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.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Oh brother - and sister - did the Belmont Stakes just get a whole lot more interesting.
Casino Drive, a half-brother to recent Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and the filly Rags to Riches, announced his presence as a major contender for the June 7 Belmont Stakes - and a potential Triple Crown roadblock to Big Brown - with an impressive 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.
Ride Em Cowgirl ($8.40) stalked the early pace from the outside under jockey Willie Martinez, made her move on the turn, and then drew clear in late stretch to win the $100,000 Inaugural on Friday night at Presque Isle Downs.
Trained by last year's leading trainer at Presque Isle, Tom Amoss, Ride Em Cowgirl prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Mrs. Petoski in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. American County led to upper stretch before fading to third as the even-money favorite.
Main Executive ($24.70) was gunned to the early lead by jockey Eurico Da Silva, and they went wire to wire in the $127,400 New Providence Stakes at Woodbine.
Main Executive set fast fractions of 21.95 and 44.15 seconds in the six-furlong sprint, while being stalked by his older half-brother, Cool Selection, and Stonetown. Legal Move, the 3-5 favorite, rallied wide, and Yummy With Butter closed inside, but Main Executive held on to win by three-quarters of a length.
"He ran a huge race," said Da Silva. "He's a very professional horse. He does everything right."
The well-traveled Ravalo ($5.60) overcame a bump at the start and a late surge by Joey P. and Maddy's Lion to win a three-horse photo in the $70,000 Decathlon Stakes at Monmouth Park.
A 4-year-old gelding based in Maryland with trainer Donald Barr, Ravalo has now won at five different racetracks since last September, including two stakes at Mountaineer and one apiece at Presque Isle, Aqueduct, and Pimlico.
A return to statebred company and a hot pace duel proved the winning combination for Whistle Pig ($22.40) in the $75,000 Lyman Sprint Handicap at Philadelphia Park.
Badly beaten in his first two starts of the season facing open company in second-level allowances, the 4-year-old Whistle Pig was dropped in class to face Pennsylvania-breds for the first time since winning the Lil E Tee Handicap over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs last September.
Hartigan ($2.80), part of a heavily favored entry in a field reduced to four runners when the race was moved from turf to the main track, ran down No Use Denying in deep stretch to post a half-length victory in the $48,500 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico.
Barcola ($4) reaffirmed his affinity for Delaware Park with a wire-to-wire victory in the $75,300 Brandywine Stakes.
Racing for the first time since finishing 12th in the Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup card in late March, the New York-based Barcola has now won four stakes at Delaware within the past 12 months, including the Brandywine twice.
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche allowed Barcola to set uncontested modest fractions of 48.26 seconds for a half-mile and 1:12.33 for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile Brandywine.
Rene Douglas, perennial leading rider at Arlington, guides Meal Penalty to victory in Saturday's Shecky Greene.P
With speed horses holding well early on the Saturday card at Arlington Park, jockey Rene Douglas showed why he has won the riding title every time he has summered here.
Douglas put rail-drawn, heavily favored Meal Penalty into the $53,700 Shecky Greene Stakes as soon as he could, worked hard to hold his position on the fence to avoid having to swing wide to rally, and guided Meal Penalty to a two-length win over Young Joe.