ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Milwaukee Appeal and Parabola, a pair of promising Canadian-breds, closed out their first campaigns in fine style, suggesting the promise of better things to come in the major races for their divisions next year.
Milwaukee Appeal, a homebred who races for CEC Farm and is trained by Scott Fairlie, became a stakes winner here in Sunday's $151,200 Ontario Lassie, a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies.
ALBANY, Calif. - Three-year-olds Dakota Phone and Gallon dominated last Friday's Forty Niner Stakes against older horses at Golden Gate Fields and may wind up seeing each other again later this month when the Strub Series begins at Santa Anita with the Grade 1 Malibu at seven furlongs on Dec. 26.
"I'm very confident this horse will move right up the ladder if he remains sound," said Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Dakota Phone and co-owns him with Halo Farms.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ontario Derby winner Sand Cove will try to extend his unbeaten streak in stakes to four races Wednesday in the $125,000 Sir Barton, a 1 1/16-mile event for Ontario-sired runners.
Sand Cove has been the most improved 3-year-old at Woodbine this year. He was an ordinary Ontario-sired allowance competitor during the spring, but he began to turn the corner when he captured a second-level allowance route in July.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Monday was getaway day for several big outfits on the Belmont Park backstretch, including trainer Barclay Tagg, who shipped all but three of his horses to south Florida for the winter. Among those leaving was Tale of Ekati, who was elevated to first by the Aqueduct stewards after falling a nose short to Harlem Rocker in Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Taken by itself, Cocoa Beach's victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park was enough to define the career of any 4-year-old filly.
Add two stakes wins in her native Chile in 2007, two stakes wins in Dubai earlier this year, and a victory in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park in late September, and Cocoa Beach qualifies for one of the most unique records in the world.
She can win anywhere.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Einstein, winner of the Clark Handicap last Friday, probably will return to grass for his next start in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on Feb. 1, said trainer Helen Pitts.
Einstein capped a terrific season in winning the Clark, the annual fall-meet highlight at Churchill Downs. From 8 starts in 2008, the Brazilian-bred Einstein had 4 wins, including three in Grade 1 company, and 3 seconds, bringing his career bankroll to $1,634,020.
"I've never had a horse who loves his job as much as he does," said Pitts.
Russell Road ($2.20) continued to prove he's the best 2-year-old on the grounds at Charles Town when he coasted to his fifth straight victory, scoring by 8 1/2 lengths in the $70,475 West Virginia Futurity.
Unbeaten since trainer James Casey added Lasix for his second career start, Russell Road covered the seven furlongs in 1:26.02 and earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
He was ridden, as usual, by Luis Perez for owner Mark Russell.
Carlsbad and Clean Hit, both big maiden winners in their debuts recently at Turf Paradise, are now both stakes winners in their second career starts as each successfully made the big class leap Saturday, with Carlsbad romping in the $54,832 2-year-old filly division of the Arizona Breeders' Futurity and Clean Hit proving an easy winner in the $58,878 2-year-old colt and gelding division.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Milwaukee Appeal parlayed an ideal stalking trip into her first stakes score Sunday at Woodbine in the $151,200 Ontario Lassie, for Ontario-bred 2-year-old fillies.
Milwaukee Appeal raced in third until the far turn under Na Somsanith, as D'Country set moderate fractions in the 1 1/16-mile route. Milwaukee Appeal hit the front at the quarter pole and then began to draw clear in midstretch en route to a 1 1/4-length tally over heavily favored Retraceable. D'Country finished another head back in third in the eight-horse field.
The 3-year-old filly Sassy Blend picked up her fifth win of the year Saturday at Zia Park, when she led throughout in the $55,000 Distaff. She won by a length over Five Star Daydream and paid $11.
Sassy Blend set fractions of 22.20 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.40 for the half-mile before covering the six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:09.40. Alfredo Juarez Jr., was aboard the winner for owners Double Eagle Ranch and Jerry Nicodemas. Bennie Woolley Jr. trains Sassy Blend.
