Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Precious Kitten looking for payback

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Plans called for Precious Kitten to win her comeback six weeks ago at Keeneland and lay claim as the country's top female grass runner.

She never had a chance. A two-time Grade 1 winner favored in the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley, Precious Kitten broke from post 8 and ran straight into a nightmare.

"I had a bad trip," jockey Rafael Bejarano said, shaking his head at the memory.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Brean Can draws clear in Shelby County

Brean Can ($5.80) challenged the leaders through upper stretch and took command in the final furlong to score by 5 1/4 lengths in the $50,000 Shelby County Stakes for Indiana-sired fillies and mares at Indiana Downs on Friday night.

Co-favored in the 10-horse field with Fueledbymoonshineat at 9-5, Brean Can collared Fueledbymoonshineat in upper stretch and quickly drew clear leaving the furlong pole under Orlando Mojica's urging.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Anne's Purse easily wins stakes debut

Anne's Purse ($11.10) blew away her Ontario-sired opposition at Woodbine, winning the $125,800 Lady Angela Stakes in just her second career start.

Anne's Purse set fractions of 22.62 and 44.45 seconds before being headed by the 3-5 favorite, Authenicat, who made an inside bid on the turn. Anne's Purse battled back and took control early in the stretch, before drawing away to a 4 3/4-length score in a time of 1:23.23.

Nicki Knew edged Kaleidoscope Kerry for second, and Authenicat faded to finish sixth in the seven-horse field of 3-year-old fillies.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Come Fly Away relishes Maryland trips

Come Fly Away trains in New York, but she does her best running in Maryland.

Making her fifth straight start since January in Maryland, the 4-year-old filly Come Fly Away ($3.40) scored her third win during that span and captured her first stakes in the $50,000 Shine Again at Pimlico.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Lattice wins Louisville Cap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Lattice got a perfect inside trip under Robby Albarado before finishing clear of two longshots and posting the second graded stakes victory of his career Saturday in the 71st running of the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Always near the pace while saving ground during all three turns of the Louisville, a 1 1/2-mile turf race, Lattice surged to the front after turning for home before prevailing by three-quarters of a length. Transduction Gold, a 34-1 shot, was second, a neck before Birdbirdistheword, a 46-1 shot.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Sky Cape prevails in three-way photo

Sky Cape ($4.20) scored a victory in a three-way photo in about the only thing that went to form in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

The race was affected by the erratic early actions of Nordic Wind, who ducked out nearing the finish line the first time in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds.

Sky Cape, coming off a victory in the six-furlong Harry Henson, steadied when Nordic Wind ducked out, and Captain Roy, who had rallied from last in his May 3 debut victory, inherited the lead, setting very slow fractions.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Trevor's Clever stuns 1-5 Madeo

Trevor's Clever won his stakes debut in the $76,800 Alydar Stakes at Hollywood Park, closing through traffic in the final furlong to run down the heavily favored Madeo.

Trevor's Clever ($36.20) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.88, winning by a neck. Ridden by Joe Talamo, Trevor's Clever was last for the first half-mile. He rallied along the rail on the turn and between Pistol Pete Afleet and Exuma in the stretch to run down Madeo, the 1-5 favorite.

"It was a little tight, but when he got through it was clear sailing," Talamo said.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Wild Gams overtakes 3-5 favorite

Wild Gams ran down previously unbeaten Fancy Diamonds in deep stretch to score a one-length victory in Saturday's $250,000 My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park.

Switching to dirt after finishing fourth in her 2008 debut in the Grade 2 Madison over Keeneland's Polytrack six weeks earlier, Wild Gams ($7) was kept within two lengths of pacesetter Fancy Diamond through a half-mile in 45.78 seconds.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Plesa goes to bench for stakes

MIAMI - Under normal circumstances, Monday's Memorial Day Handicap would have been a worthy highlight to the holiday program - a Grade 3 race that was to have attracted the likes of Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Gottcha Gold.

Sat, 05/24/2008 - 00:00

Remaining star Backseat Rhythm boosts Reynolds barn

ELMONT, N.Y. - Big Brown wasn't the only good horse trainer Pat Reynolds had in his barn last year.

Backseat Rhythm was good enough to finish second in the Gradeo1 Frizette and third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. But Backseat Rhythm went winless in her first three starts this year, the last two on dirt.

On Friday, Backseat Rhythm returned to the turf and led gate to wire to win a first-level allowance race. She won by six lengths and covered the 1o1/4 miles in 2:04.34 over a good turf course and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.