ARCADIA, Calif.-Into Mischief returned from a layoff of more than eight months to win the $113,800 Damascus Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, the race after the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Into Mischief ($8.80) overcame a spot of trouble in early stretch to win the seven-furlong Damascus Stakes by two lengths over 13-1 Dancing in Silks. Hatta Fort, a 9-1 chance, finished third, with Georgie Boy, the 7-5 favorite, fourth.
Speed and back-class proved dangerous at a big price Saturday when Ball Four led every step of a spill-marred 50th running of the Grade 3 Fayette Stakes, the closing-day feature of the 17-day fall meet at Keeneland.
Ball Four, a 7-year-old Grand Slam gelding who had raced just once in the last 19-plus months, went wire to wire under Julio Garcia, returning $44.40. Dominican rallied late to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner and another 1 1/4 lengths before Stream Cat.
Of the two uncoupled horses trainer Scott Lake ran in the $50,000 Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel Park, bettors liked Cayman Condo a lot better than Lycurgus.
But as so often happens in this situation, the longer-priced horse outperformed his stablemate.
Lycurgus ($17.40), returning to dirt after eight consecutive starts on turf or Polytrack, came from slightly off the pace to take the lead in the stretch, then held off the 8-year-old Saay Mi Name by a length to win the off-the-turf Mister Diz, which was contested over a muddy strip.
The German runner Lauro stole the $250,750 Sky Classic Stakes on the front end Saturday at Woodbine.
Lauro ($20.60) established slow fractions over yielding turf in the 1 3/8-mile route. He had a length lead with an eighth left and held off Seaside Retreat and favored Spice Route to prevail by a half-length over Seaside Retreat. Windward Islands and Royal Challenger completed the order of finish in the Grade 2 race, which was run in 2:18.81.
Tyler Pizarro rode Lauro for trainer Andreas Wohler.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Taking full advantage of his inside post and a crafty ride from veteran Jean-Luc Samyn, Formal Decree stole Saturday's 49th running of the $111,400 Knickerbocker Handicap in broad daylight on a blustery afternoon at Belmont Park.
Atoned, often close but winless in his last 10 starts since winning the Continental Mile in August 2007, finally caught some racing luck when he nipped Ready Set by a nose in Friday night's Grade 3, $200,000 Pegasus Stakes at the Meadowlands.
In seven starts earlier this season, Atoned ($17.80) was narrowly beaten three times, finishing a head behind Truth Rules in the Long Branch at Monmouth, a neck behind Cool Coal Man in the Spend a Buck, and beaten a neck by Big Truck in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.
Roshani can be forgiven for her seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland last month.
The winner of that race, Forever Together, won Friday's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. Later that afternoon, Roshani won the $250,000 Las Palmas Handicap, scoring her second stakes win of the year.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There are a multitude of subtle differences in the Churchill Downs spring and fall meets, not the least of which is the preponderance of 2-year-old racing in the fall.
The Churchill Downs racing secretary, Ben Huffman, estimated that whereas only three or four races for 2-year-olds are conducted weekly in the spring, "we average at least 10, probably more," per week in the fall. The most overt signs of 2-year-olds being a primary focus will arise twice at the meet, on the Nov. 1 and 29 cards, when the Stars of Tomorrow programs are renewed.