SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mani Bhavan had won her first two starts so convincingly that one of the few questions surrounding her was how she would respond when challenged.
Question asked and answered.
DRF Past Performances
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It wasn't as easy as many expected it to be, but Curlin made a successful Saratoga debut Saturday, running past a stubborn Past the Point outside the sixteenth pole for a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes.
Past the Point, who set rapid early fractions, held second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Wanderin Boy. He was followed in the order of finish by A.P. Arrow, Loose Leaf, Divine Park, and Out of Control. Dr. D.F.C. scratched.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Gio Ponti came west with the fancy reputation, but it was Madeo who got the best trip, and the money, on Sunday in the Grade 2, $350,000 Del Mar Derby.
Madeo ($23.60), given a rail-hugging ride by Mike Smith, saved enough ground on both turns to subsequently outfinish heavily favored Gio Ponti by a half-length, with pacesetter Tangled Tango another three-quarters of a length back in third.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Marlang shipped down from Canada and led the locals on a merry chase around Saratogas Mellon Turf Course on Sunday, recording a 1 3/4-length, gate-to-wire score in the Grade 3, $111,100 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds.
AUBURN, Wash. - Gallant Son split rivals at the top of the stretch, then outfinished Rooster City to prevail by three-quarters of a length in Saturdays $50,000 WTBA Lads stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Emerald Downs. Noosa Beach got up for third in a field of eight.
Shining Moment controlled the pace throughout under leading rider Colby Hernandez before edging away in the late going to capture Saturday nights $75,000 Opelousas Stakes at Evangeline Downs. The entry of Humble Storm Kathy and Shutupanddance finished second and third, respectively, followed by Reckon.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Padua Stables, Shining Moment ($6.20) picked up her second stakes win and third victory overall from five starts. She is a 2-year-old daughter of Yes Its True, and she covered the six furlongs in 1:12.60 over a fast strip.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Vacare found out that the grass was greener on the other side of the country. She shipped to California from New York and made off with the Grade 2, $200,000 Palomar Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar, emerging best in a three-way drive to the wire.
Vacare, fanned six lanes wide into the stretch, outbattled Kris' Sis to her inside and Gotta Have Her to her outside and prevailed by a half-length. Kris' Sis and Gotta Have Her finished in a dead heat for second in the field of 10 older fillies and mares.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Tribesman, making his first start since May 16, blasted to the lead immediately, and set sizzling fractions as he scored a 4 1/2-length victory in the $76,000 California State Fair Sprint on Saturday at Cal Expo.
Tribesman's final time of 1:07.61 was one-hundredth of a second off Passing Game's track record set in 1993 when timing was done by fifths of seconds.
Judiths Wild Rush snapped a 17-race losing streak to earn his 12th career win and pass the $1 million mark in earnings with his three-quarter-length victory in the $50,000 Waquoit Stakes at Suffolk Downs.
The nominal prep race for Massachusetts Handicap on Sept. 20 was supposed to be the testing grounds for Jalil, Goldolphin Racing's international traveler, but Judiths Wild Rush sat closer to the reasonable pace set by local star Riversrunrylee and wore him down while Jalil struggled home in third.