Seacrettina ($8) put on a show of speed in the $75,000 Silver Spur Breeders' Cup for 2-year-old fillies at Lone Star Park, winning the six-furlong race in a rapid time of 1:10.49. Time Well Spent finished second, six lengths clear of third-place finisher Bridesmaid.
Wayzata Bay ($5.20) closed with a rush to capture the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap for the third straight year. The 6-year-old was allowed to settle at the back of the pack before circling the field under jockey Israel Ocampo. Red Hot n Gold, who set the pace before giving way to the winner, held on for second.
Odds-on favorite Nice Inheritance ($3.60) needed every ounce of her class advantage at Evangeline Downs as she gained the nod over Cutie Sabrina at the wire to capture the $60,000 Matron Handicap. Miss Peachtree finished third, 4 1/2 lengths behind the top pair.
A. J. Bakes ($7.20) drew off under steady prompting from rider Scott Stevens to prevail by 9 1/2 lengths in the $60,000 Minnesota Oaks for statebreds at Canterbury Park. Also on the card, Cubfanbudman ($41.80) overcame traffic problems in the early stages of the $60,000 Minnesota Derby, shook out of the pack with a sustained powerful move entering the stretch, and went on to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths.
Sirmione ($15.80) took the shortest way home under John McKee, sticking close to the rail for the entire one-mile trip when emerging victorious in a three-way photo in her stakes debut, the $50,000 HBPA Handicap at Ellis Park. Ballado's Thunder, the race-long front-runner, finished second, a neck behind the winner and just another nose before Mama I'm Home, the 2-1 favorite in a field of 10 fillies and mares.
Odds-on Wild Promises ($3.80) got the dream trip she expected and dominated in the lane to score an easy victory in the $52,950 Luther Burbank Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on the turf at the Sonoma County Fair. She defeated Lemon Kiss by six lengths, winning in 1:41.70.
A horse coming off a lengthy layoff was supposed to prevail in the $150,000 Sea o'Erin Handicap at Arlington Park.
But instead of Lewis Michael, the even-money favorite in a field of 10 older horses, the winner was Karelian, who got a perfect stalking trip under jockey James Graham before holding off Yate's Black Cat to win the Sea o'Erin by three-quarters of a length.
Winning a graded stakes on turf in California is the latest accomplishment for the rapidly improving Storm Mesa.
In Saturday's $150,000 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar, Storm Mesa won her fifth consecutive race, and first on turf, overcoming a spot of trouble on the backstretch of the one-mile race.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Artie Hot already had established a reputation as a giant-killer here last fall when he toppled Alezzandro and Mike Fox, respective winners of the Prince of Wales and Queen's Plate, when sent off at 33-1 in the 1 1/8-mile Ontario Derby.
On Sunday, Artie Hot struck again in the 1 1/16-mile Seagram Cup, scoring by a half-length under jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson at 10-1.
Finishing second in the Grade 3, $151,200 Seagram Cup was True Metropolitan, who was the even-money choice and the winner of the last two Sovereign Awards as Canada's champion older male.
Trainer Greg Gilchrist has a plan for the undefeated 3-year-old filly Indyanne, who won the Grade 3 Azalea at Calder on July 12 and worked an easy 48.20-second half-mile Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.
He wants to run her Aug. 23 in the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a six-furlong race at Saratoga.
Gilchrist was considering running her in the Grade 1 Test there Saturday, but, he said, "That would have been pretty tough to run back in three weeks after running in the heat in Florida and coming back to California."