LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The rich got richer Sunday when Leahs Secret, the leading earner in the field, got a textbook stalking trip under Rene Douglas before driving clear to capture the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, Leahs Secret earned $100,366 from a total purse of $170,400, lifting her career bankroll to $775,805. The winner returned $8.60 as second choice after finishing a mile in 1:35.68 over a fast track.
Valid Message delivered as the even-money favorite in the $100,000 El Joven at Retama Park on Saturday night, when he closed from last for a length and a half win in the one-mile turf race for 2-year-olds. Top Cop held second, a length clear of third-place finisher Messy Marvin.
Valid Message ($4) broke on top from post 11, and settled in about five lengths off the leaders. He made a sweeping move on the final turn and into the stretch, and covered the distance on firm turf in 1:36.92. Curt Bourque rode the winner for trainer Ellen Williams.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Sundays program at Hollywood Park features a pick-six carryover of $126,284.
Favorites had a tough time winning during Saturdays program, leading to the second pick-six carryover in the first week of the tracks fall meeting.
The pick six on Sunday covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m.
Shesa Private I came back after more than 14 months on the bench to romp in an optional claimer at Turf Paradise on Oct. 20, hinting she was back and better than ever.
It's a hint no longer as the 6-year-old mare stepped up and blasted her rivals again, romping in Saturday's $50,000 City of Phoenix Stakes at Turf Paradise.
STICKNEY, Ill. - No, it was not Alydar and Affirmed thundering down the Hawthorne stretch, but hard-boiled Illinois-breds High Expectations and Fort Prado staged their own duel on a gray afternoon here. At the finish of the Lightning Jet Handicap, one of six statebred-restricted stakes here Saturday, 6-year-old High Expectations was a neck better than 7-year-old Fort Prado - but all credit to both veterans.
"Hey, he just got outrun," said trainer Chris Block, who raced millionaire Fort Prado on dirt for the first time in more than two years. "He ran his heart out."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A pair of locally entrenched trainers were teased with visions of far greater feats six months hence when Sara Louise and Capt. Candyman Can powered to impressive Grade 3 victories Saturday on the first Stars of Tomorrow program of the Churchill Downs fall meet.
Conjuress led from start to finish to win the $50,000 Scarlet and Gray at Beulah Park on Saturday. Trained by W.J. Danner, Conjuress dueled for the lead from the inside and set quick early fractions of 21.50 seconds and 44.74 under Edgar Paucar.
Paucar asked the 3-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie for her best entering the stretch, and she responded to draw off by three lengths in upper stretch. Conjuress then cruised home to win by four impressive lengths. Diamond Lass was second and Jilli's Cape was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
In upper stretch of the $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile on Saturday, it looked as if either Mike From Queens or the filly Vintage Touch would come away the winner. The pair had battled head and head from the start and put a large distance between themselves and the other four runners in the field on the far turn.
Sales Tax got her first win in six starts this year in Saturday's $50,000 All Brandy Stakes at Laurel, but she needed the help of the stewards to get it.
Sales Tax, under Malcolm Franklin, was unable to get ahead of Ten Bolts after being pushed several lanes wide during a stretch-long duel in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for registered Maryland-bred fillies and mares. However, Ten Bolts, ridden by Travis Dunkelberger, was disqualified and placed second for interference.
Retraceable circled into contention on the far turn en route to a comfortable victory in the $250,800 Princess Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.
Retraceable ($6.20) raced in midpack on the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-old fillies. Sanguine set a lively pace while being tracked by favored High Mist, who hit the front nearing the three-eighths pole before fading at the quarter pole.