Sun, 12/28/2008 - 00:00

Monday carryover hits $156,000

ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita's Monday program features a pick-six carryover of $156,069.

The nine-race program begins at 12:30 p.m. The pick six covers the fourth through nine races.

The sequence includes one stakes, the $70,000 Impressive Luck Handicap on the hillside turf course. Lucky J.H., unraced since winning the Sensational Star Handicap on the hillside turf course in April, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

Sun, 12/28/2008 - 00:00

Proudinsky gives Frankel milestone victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - Proudinsky ended a six-race losing streak in Sunday's $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap, giving trainer Bobby Frankel a record 900th career win at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Sent off favored, Proudinsky ($4.60) closed from fourth in the final quarter-mile to win the Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap by three-quarters of a length over 9-1 Ferneley. Medici Code finished third in the field of seven.

Sun, 12/28/2008 - 00:00

Ravallo romps in sloppy Christmas

Ravallo relished the sloppy surface at Mountaineer Racetrack on Saturday night and easily captured the Christmas Stakes for the second straight year.

Jockey Dana Whitney sat patiently in second with Ravalo ($3.20) as 19-1 longshot Magnus One led by 1 ½ lengths through a half-mile in 44.74 seconds. Whitney asked Ravalo to move up the rail leaving the quarter pole and the 4-year-old gelding responded by drawing off by 6 ¼ lengths while completing six furlongs in 1:10.15.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Stormy West regains composure

NEW ORLEANS - Stormy West was so eager to run that she burst through the gate before the start of Saturday's $60,000 Furl Sail Handicap at Fair Grounds.

"Usually that's a bad omen," said jockey Patrick Valenzuela. "I can't remember the last time a horse broke through the gate then won."

But after being brought back to the gate, Stormy West broke evenly, ran a stalking trip, then outbattled Shytoe Lafeet to win by three-quarters of a length.

Stormy West finished the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares in 1:45.41, and paid $8.60 as the favorite.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Saucey Evening goes last to first

Saucey Evening clinched the title of champion 2-year-old California-bred filly of 2008 with a come-from-behind victory in the fillies division of the $125,000 California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita.

Saucey Evening ($4) rallied wide through the final quarter-mile to win the seven-furlong race by 2 1/2 lengths over Spanish Ice. Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Saucey Evening was timed in 1:21.84. Saucey Evening was last until Gomez urged her closer to the front on the final turn.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Officer Rocket pays quick dividends

Officer Rocket returned immediate dividends to owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey when he won first off the claim in the $50,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park.

Far back for most of the six furlongs of the Holiday Cheer, Officer Rocket ($11.60) suddenly came alive for the final quarter-mile. In the shadow of the wire, his rail rally carried him past a pair of dueling front-runners, Rouse the Cat and Golden Country. On the wire, he had a length on the 2-1 favorite, Rouse the Cat, who had a neck on Golden Country.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Peace Town handles first route

Heavily favored Peace Town ($3.20) successfully stretched out beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time to win the $50,000 Maryland Juvenile Championship for statebred 2-year-olds on closing day for 2008 at Laurel Park.

Ridden by Julian Pimentel for Trombetta, Peace Town sat in second behind a modest pace of 48.08 seconds for the first half-mile set by Blueberry Start, moved to the front after passing the three-eighths pole, and withstood a bid by In the Juice to prevail by a half-length.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Top Seed delivers for Trombetta

Trainer Michael Trombetta won juvenile stakes Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs and Laurel Park, scoring with Top Seed in the Inaugural and Peace Town in the Maryland Juvenile Championship.

At Tampa Bay, heavily favored Top Seed drove to the lead inside the final furlong and had enough left to hold back a furious late charge from R Brown Sugar for a one-length victory in the $65,000 Inaugural Stakes before 4,839 fans.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Fabulous Strike shows he can rate

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Fabulous Strike, who usually runs on the lead, came from off the pace under Ramon Dominguez to win the Grade 3 Gravesend on Saturday at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Beattie has always maintained that his speedy sprinter Fabulous Strike could rate. In Saturday's Grade 3 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct, Beattie's theory was proven correct.

Outsprinted early by True Quality, Fabulous Strike came from off the pace to run down True Quality and win the $103,100 Gravesend by 1 3/4 lengths. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Good Card in third. Lucky Island finished last.

Sat, 12/27/2008 - 00:00

Dancin Perfect growing up fast

NEW ORLEANS - When Dancin Perfect came to trainer Mike Burgess, he had high hopes, but she was small horse. So he gave her some time to grow up, and that time paid off with a win in her debut.

When she runs in Monday's $44,000 ninth race at Fair Grounds, she'll be the only filly in the field who is a perfect 1 for 1. But she'll meet seven other 2-year-old fillies, a few with great promise, in the first-level optional claiming race at about a mile on the turf.