POMONA, Calif. - The Fairplex Park meeting was about 90 minutes old on Sept. 5 when jockey Tyler Baze realized it may be time for a vacation.
Baze escaped injury in a two-horse spill in the fourth race that day when his mount ducked through a temporary railing.
"The horse outside of me started to take a left and my horse did take a left," Baze said. "I thought I was hurt, but I was lucky. Maybe somebody was trying to tell me something."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita officials and trainers based here are hoping the sequel to its synthetic surface era is a lot better than the original.
When the track reopens for racing Wednesday, opening day of the Oak Tree meeting, the sport will be conducted on the new Pro-Ride surface that was installed over the summer. It replaced the dysfunctional Cushion Track surface that failed to drain last winter when it rained during the main Santa Anita meeting, costing the track eight days of racing and millions of dollars in repairs and lost wagers.
Lickety Lemon ($7.80) flaunted her stamina by taking the $102,500 Flaming Page Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on the grass at Woodbine on Sunday.
Chantal Sutherland had Lickety Lemon reserved in fifth on the backstretch, and they circled four-wide into contention on the far turn.
Lickety Lemon hit the front early in the stretch, and then coasted home on top by 1 1/4 lengths over Kentucky shipper Oh Glory Be. Classy Landlady rallied from last to end up third, and favored La Hernanda finished fifth in the seven-horse field.
Monsoon Rain ($4.70) capped his dream season at Assiniboia Downs on Sunday with an 11 1/4-length romp in the $72,250 Gold Cup, the closing-day feature which was the richest race of the meeting for 3-year-olds and upward.
Owned by Larry Carter, trained by Martin Drexler and ridden by Carlos Marquez, Monsoon Rain was recording his fifth consecutive win and third straight stakes score in the 1 1/8-mile Gold Cup.
Alberta invader Tejano Trouble, who won the Gold Cup last year, checked in second this time with 2 3/4 lengths to spare over third-place Voorhee's Ballad.
You Dancing Devil had gotten a great setup when she scored a blowout turf allowance win last month at Arlington, sitting behind a wickedly fast pace before coming with her late rally.
Sunday, in the $100,000 Nancy Vanier Illinois Owners' Stakes, the pace was much slower, the opposition more numerous and talented, but You Dancing Devil ($8.40) easily won again, notching a 4 1/4-length victory over Si Si Mon Ami. Royal Leah and Arundel dead-heated for third.
Tanika, invading from Northlands Park, romped to a three-length win under regular rider Stephan Heiler in Saturday's $74,500 Matron at Assiniboia Downs.
Favored at 4-5, Tanika Road ran down front-running 28-1 shot Britannia Road with Fast Actress another three lengths back in third and Polynesian Kitty fourth in the 1 1/8 mile race for fillies and mares.
On the final night of the 2008 racing season at Prairie Meadows, Euphony ($8.60) rallied strongly to win the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Oaks while longshot Shadowbdancing ($48.80) held on to win the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby.
Rarely Makes It Home won the $156,850 Valley Junction Futurity, the biggest race of the meet for Quarter Horses.
Andiamo ($14) set a track record while proving best of seven older horses in the $100,000 Lake Erie at Presque Isle Downs on Saturday evening.
Trained by Bill Downing, Andiamo was allowed to settle in midpack early in the mile-and-70-yard Lake Erie. Jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. asked Andiamo for his best turning for home and he responded, getting up to win by a neck and setting a track record in 1.40.05.
POMONA, Calif. - Booyah fought off a stubborn challenge from Freesgood to win the first stakes of his 17-race career in Sunday's $122,500 Ralph Hinds Invitational Handicap at Fairplex Park.
The Hinds was the richest of four stakes on the card.
Booyah ($39.60) was the longest shot in the field of seven. Ridden by Joe Talamo, Booyah had the early lead, but was headed by Freesgood on the final turn. Racing on the rail, Booyah never trailed by more than a head in early stretch and rallied to prevail by that margin, finishing about 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.94.
Trinity Magic remained unbeaten while Sneakin Up won her first race as the two captured stakes races for New York-breds Sunday at Belmont Park.
In the $107,400 Betram F. Bongard for colts and geldings, Trinity Magic, under Shaun Bridgmohan, stalked Rereadthefootnotes until the three-furlong pole, then ran with that one until just outside the eighth pole before taking charge en route to a 1 1/2-length victory. Tall Poppi got up for second by a neck over Uncle T Seven.