For the second straight year, trainer Kelly Von Hemel saddled three winners on Prairie Meadows Iowa Classic Night.
Von Hemel's winners included Crimson King Kat ($6.80) in the Iowa Classic Sprint, Jumpifyoudare ($3.20) in the Iowa Cradle, and Red Hot and Gold ($3) in the Ralph Hayes. In the Iowa Breeders Derby, Kate's Main Man ($12) upset 1-5 favorite Maya's Storm, who is trained by Von Hemel.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Matt's Broken Vow ($9.40) captured Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby under a ground-saving ride from Emile Ramsammy, who allowed his mount to settle in along the rail behind moderate early fractions in the 1 3/8-mile test.
"He relaxed for me and was very willing when I asked him," said Ramsammy, who rode Woodbine invader Matt's Broken Vow for trainer Josie Carroll. "When Texas Wildcatter came up inside of us at the eighth pole, I still had plenty of horse left."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Just Rushing got a late start to his current campaign, as he did not see action until July 19.
But the 7-year-old gelding, who is trained by Sid Attard, has been making up for lost time and registered the biggest win of his career here in Saturday's Grade 2, $215,600 Play the King over seven furlongs of turf.
"Last year, he came up with some problems in his last race," said Attard, who had watched Just Rushing wind up his 2007 season with a third-place finish in the six-furlong Kennedy Road here Nov. 18. "We had to give him some time off."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - For a man who had just suffered an excruciating beat 12 hours earlier, trainer Neil Howard was surprisingly calm and composed the morning after his Mambo in Seattle was beaten by the slimmest of margins by Colonel John in Saturday's Grade 1 Travers.
It was the second year in a row that Howard, owners William Farish and Lora Jean Kilroy, and jockey Robby Albarado were narrowly defeated in the Travers. A year earlier, they just missed upsetting Street Sense with Grasshopper.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Eddie Broome hit a major milestone in the seventh race Sunday at Monmouth Park with Tastefully Smart, his 1,000th training victory.
The mark is doubly sweet for Broome, who is also the owner of the vast majority of those winners.
"What took me so long?" was his joking response to a congratulatory phone call. "I've gotten a lot of sore backs from it, but it has paid off."
DEL MAR, Calif. - The wait was not worth it. Midnight Lute, the 2007 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, took nine months to get back to the races, but nothing went right for him in the Pat O'Brien Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar. He was uncomfortable in the gate, broke poorly, was caught in traffic most of the race, and never got a chance to run, finishing 10th of 12 as the 4-5 favorite.
Tom Doutrich, racing secretary for the Northern California fair circuit this summer, says Northern California racing is at a crossroads.
As the fair season nears its end and with Bay Meadows having raced for the last time, Doutrich has a few suggestions to help with the dwindling horse population in the region. He said he believes a cutback in racing dates and eliminating meet overlaps will improve field size and handle.
Distinguish ($13.20) surged along the rail for a head win over Orphan Brigade in the $50,000 Brother Brown Stakes at Remington Park on Sunday. He won the same race in 2006.
Distinguish ($13.20) covered the five furlongs on firm turf in 55.79 seconds. Justin Shepherd rode the winner for Gary Owens and trainer Martin Lozano.
String of Diamonds shook off a strong challenge from the maiden Sweet Boy through the far turn and prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths under a hand ride to capture the colts and geldings division of the Columbus Breeders' Special on Sunday afternoon at Columbus.
String of Diamonds ($2.60), ridden by Damon Leeds for trainer David Anderson, was the overwhelming favorite in the short field of four 3-year-olds. He covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:21.20 over a fast track.
Nosir ($2.80) had no trouble validating his status as Yavapai's top horse as the 5-year-old gelding easily handled the other top handicap horses and the meet's top 3-year-old Rule by Force when cruising to a 4 1/2-length victory in Sunday's $21,000 Yavapai Mile-Hi Handicap.