LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Close your eyes and listen to Travis Stone call a horse race, and at certain points you'd swear it was the iconic announcer Dave Johnson.
"You could say a lot worse about me," said Stone.
Stone is light years ahead of what anyone his age could rightfully expect to be. Merely being one of the five men invited this fall by Churchill Downs to try out for the vacated race-caller position would seem reward enough for a . . . 24-year-old?!?
"I get that reaction a lot," he said.
PHOENIX - Riders Carl Williams and Alberto Higuera were released from a local hospital Sunday evening after being involved in a spill at Turf Paradise Sunday.
Williams, 44, suffered a bruised left leg while Higuera, 51, sustained a broken collarbone, according to track officials. The spill occured in the ninth and final race on the Sunday card when Williams's mount, LS Sunrise, suffered a fatal aneurism and collapsed turning for home. Arizona Twist, ridden by Higuera, was unable to avoid the fallen horse and went down. Arizona Twist was unhurt.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif.-One Famous Eagle stretched his winning streak to seven and won his richest race of the year in Sundays $933,750 Los Alamitos Super Derby for 3-year-old Quarter Horses.
The victory makes him a leading contender for the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 13, a race that annually brings together the leading older Quarter Horses in the nation.
Geordie proved best of six Indiana-bred colts and geldings winning the $100,000 Indiana Futurity at Hoosier Park on Sunday.
Jockey Rafael Hernandez had Geordie just off the quick opening pace early in the six-furlong event, before rallying into the stretch and drawing off to win by an impressive 4 1/4 lengths. Trained by Joe Davis, Geordie has now won 2 of 3 lifetime starts and has amassed earnings of $82,700. Early pacesetter Hoosier Kingdom was second and Unbridled Asset was 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
Peppers Pride extended her modern North American record for consecutive wins on
Sunday, when she won her 18th straight race in the $177,615 Filly and Mare Champonship at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. She comfortably held off La Sopresa for a one-length win in the race, which has long been a goal for her because it is the richest offering of the year for her New Mexico-bred division. The win thrilled her connections.
"It feels as good as the rest of them, maybe better," said Joel Marr, who trains the undefeated Peppers Pride for Joe Allen.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The jockey-trainer combinations of Jose Lezcano and Richard Dutrow Jr., as well as Cornelio Velasquez and Ramon Hernandez, each recorded two stakes victories Sunday as Aqueduct conducted six New York Stallion Stakes.
Lezcano - who won three Stallion Stakes in all - and Dutrow began the sextet of stakes with Sarah Accomplished, who ran down favored Mother Russia to win the $100,000 Fifth Avenue Stakes by three-quarters of a length. It was three lengths back to Shes Prime in third.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The $1 Super High Five at Hollywood Park on Wednesday features a carryover of $43,609 from Sundays program.
The wager, which requires bettors to correctly select the first five finishers of the days last race, is being offered on a $22,500 to $25,000 claiming race for maidens at 1 1/16 miles.
There are 13 entrants in Wednesdays eighth race, but the field will be limited to 12 starters. Massive Attack is on the also-eligible list.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - High Heel Sneakers won her first stakes in more than two years in Sundays $70,525 Hermosa Beach Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, High Heel Sneakers had an ideal trip, stalking pacesetter Brushed Gold and Rushen Heat before taking the lead in early stretch. Sent off favored, High Heel Sneakers ($5.60) drew off in the final furlong to win by 2 3/4 lengths, running 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:28.58.
Brushed Gold finished second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Caprice in the field of nine fillies and mares.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Patrick Husbands swept both Woodbine stakes on Sunday, winning the Grade 2 Autumn on Marchfield and the $150,000 Jammed Lovely aboard Ginger Brew.
Marchfield ($11.40) commenced a three-wide rally from last at the three-eighths pole, and awaited room early in the stretch before surging late to prevail by a half-length over 10-1 shot Stunning Stag. Pacemaker Ice Bear, the 3-1 favorite, finished another neck back in third in the nine-horse field.