PLEASANTON, Calif. - Conga Kaye ($48.40) stunned 1-5 favorite Broadway Hennessey when she rallied from last to win the $55,200 Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes for 2-year-old fillies in her debut Sunday at the Alameda County Fair.
Conga Kaye, a daughter of freshman sire Congaree, became his first stakes winner. She got a dream trip after breaking last and getting into stride slowly under jockey Frank Alvarado.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Dyna's Lassie ($19.80) earned her first stakes victory Sunday with a half-length win over Rasta Farian in the $70,000 Miss Liberty for fillies and mares on the turf at Monmouth Park.
Carlos Marquez Jr was aboard for trainer Paul Fout as the 4-year-old Dyna's Lassie ran the 1 1/16 miles on a course rated "good" in 1:42.62.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Jimmy Jerkens may have lost his best 3-year-old filly for the summer, but he may just have a top quality 3-year-old colt for that division's elite stakes.
Mint Lane took some early heat from Ready's Image, but turned that rival back and kept on going to win Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Dwyer Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park. Tizbig, a 33-1 shot trained by Allen Jerkens, Jimmys father, finished second, 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Pascal in third.
Web Gem, Halo Najib, and Ready's Image completed the field. Fidelio was scratched.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - For months, trainer Bruce Headley has been dropping hints that Street Boss could get into the company of the best horse Headley has ever trained, the champion sprinter Kona Gold. On Saturday at Hollywood Park, Street Boss took another step toward reaching that rarified air by overcoming a brutally wide trip to capture the Grade 1, $300,000 Triple Bend Handicap for his fourth straight victory.
He's got something to prove to be a Kona Gold, Headley said in the winner's circle. But he's well on his way.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The winner's circle was of full hugs and kisses after two of Monmouth Parks own, Presious Passion and trainer Mary Hartmann, upset the tracks premier grass race Saturday, the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes.
It was a feel-good outcome, and the biggest career win for both horse and trainer.
Hartmann, 55, has been part of the Monmouth scene for over 20 years. The long-time assistant to J.J. Crupi until his retirement in 1997, Hartmann had trouble in the days before the race expressing what a U.N. win would mean.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-A patient ride by jockey Julien Leparoux helped Pure Clan find her way through traffic to win the $750,000 American Oaks at Hollywood Park on Saturday.
But as quick as Leparoux was to make the right decisions aboard Pure Clan, he was slow to take credit.
I just got lucky, he said. It kind of opened up on us.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Scoring one for equal rights, Candy Ball rallied strongly down the straight in Saturday's $50,000 Independence Stakes to defeat eight male opponents by a convincing 3 3/4 lengths at Louisiana Downs
They did not make it easy for Candy Ball, a 6-year-old Lemon Drop Kid mare. She had to survive a foul claim lodged by Lonnie Meche, who was on board eventual sixth-place finisher, Forty Acres, for alleged interference in midstretch. Beta Capo finished second in the one-mile turf race, followed by T. C. Champ.
Joe Move pulled a 20-1 upset in the $50,000 Lone Star Park Turf Sprint on Saturday, when he shot to the front at the start and never relinquished his lead for a one-length win over Distinguish. It was another half-length back in third to Chamberlain Bridge.
Bucephalus ($7.10) graduated in style at Woodbine, taking the $150,400 Clarendon Stakes for 2-year-olds by a half-length over El Brujo.
Bucephalus rallied wide from the back of the tightly-bunched field, and hooked up with El Brujo and pacemaker Silver Rocket early in the stretch. He wore down those two in the final furlong, and completed 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.73.
Silver Rocket wound up third, and favored Long Pants trailed the six-horse field of Ontario-breds, after getting squeezed at the break.
The Sweetest Chant Stakes was contested at one and one-sixteenth miles on Polytrack, but the race was all but over after a quarter-mile. By then, Dreaming of Liz had shaken loose on a clear lead without having to work, and so far, no horse has been able to run down Dreaming of Liz once she gets to the front on Arlington Polytrack.