Mon, 10/06/2008 - 00:00

Almost Time wins; El Sinaloense off board

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Almost Time overcame a slow start and a wide trip to win the $106,747 Jack Diamond Futurity for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Hastings on Sunday. Heavily favored El Sinaloense forced the pace before tiring to finish seventh.

Mon, 10/06/2008 - 00:00

P. S. Good N Ready does it easily

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Under a confident ride by Dave Wilson, heavily favored P. S. Good N Ready easily won the $107,150 Sadie Diamond Futurity for 2-year-old fillies at Hastings on Saturday.

P. S. Good N Ready stalked an honest pace set by Seashell and then moved to the lead when they straightened out for the stretch run. She drew off to win by four lengths over Seashell, who held on well to finish a clear second over Tick Me Off.

Mon, 10/06/2008 - 00:00

Dreamsandvisions gets Hall of Fame win

The third time was the charm for Dreamsandvisions in the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes at Retama Park. After running fourth in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for Texas-breds the last two years, he broke through with a half-length win Saturday night and paid $53.20.

Ablaze With Spirit finished second in the Hall of Fame, which was one of six restricted stakes worth a total of $500,000 on the card. The program is annually the richest of the meet at Retama.

Mon, 10/06/2008 - 00:00

Catlaunch takes Best of Ohio Classic

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Catlaunch won his fourth stakes of the year with a very courageous head victory over eighth Ohio-bred rivals in the $100,000 Endurance, the feature of the Best of Ohio card at Thistledown. Allsarott was a rallyilng second in the 1 1/4-mile race, 2 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Type A Personality.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Mr. Chairman catches Romance Is Diane

ARCADIA, Calif. - Two years ago, Mr. Chairman was third in the California Cup Starter Handicap, one of the least consequential events on the annual showcase for statebreds. Sunday, he was the star of the card at Santa Anita.

Winning the biggest race of his career, Mr. Chairman outfinished the filly Romance Is Diane to win the $250,000 California Cup Classic by a head. Ridden by a jubilant Michael Baze, Mr. Chairman ($8.40) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.93 to record his first stakes win.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Queen Ofthe Catsle grabs graded win

ARCADIA, Calif. - Queen Ofthe Catsle rallied from seventh in a field of 10 to win her second consecutive stakes, and first at the graded level, in Saturday’s $111,600 Sen. Ken. Maddy Handicap at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Queen Ofthe Catsle ($11.20) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.84. La Tee, who set the pace for most of the race, finished second in the Grde 3 race, a half-length in front of Victorina.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Sutherland sweeps two Grade 3 stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Chantal Sutherland swept both Grade 3 stakes for 2-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine, taking the $251,000 Grey aboard Mine That Bird and the $275,000 Mazarine on Van Lear Rose.

Sutherland rated a keen Mine That Bird just off a slow pace along the inside in the 1 1/16-mile Grey. Bear’s Conductor led the way, while 3-5 favorite Southern Exchange was very rank in fourth on the backstretch.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Carriage Trail sets track record in Spinster

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carriage Trail didn't run straight in Sunday's Grade 1, $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, but she sure ran fast.

Despite drifting well out into the middle of the racetrack in the stretch, Carriage Trial dominated in the Spinster, a Win and You’re In prep for the Oct. 24 Breeders Cup Ladies' Classic, establishing a track record for 1 1/8 miles by racing the distance in 1:46.77 over Polytrack.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Tin Cup Chalice upsets Pyro

Tin Cup Chalice led from gate to wire and jockey Pedro Rodriguez lulled the field of 12 to sleep through slow middle fractions to prevail by a length in the $500,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park. Trained by Mike Lecesse, Tin Cup Chalice was allowed to set fractions of 23.20, 48.20, 1.13.40, and 1.38.60 before finishing the mile and a sixteenth in 145.00.

Pyro, the 6-5 favorite in the field under Shaun Bridgmohan, finished second and was gaining after some early traffic trouble. Acai was third under Tyler Baze.

Sun, 10/05/2008 - 00:00

Marsh Side pays Canadian International high

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A rejuvenated Marsh Side stole the show in the Grade 1, $2 million Canadian International at Woodbine Saturday, earning a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Oct 25 at Santa Anita in the BC Win and You’re In race.

Marsh Side returned a record $61.20 to win in the mile and a half turf event, which eclipsed the previous record of $57.20 set by Nassipour in 1985. He earned $1.2 million for owner Robert Evans, who turned him over to trainer Neil Drysdale this year after his previous trainer, Michael Dickinson, retired.