Hystericalady successfully defended her title in Sunday's Grade 2 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park, drawing off to an eight-length victory under Robby Albarado. She won last years Molly Pitcher by 6 1/4 lengths.
She always does more than we expect of her, said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. She broke so sharp. She was able to sit second and get a great trip."
DEL MAR, Calif. - Lewis Michael, returning to the synthetic surfaces over which he has thrived, rallied to score a mild upset win at Del Mar on Sunday in the Grade 2, $297,500 Pat OBrien Handicap, a race in which favored Midnight Lute never had a clear run while finishing 10th in the 12-horse field.
With the win, Lewis Michael earns an automatic berth into the Breeders Cup Sprint through the Win and Youre In program.
DEL MAR, Calif. - As a confirmed front-runner, Dearest Trickski is proving to be nearly impossible to catch.
In Sundays $200,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap, the speedy 4-year-old filly won her fourth stakes in the last year, leading throughout. Ridden by Mike Smith, Dearest Trickski ($6.20) held off a late run from Tiz Elemental to win by a nose, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in a track-record time of 1:15.17.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Spring House earned a berth to the $3 million Breeders Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 25 with a victory in Saturdays $250,000 Del Mar Handicap. The lucrative race is likely to be his next start.
When you run in the Breeders Cup, youve got to be fully loaded, trainer Julio Canani said.
The Del Mar Handicap was part of the Breeders Cups Win and Youre In program, offering an automatic berth to the BC Turf, subject to entry fees.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Friday at Ellis Park, the jockey Jamie Theriot hit the ground when a low-level claiming horse stumbled badly at the start and dumped him, but Theriot bounced back up and had no trouble making it to Chicago on Saturday. No way Theriot was going to miss the mount on Mr. Nightlinger, who is heading into autumn as one of the top turf sprinters in the country.
Jockey Matt Garcia was arrested in the paddock before the first race at Del Mar on Friday by San Diego County sheriff's deputies. The incident played out before a baffled crowd of onlookers who were watching the horses being prepared for the first race.
Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., has announced a 10-percent purse increase for the final six-day stretch of its summer meet, with officials attributing the hike primarily to the business success of the Aug. 16 Gardenia Day program. The increase is the second of the meet, following a 5-percent raise starting Aug. 13.
In addition, purses for all maiden-special and allowance races will receive an additional $3,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. The Aug. 13 increase excluded KTDF money.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There will be a carryover of $147,974 in the pick six pool awaiting fans at Saratoga on Sunday after nobody picked six or even five winners on Saturday's Travers program. Post time on Sunday returns to 1 p.m.
The carryover was fueled by the upset victories of the 88-1 Slambino in the seventh race and Porte Bonheur's surprising win over the 2-5 Indyanne in the Victory Ride Stakes. The favorites were beaten in each of the last six races on the card.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Colonel John not only proved he could handle dirt, but he showed he could win a dogfight too.
In a stirring stretch duel reminiscent of Friday's Grade 1 Personal Ensign here won by Ginger Punch, Colonel John was able to get his nose down on the wire ahead of Mambo in Seattle to win Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes before a crowd of 40,723 at Saratoga. It was the eighth time in the 139-year history of the Travers that the margin of victory was a nose. The last time it happened was in 1998 when Coronado's Quest nosed out Victory Gallop.
