Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

First Class Brass runs down favorite

First Class Brass ($11.80) finished with a good late run to wear down the leg-weary Bevys Best in the closing sixteenth of a mile to successfully defend his title in the Labor Day Stakes at Columbus on Monday.

Bevys Best, the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven older horses going 6 1/2 furlongs, opened up what appeared to be a commanding lead of six lengths at the top of the stretch but shortened stride late. First Class Brass, with Armando Martinez aboard, rallied along the inside and prevailed by three-quarters of a length, covering the distance in 1:20.40 over a fast track.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Brownie Points overcomes slow pace

Brownie Points rallied into a slow pace to defeat male rivals in the $150,000 DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup, the richest of three stakes at Remington Park on Monday. She won by a half-length over Tricky Causeway, who finished a length in front of third-place Brego.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Fatal Bullet confirms affinity for synthetics

Fatal Bullet ($2.40) was kept just off the early pace by jockey Eurico Da Silva and rallied to draw off by 1 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes at Presque Isle Downs on Monday evening.

Trained by Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet is now 6 for 7 lifetime over synthetic surfaces. MJ's Enchanteur set the early pace but then faded to second, 7 1/4 lengths in front of Honest trip.

The winning time for the six-furlong Tom Ridge was 1.08.60.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Tough beat turns into win for Gallon

Gallon was awarded the win in Monday's $100,000 Emerald Downs Derby when Thiscatsgotcharm, who reached the wire a nose in front after 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.20, was disqualified for repeatedly bumping Gallon through a thrilling stretch duel.

Fear No Evil, who set the pace, held on for third in a field of seven.

Gallon, a son of Victory Gallop who races for Mike and Amy Feuerborn, paid $4.20 to win as the favorite and earned $55,000 for his owners. Gallon, who is trained by Jim Penney and was ridden by Ricky Frazier, has now won 4 of 11 starts and $187,940.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Dancing Till Dawn scores at 15-1

Owner/trainer Del Waite and jockey Osvaldo Vargas pulled off the upset when Dancing Till Dawn ($32.60) rallied to win the $50,000 Ann Arbor Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths at Pinnacle Race Course on Monday.

Twilighted Thistle and Clever Idea finished second and third, respectively, while favored Wave Pool was up for fourth in the field of 10..

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Allnightdance sets turf course record

The 4-year-old filly Allnightdance not only outfought Cat Hop to barely reach the wire first, but earned a course record and her first career stakes victory in the process Monday night at Mountaineer Racetrack.

Making a six-wide move under Oswald Pereira, Allnightdance ($28.40) got up by a head in the co-featured $75,000 Summer Finale Handicap for fillies and mares. Her time of 1:37.94 for a mile and 70 yards erased the turf course record of 1:38.14 set by the 3-year-old filly Beautiful Venue on Aug. 4, 2007.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Let It Rock upsets Shakopee Stakes

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Trainer Judi Hicklin pulled the upset of the meet in the $50,000 Shakopee Stakes at Canterbury Park on Monday when Let It Rock edged his stablemate Wayzata Bay in the mile and 70-yard contest as the longest wagering choice in the field of five.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Botched robbery at Ellis Park

The Henderson, Ky., sheriff's office on Tuesday was reviewing videotape of a failed armed robbery of a section of mutuel-wagering windows that occurred shortly after Ellis Park ran the last race of its summer meet the previous evening.

Ellis spokesman Mark Geary said six people had been sequestered at the track late Monday for questioning by law-enforcement officials and that he believed arrests were imminent, although none had been made as of early Tuesday afternoon.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Favored Stolis Winner wins All American

RUIDOSO, N.M. - Stolis Winner, the 9-5 favorite, pulled away from 5-2 second-choice Jet Black Patriot to win the 50th running of the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity by a half-length on Monday at Ruidoso Downs.

Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. pushed Stolis Winner over the 440 yards in 21.17 seconds for the gelding's third Grade 1 futurity win. He won the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park and the Grade 1, $625,000 at Ruidoso Downs.

Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:00

Vineyard Haven all the way in Hopeful

Barbara D. Livingston
Vineyard Haven (right) wins the Hopeful over Cribnote, who bolted wide around the turn.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Alan Garcia and trainer Bobby Frankel capped an excellent Saratoga season on Monday when Garcia guided the Frankel-owned and -trained Vineyard Haven to a front-running 2 1/4-length score in the Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful Stakes.

The victory enabled the 22-year-old Garcia to clinch the Saratoga riding title while giving Frankel his fourth Grade 1 win of the meet.

Garcia won two races on Monday, giving him 39 for the meet, three more than John Velazquez.