The 3-year-old filly Bitterbutsweet ($6.80), stepping to meet older horses after winning the Scottsdale Handicap on March 31, defeated Bye Bey Ladiess by three-quarters of a length in Saturday's $30,700 Desert Sky Handicap at Turf Paradise.
Owned by M&B Partnership LLC and trained by Dan Morgan, Bitterbutsweet sat well back in the about-one-mile turf race and was still fifth in midstretch but drove home strongly under Daniel Vergara.
Trainer Roger Brueggemann and the Scarlet Stable swept both $50,000 stakes on Saturday's card at Prairie Meadows.
Sole of the City ($4.60) overpowered her five rivals in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes for fillies and mares, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths by running six furlongs in 1:09.51.
Magnus One ($15.20), who had stumbled slightly at the start, held off 3-5 favorite Biglie Smallworld by a neck in the $50,000 Prairie Express. Magnus One covered the six furlongs in 1:10.07.
Bettin On M J ($5.40) broke on top and repelled a mild challenge from even-money favorite Bernie Blue to post a three-length victory in the $75,000 Panhandle Handicap at Mountaineer Racetrack.
Ridden by Gerald Almodovar for trainer Julio Cartagena, the 6-year-old Bettin On M J covered five furlongs on a sloppy track in 57.80 seconds while winning his third straight race and 16th in 36 lifetime starts. Since he was reclaimed by Cartagena for $15,000 a year ago, Bettin On M J has 5 wins and a second in six starts.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - True Metropolitan ($2.40), the champion older horse in Canada for the past two years, set a track record of 109.87 for six furlongs in the $52,262 George Royal Stakes at Hastings.
Under a confident ride by Mario Gutierrez, True Metropolitan broke sharply and then settled into a perfect stalking position behind Lord Nelson and Spaghetti Mouse. He took the lead at the top of the stretch and then drew off to post a 2 3/4 length margin over Spaghetti Mouse over a track rated good.
Salty Attraction ($6.20) won the closing-day feature at Fonner Park for the second straight year, scoring by five lengths in the $25,750 Al Swihart Memorial Stakes.
With Larren Delorme aboard for trainer Mike Kirby, Salty Attraction put a head in front at the top of the stretch and drew off to complete 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.20 over a fast track.
Even-money favorite Classify ($4.20), under a confident ride by Donnie Meche, swept to the front turning for home and defeated Precious Kiss by three-quarters of a length in Saturday night's $60,000 Tellike Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
Classify, a 4-year-old daughter of Unbridled's Song trained by Steve Asmussen, covered six furlongs in 1:10.43 after stalking early fractions of 21.76 and 45.13 seconds set by Carson City Babe. Classify has now won 6 of 13 starts and more than $161,000.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Among the highlights of the final week of the spring meet at Bay Meadows is Saturday's $60,000 third leg of the Triple Play series at 1 1/4 miles.
Horses entered in the 1 1/16-mile first leg on Marcho16 were eligible to be claimed for $10,000. Starter allowance conditions were used for both the April 13 second leg and Saturday's finale.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Not Bourbon was unable to run down Stuck in Traffic when both were making their seasonal bows in the six-furlong Achievement here April 12.
But last Saturday's seven-furlong Queenston was a much different story as Not Bourbon, under his regular rider, Jono Jones, blew past Stuck in Traffic turning for home and drew off to an emphatic victory.
Trainer Roger Attfield, watching the Queenston from home while he continues his recuperation from a serious foot injury, was concerned when he saw Not Bourbon washing out on his way to the starting gate.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Considering the rivals that Tropic Storm has faced in recent months, the fifth race at Hollywood Park on Wednesday might be a letdown.
Since his win in an optional claimer at Santa Anita in January, Tropic Storm has been battle-tested against three proven horses.
He finished fourth to Benny the Bull in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park in late January. Benny the Bull later won the $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters in Dubai in March.