt ($13.70) rallied from last under Emma Wilson to land his first stakes Sunday at Woodbine in the $150,400 Woodstock, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds.
A host of runners vied for the early lead, including Bearcatt, who was dragged back to trail the six-horse field around the three-eighths pole. His stablemate Bear It's True set splits of 22.04 and 44.70 before being overtaken by Heart of a King early in the stretch.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Madeo arrived at the finish line just in the nick of time in Sunday's $100,000 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Madeo was fifth for much of the Grade 3 Inglewood, and rallied wide through the stretch under jockey Mike Smith to catch pacesetter Storm Military. At most, Madeo led for the final two strides. Sent off favored, Madeo ($6.60) ran 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:42.04, winning by a head.
AUBURN, Wash. - Noosa Beach and jockey Juan Gutierrez employed a surprising change of tactics Sunday while winning the $30,000 Auburns Stakes for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Twice a winner from off the pace during his 2-year-old campaign, Noosa Beach went right to the front in his first race at 3 and stayed there, holding off Rooster City to win by a half-length. Noosa Beach ran six furlongs in 1:09.60 and paid $3.40. Alpakapaluza finished third, 10 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
AUBURN, Wash. - Maintaining her perfect record, Ladyledue scored a popular and hard-earned victory Saturday in the $30,000 Inaugural Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.
Sent off at 1-2 odds, the front-running Ladyledue carved out fast fractions - 22.00, 44.40, 56.40 -- while dueling with two adversaries, spurted to a clear lead inside the final furlong and had just enough in reserve to prevail by a head over fast-closing Where I Belong. Ladyledue completed the six furlongs in 1:09.40 and paid $3.20. Seeking Ema was another half-length behind in third.
It was a most appropriate ending to the seemingly endless Aqueduct meet Sunday as Ramon Dominguez rode three winners on the closing day card, including a victory aboard Wishful Tomcat in the $69,875 Kings Point Handicap for New York-breds.
Dominguez ended the main track meet with 29 victories, seven more than Rajiv Maragh. That came after an inner track season in which Dominguez set a record for victories with 113. During the five months of racing since December, Dominguez rode three or more winners on an Aqueduct card an astonishing 27 times.
ELMONT, N.Y. - It was a good news, bad news Sunday morning for Quality Road, whose status for Saturday's 135th Kentucky Derby remains an open question six days out from the race.
The good news was that trainer Jimmy Jerkens believes that Quality Road "looked like his old self" galloping 1 3/4 miles Sunday morning over the Belmont training track. The bad news was there was a tinge of blood emanating from the quarter crack on the colt's right front foot.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Zenyatta, the champion filly or mare of 2008, will make her 5-year-old debut Friday in the $350,000 Louisville Distaff at Churchill Downs, trainer John Shirreffs confirmed Sunday.
Shirreffs said the timing of the Grade 2 Louisville Distaff, which goes at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, surfaced as a suitable comeback spot for Zenyatta, a 5-year-old mare owned by Jerry and Ann Moss. Zenyatta was scheduled to be flown Monday from Southern California to Louisville.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We are turning into the home stretch with six days left before the Kentucky Derby; only six days to find a subtle clue or two during training hours that might lead one to lean towards or against one or more of the 20 3-year-olds who will enter the starting gate for the Derby.
Churchill Downs
Sunny, 68 degrees, Track Fast