NEW ORLEANS - Friesan Fire did it again, running right back to his smart score in the Lecomte Stakes here at Fair Grounds last month with a decisive victory in the Risen Star Stakes on Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The 2009 season is fast becoming the 2.0 version of Magnum, the racehorse.
Since being gelded last fall, Magnum has displayed two of the finest performances of his career at Santa Anita this winter, finishing a game third in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Handicap on Jan. 10 and winning the $200,000 San Antonio Handicap on Sunday.
The Grade 2 San Antonio was Magnum's first stakes win since the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap in 2006 and served as a prep to the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Rapper S S, who set a track record for six furlongs three weeks ago, turned in another impressive effort on Saturday when he captured the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap at Sunland Park. Longshot Loves Bonus proved game for the place spot, followed by 4-5 favorite and highweight Wind Water.
Star Guitar and Superior Storm kept significant streaks intact Saturday night at Delta Downs, when they won the richest races for their respective divisions on the $1 million Louisiana Premier Night program. Star Guitar won his fourth straight race in the $200,000 Championship, while Superior Storm remained undefeated in Louisiana-bred stakes company with her win in the $150,000 Distaff.
The races were two of six statebred stakes on the card. There were also four "starter stakes" races run on what was the second richest program of the Delta meet behind Jackpot Night.
ALBANY, Calif. - Making a strong four-wide move into the stretch, favored Victorina ($4.20) powered to her 10th career stakes victory, winning the $75,000 Campanile Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
Breaking from the outside in the field of eight older fillies and mares, Victorina sat behind In My Glory and Lady Railrider through honest fractions in the 1 1/16-mile race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The second act of Cowboy Cal's career is getting more intriguing by the month.
Since being given a five-month break following a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby last year, Cowboy Cal has won three stakes in four starts since October. He won his second consecutive stakes of the current Santa Anita meeting in Saturday's $250,000 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds.
The victory confirmed Cowboy Cal's status as a contender for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It was the first start of the year for Pioneerof the Nile, a race he did not need to win, and he did not have the best of trips. None of it mattered. In a performance that stamped him as a one of the elite contenders for the Kentucky Derby, Pioneerof the Nile closed furiously to take the Grade 2, $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Santa Anita.
NEW ORLEANS - War Echo, sister of Pyro, has laid her own claim on Fair Grounds history, winning Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Silverbulletday with a strong closing move.
War Echo, piloted by Shaun Bridgmohan, ran down fellow Steve Asmussen trainee Four Gifts in the stretch, pulling away to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
It was another 7 1/4 lengths back to the favorite, Just Jenda, who tired in the stretch after failing to switch leads.
War Echo went 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.20 and paid $11.20 to win.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Stardom Bound picked up in 2009 right where she left off in 2008 by scoring an impressive win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, but now the stakes will get far more intriguing.
Immediately following the race, Michael Iavarone, the co-president of the IEAH Stable partnership that now owns Stardom Bound, said she would make her next start against males in the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 4, which is a prep to the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
NEW ORLEANS - Diamond Tycoon ran his record to a perfect 3 for 3 over the Fair Grounds turf as he used a powerful closing kick to win the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap, one of six stakes on the Saturday card.
Five lengths back after incredibly slow fractions, Julien Leparoux took Diamond Tycoon very wide into the lane and asked for his fastest gear. Diamond Tycoon responded, going the last furlong in 11.57 seconds and prevailing by 1 1/2 lengths.