Koonunga Hill proved a game winner of the $109,500 Ice Water Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine on Sunday.
Koonunga Hill ($4.30) prevailed by a nose over Panther Strike in the seven-furlong turf race, after running rank on the early lead under Constant Montpellier.
Just Rushing defeated a solid group of turf runners in the Grade 2, $215,600 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.
Just Rushing, under Jim McAleney, tracked the dueling leaders, Off Duty and Disfunction, on the outside through fractions of 23.33 and 45.52 seconds in the seven-furlong event. He hit the front early in the stretch, and put away Off Duty at the eighth pole before holding off Wollemi Pine en route to a 1 1/4-length score. Off Duty faded to third, and favored Tam Lin finished ninth in the 11-horse field.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Now thats the way a champion jockey should spend a weekend.
After winning the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday with Colonel John, Garrett Gomez flew across the nation early Sunday and rode Go Between to a victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
This means a lot, said Gomez, who won the Eclipse Award as the nations outstanding jockey of 2007. I feel Ive won the two of the most prestigious races of the summertime.
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - Whatsthescript continues to collect Grade 2 wins this summer, but trainer John Sadler is dreaming of greater prizes. Two months after winning the Grade 2 American Handicap at Hollywood Park, Whatsthescript ran an outstanding race to win Sundays $400,000 Del Mar Mile, a Grade 2 on turf.
His autumn goal is the Breeders Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, a race that Sadler thinks is an ideal fit.
I feel this is a Group 1 horse, he said.
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.
