Wild Promises ($5.20) wore down rival Unspoken Word in the final strides to win Bay Meadows's closing day $57,220 Mother's Day Handicap on Sunday.
The two, who were separated by a head when Unspoken Word won the one-mile Hillsborough Handicap on March 29, ran one-two the whole way before Wild Promises got her head in front in the final 70 yards. She won the 1 1/16-mile turf race by a neck in 1:43.06. Greetings was five lengths farther back in third.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With her late-running victory in Sunday's 6 1/2-furlong Hendrie at Woodbine, My List has now won both of her races this year in come-from-the-clouds style, including a score here in the six-furlong Whimsical on April 20.
Trailing the field turning for home in the Hendrie, My List came flying under rider Eurico Rosa da Silva and was along in time to score by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux continues to make all the right moves, waiting patiently to pull the trigger on Banrock ($21.40) before letting him rally through the lane to get up for a head victory over Dave in Sunday's $113,700 Kingston Handicap for New York-breds at Belmont Park.
ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields general manager Robert Hartman views the track's 30-day meet that opens Wednesday with a sense of opportunity and responsibility for the Northern California racing industry, which will change dramatically next year if Bay Meadows closes as expected.
The Tapeta surface installed last summer and used for the first time last fall continues to win raves from horsemen, and, just as inventor Michael Dickinson suggests, seems to be getting better.
Five times since the race was restored to its former glory in 1988, the winner of the Pimlico Special has gone on to be Horse of the Year. The prospect of that happening again this year appears remote, surely in part because the purse for the 2008 Pimlico Special is $250,000, only half of what it was in recent years.
In any case, a solid field of nine older horses has been entered for the 41st Pimlico Special, which will anchor a Friday card at Pimlico in Baltimore.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Casino Drive did his job. Now, his connections are hoping Big Brown does his.
Those associated with Casino Drive are rooting for Big Brown to win Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico to set the stage for a potential Triple Crown clash in the June 7 Belmont Stakes. Of course, Casino Drive will be trying for a Triple Crown of sorts as well as he attempts to give the mare Better Than Honour her third consecutive Belmont Stakes winner. Better Than Honour is the dam of Jazil and Rags to Riches, winners of the 2006 and 2007 Belmont, respectively.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Sweeter Still prevailed by a nose over Magical Fantasy in Saturday's $109,800 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park, and then survived a six-minute inquiry into the stretch run to keep the win.
Sweeter Still drifted out in the final furlong, forcing Magical Fantasy farther to the outside. The stewards ruled that Magical Fantasy was also drifting to the outside and that the incident did not affect the order of finish.
"I tried to help her with my right hand, but she kept getting out," said winning jockey Martin Garcia.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - El Gato Malo recaptured his best form Saturday at Lone Star Park, when he overtook front-running Samba Rooster nearing the wire for a half-length win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Derby. Leonides dug in late to nab second by a nose over third-place finisher Samba Rooster.
El Gato Malo, who had been under consideration for the Preakness, instead was targeted for the Lone Star Derby earlier this week. With the win Saturday, he rebounded from a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The coronation of Champs Elysees as a turf superstar will have to wait until another day. The ex-claimer On the Acorn upset the highly-regarded Champs Elysees in Saturday's $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park.
A 7-year-old gelding, On the Acorn successfully defended his title in the Grade 2 Murray, which was run over 1 1/2 miles on turf.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Lucky Island continued his emergence as a potential top-flight sprinter with a strong 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $109,100 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park.
Man of Danger, who set the pace, finished second by two lengths over Forefathers. Executive Fleet, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth of seven.
The victory was the fourth from five career starts for Lucky Island, a 4-year-old Argentine-bred son of Lucky Roberto, and third straight since trainer Kiaran McLaughlin put him on Lasix. Lucky Island is owned by Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable.