Walloon gave breeder-owner Donamire Farm and trainer K.K. Ball their second stakes winner this month at Turfway Park when rallying to victory in Saturday's $50,000 Valdale Stakes in Florence, Ky.
With Hector Rosario Jr. aboard, Walloon tracked the pace before drawing clear to prevail by 3 1/4 lengths over She's Due in a field of 10 3-year-old fillies. Satans Quick Chick finished third, while Tacky Cat, the 3-2 favorite, faded to fifth after forcing the pace to midstretch.
Hello Poochi Pooh handled a rise in class and a stretch-out from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles with ease at Laurel Park on Saturday, leading every step in the $50,000 Maryland Racing Media Handicap.
Erick Rodriguez put Hello Poochi Pooh in front out of the gate and they led by 3 1/2 lengths after a quarter-mile, three at the half, five at the stretch call, and a geared-down 2 3/4 at the wire.
Swinging six wide out of the second turn, Victory Alleged closed with a rush along the far outside through the final furlong to post a stunning victory Saturday in the $150,000 Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup Stakes.
Ridden by Carlos Marquez Jr., Victory Alleged returned a whopping $58 while making his first start of 2009. The 8-year-old finished a neck to the good of Classic Campaign, with favored Society's Chairman a nose farther back after leading into the final furlong. It was another two lengths back to Atoned, who was making his turf debut.
Palanka City turned the tables on frequent rival Rated Fiesty in the $50,000 Spring Fever at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, when she rallied for a 1 1/2-length win over that rival in the 5 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third to Temple Street.
Palanka City was the 6-5 favorite in the Spring Fever, one race after she was beaten a head by Rated Fiesty in the $50,000 American Beauty. The fillies put in a spirited duel in that race, and again met inside the final furlong on Saturday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Presious Passion set an extremely fast pace, opened a long lead, but beat only one horse in the 2008 Mac Diarmida, and Saturday's renewal of the Grade 3 turf marathon at Gulfstream Park appeared to be shaping up as a carbon copy of that race.
But instead of folding after posting rapid fractions and leaving the competition far behind in the early stages of the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida, Presious Passion found enough in reserve this time to hang on for a courageous half-length win over Quasicobra and the 2-1 favorite, Spice Route.
NEW ORLEANS - Love to Tell stole the $125,000 Bayou Handicap at Fair Grounds on Saturday, wiring the field while setting ultra-slow fractions in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
Jockey Justin Shepherd took hold of Love to Tell coming out of the gate, piloting her through the first half-mile in 54.73 seconds while still two lengths clear of the field. She maintained her advantage into the stretch, where she still had plenty left to go the last furlong in 11.37 and win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Rachel Alexandra, one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the nation, will make her next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 14, her trainer, Hal Wiggins, said Saturday. She won her 3-year-old debut at Oaklawn on Feb. 15, coasting by eight lengths in the $50,000 Martha Washington. Rachel Alexandra earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.
She galloped back for the first time this morning and galloped fine, nice and relaxed, said Wiggins, who trains Rachel Alexandra for the partnership of Dolph Morrison and Mike Lauffer.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Home-field advantage for horses that train and race over this somewhat tiring surface often plays a critical role in the crucial stages of races here, and having a jockey who knows the surface and how to ride over it can also be a big advantage.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - This Ones for Phil and Notonthesamepage, the two fastest 3-year-olds in the country according to the Beyer Speed Figures, were a contrast in styles when turning in their final preps for their much-anticipated confrontation in Saturday's $250,000 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.