SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Summer Patriot continued his development into what trainer Barclay Tagg thinks could be a top-flight turf marathoner with a devastatingly easy 7 3/4-length victory in Sunday's $82,000 John's Call Stakes at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The upset win by Magical Fantasy ($87) in Saturdays Del Mar Oaks has led to a carryover of $206,263 for Sundays pick six at Del Mar.
The pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 2 p.m., Pacific.
There are no early scratches on Sundays program.
The pick six races feature four sprints on the synthetic main track and two one-mile races on turf.
All Magical Fantasy needed was a quiet race in Saturdays $350,000 Del Mar Oaks.
Fitted with earmuffs for the first time, Magical Fantasy ($87) rallied from ninth to win her first stakes in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. Trainer Paddy Gallagher said the use of earmuffs was designed to calm Magical Fantasy, who was winless in three previous starts this year.
We tried something a little different, he said. We thought that would help her relax.
Magical Fantasy was Gallaghers first Grade 1 win. She was the highest-priced winner in Del Mar Oaks history.
BOSSIER CITY, La.-Star Production already has one derby win at Louisiana Downs on his resume. Next month, he gets a shot at the big one. Star Production is headed to the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby after he won a three-way photo over runner-up Numismatist and third-place finisher Golden Yank in the $100,000 Prelude Breeders' Cup at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.
HENDERSON, Ky. - Swift Temper won for the first time in more than 18 months when prevailing under red-hot Victor Lebron as the longest shot in the field Saturday in the only graded race of the Ellis Park meet, the Grade 3 Gardenia Handicap.
Always close to the pace, Swift Temper glided away from the pack at the quarter pole and was never threatened, winning by 4 1/2 lengths over Marquee Delivery. The victory gave Lebron a sweep of the three Saturday stakes at Ellis and five overall victories on a 12-race Saturday card.
Moon Odyssey ($5.80) drew off with authority to score a 5 1/4-length win in the $10,600 Van Berg Derby at Columbus on Friday night.
Moon Odyssey claimed his fourth straight victory and second stakes win in the mile and 70-yard derby, covering the distance in 1:45.20. He was coming off a win in the Hall of Fame Stakes locally two weeks earlier. Beth Butler, who won four races on the card, was aboard for trainer Milton Gaede.
Juliet's Spirit held off a late surge from After the Applause to prevail by a head in the $151,200 Ontario Debutante Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.
Juliet's Spirit ($5.40) tracked dueling front-runners Fanci Candi and Petty Things through fast fractions in the six-furlong sprint, and made the lead early in the stretch, opened up by 1 1/2 lengths, then hung on while covering the distance in 1:10.17. C Karma finished 1 1/4 lengths behind After the Applause in third in the eight-horse field of 2-year-old fillies.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Student Council is a different horse than he was last year when he pulled a 23-1 upset in the Pacific Classic.
Student Council went into that race with the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston in early 2007 as his only stakes win. Since then, he has become a fixture in the handicap division. When Student Council tries to defend his title in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic, he will be after his second Grade 1 win of the year, having won the Pimlico Special in May.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Robert Ribaudo credited a firm turf and a strong early pace for helping Grand Couturier win the Sword Dancer Invitational in 2007. Though neither condition was prevalent on Saturday, Grand Couturier still found a way to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer again.