Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:00

Court Vision's rally takes Hollywood Derby

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - As good as he was on dirt, Court Vision is even better on turf. He turned in the best performance of his career on Sunday, when he rallied from last to first, into the teeth of a slow pace, to capture the Grade 1, $500,000 Hollywood Derby, the final stakes race of the turf festival at Hollywood Park.

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:00

Cocoa Beach runs down Precious Kitten

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Precious Kitten led by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch of Sunday's $500,000 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park. She needed a bigger lead.

Cocoa Beach, second to the unbeaten Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 24, rallied from sixth in the final quarter-mile to win the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Precious Kitten. Visit finished third in the field of eight fillies and mares.

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:00

Here Comes Rita takes Montauk after delay

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A gate malfunction at Aqueduct that pushed back the start of the featured Montauk Handicap by 31 minutes also forced the track to cancel the ninth race on the program.

New York Racing Association officials deemed it too dark to run the last race, which had its post time pushed back until after 4:30 p.m. Rainy conditions made it very dark earlier than normal Sunday.

Post time for ninth was originally listed at 4:12, but the eighth race, the Montauk, wasn't run until 4:15 because of the gate problem.

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:00

California Flag goes all the way

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - California Flag avenged a 10th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 25 with a front-running win in Saturday's $150,000 Hollywood Turf Express.

The Grade 3 Turf Express was California Flag's second stakes win of the fall. He won the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap on the Santa Anita hillside turf course on Sept. 24.

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:00

Mr. Rod's speed takes Generous

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Chantal Sutherland, wintering in Southern California for the second straight year, earned her first graded stakes win on this circuit when she guided Mr. Rod to a front-running victory in the Grade 3, $109,300 Generous Stakes for 2-year-olds on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 00:00

Parabola rallies at 17-1

Parabola ($36.80) edged by Mean Green in deep stretch to capture the $127,400 Kingarvie Stakes at Woodbine.

The favored Shut It Down and Wildcat Fashion vied through fractions of 24.58 and 48.53 seconds in the 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds. Parabola raced near the back of the pack until the quarter pole under Justin Stein, who angled him wide for the drive.

Parabola rallied on his left lead in the stretch to prevail by a half-length over Mean Green in 1:45.32. Wildcat Fashion wound up third, and Shut It Down faded to ninth in the 11-horse field.

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 00:00

Now It Begins hangs on

Jockey Charles Forrest snapped a season-long slump at Laurel Park when he guided Now It Begins to a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Squan Song Stakes.

It was Forrest's first win in 68 mounts this year at Laurel and capped a big week for trainer Mike Trombetta, who won with 6 of the 10 horses he saddled at Laurel, including allowance races with multiple stakes winners Cave's Valley and Eternal Star

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 00:00

Secret Getaway handles switch to mud

Secret Getaway had won stakes races on turf and on Woodbine's Polytrack this past summer, but it looks like there was a dirt horse waiting to come out.

Making his first two-turn start on dirt, Secret Getaway won the Tenacious Handicap on Saturday at Fair Grounds. The $60,000 pot couldn't match the six-figure purses Secret Getaway took down in Canada, but it had to give his connections hope that Secret Getaway, who is about to turn 4, could be competitive in richer races here later this season.

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 00:00

Oilgonewile benefits from turf bias

Oilgonewile, taking advantage of a turf course that has been speed-favoring of late, led throughout to post an authoritative 4 3/4-length decision over 2-1 favorite Tailbytherail in Saturday's $75,000 Live Oak Georgia Debutante Stakes at Calder.

The race was restricted to 2-year-old fillies who are progeny of stallions nominated to the Georgia breeding program.

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 00:00

Old Fashioned rolls; Springside injured in win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Two dominant performances by juveniles at Aqueduct on Saturday left one camp heartened and another heartbroken.

Old Fashioned announced himself as a serious contender for next year's Kentucky Derby by utilizing his speed to roll to a 7 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen Stakes for juvenile colts. The win improved his record to 3 for 3 for owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones, the same connections that finished second in the last two Kentucky Derbies.