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 Youre 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.
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.
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 Youre 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.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The strategy could not have been any simpler. Dale Romans instructed jockey Robby Albarado to grab the lead aboard Thorn Song and keep going as far as he could, a plan that worked brilliantly Saturday in the 23rd running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.
Thorn Song, a 5-year-old gray horse by Unbridled's Song, shook off a midstretch bid from War Monger and finished clear of a belated run from Shakis to capture the Shadwell Mile by 1 1/4 lengths as the lukewarm favorite. He returned $8.40 after finishing in 1:34.97 over a firm turf.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The calculated plan that Paul Reddam engineered this week paid immediate dividends Saturday when his new purchase, Square Eddie, ran off and hid from 10 other 2-year-olds in the $500,000 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, stamping himself as a major contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Square Eddie, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, cruised to a 4 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity, which carries a Win and You're In berth for the BC Juvenile. The winner returned $20.20.
PHOENIX - Emerald invader Malia Sofia really took to her new surroundings and posted a 22-1 upset in Saturday's $50,000 Sun Devil Stakes at Turf Paradise.
Owned by Dan Agnew and trained by Carol Hubbard, Malia Sofia sat midpack in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies, stayed wide and finished gamely to get up by a nose to beat 9-5 favorite Briecat.
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.
Breaking sharply, 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.
Ikigai kept his local mark unblemished but had to work hard to outlast Dukes Flying Tiger by a diminishing head in the $55,000 The Kaiser Stakes at Calder. The Kaiser was originally scheduled to be run on the turf but was moved to a sloppy main track due to early morning downpours.
Legal Consent, ridden confidently by Dennis Carr, looped six wide around the leaders turning for home and powered to a three-length win in the $318,525 New York Breeders' Futurity for 2-year-olds at Finger Lakes. It was the richest race ever run at the Farmington, N.Y. track.
Legal Consent's entrymate Dagnabit vied for the early lead, led by a length or two in midstretch, and barely held second, a neck ahead of fast-closing Mother Russia.