Leah's Secret ends long drought
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Since Leah's Secret won the Anne Arundel Stakes on Nov. 25, 2006, at Laurel Park, she hasn't been able to find the winner's circle, but jockey Rene Douglas led her there late Saturday afternoon.
Getting an ideal trip under Douglas, Leah's Secret ($5) pushed past Tequilas Dayjur in the final furlong and won the $150,000 Chicago Handicap by three-quarters of a length at windy Arlington Park.
PLEASANTON, Calif. - Saratoga's Magic ($8.20), part of a three-horse uncoupled entry for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, controlled the pace under Roberto Gonzalez and held off favored stablemate Putmeinyourwill by a neck to win the $51,250 Alamedan Handicap at the Alameda Country Fair on Saturday.
Saratoga's Magic stole the race, going the opening quarter of the 1 1/16-mile stakes in 25.02 seconds and the half mile in 49.25 while maintaining a one-length lead over My Creed, who normally sits off the pace.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Real Appeal ($4.60) closed into a slow pace to win the $75,000 Alysheba Breeders' Cup for 3-year-olds at Lone Star Park by 1 1/2 lengths on Saturday. Turnleftatthelight finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Numismatist.
Real Appeal trailed the field in the early stages of the one-mile race, as Crook's Bodgit got away with an opening quarter in 25 seconds and the half-mile in 49. Real Appeal began to move up some past the half-mile pole, advanced four wide into the stretch, and rolled home. He covered the distance in 1:39.13.
Marble Cliff ($7.80) completely dominated his 13 Ohio-bred 3-year-old rivals when he loped to a 13-length win in the 41st running of the $100,000 Cleveland Gold Cup on Saturday at Thistledown.
Formal Arrangement, one of the two fillies in the race, rallied to be a clear second, 6 1/2 lengths ahead of Alisarott.
Marble Cliff, trained by William Cowens and ridden by Luis Martinez Jr., is now 4 for 5 lifetime. He has won his four races by a comined 39 1/4 lengths. He is owned by the Foxwood Stable, a racing partnership of Beulah Park owners Charlie Ruma and Joe Sugar Jr.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Black Mamba completed a remarkable weekend for trainer John Sadler, winning Sunday's $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park and giving the leading trainer at the meeting his fourth stakes win in two days.
Sadler won three stakes on Saturday. Black Mamba's win was his third graded stakes win of the weekend.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Left alone on the lead, Dearest Trickski can be dangerous filly.
In the $150,000 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday, Dearest Trickski shook clear of her 10 rivals, set a moderate pace and was not challenged in the stretch, winning by 2 1/4 lengths. She completed a remarkable day for leading trainer John Sadler, who won three of the four stakes on the program.
The Grade 2 A Gleam unfolded in a surprising style. Magnificience, the 5-2 favorite, who was expected to be near the front, broke slowly and was ninth in the early running.
The third time was the charm for Wayzata Bay as he pulled a huge upset in the Grade 2, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on Saturday night. Becoming the first horse to race three times in the Cornhusker, Wayzata Bay was sent off as the longest shot on the board in the seven-horse field and returned $78.80 to win.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Mast Track was a stranger to jockey Tyler Baze until he climbed aboard the colt for Saturday's $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup. By the time they reached the backstretch, Baze felt like he was aboard an old friend.
Allowed an uncontested lead, Mast Track led throughout the Grade 1 Gold Cup, pulling a 10-1 upset in Hollywood Park's biggest race for older horses.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. went a long way Saturday toward mending fences with the International Equine Acquisitions Holdings Stable.
Two days after Michael Iavarone, the head of IEAH which owns majority interest in Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, said he had considered taking his horses away from Dutrow, the stable's red, white, and blue silks were in the winner's circle after 40-1 shot Frost Giant upset the Grade 1, $400,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park.