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.
In a battle of unbeatens, Northern Netti smoked Dance Gal Dance by 9 1/4 lengths in the $109,300 Bouwerie Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
The victory kept Northern Netti undefeated in three starts, while Dance Gal Dance suffered her first defeat in her fifth lifetime race.
Wins from Tough Tiz's Sis in races such as Sunday's $108,500 Hawthorne Handicap make trainer Bob Baffert think that the filly can play an important role in graded stakes for fillies and mares.
At least as long as those races do not include Zenyatta, the winner of the Apple Blossom Handicap and the division's leader.
"We'll keep her away from Zenyatta," Baffert said.
In the Grade 3 Hawthorne Handicap, Tough Tiz's Sis, carrying top weight of 121 pounds, beat six rivals for her fifth stakes win.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia True Metropolitan, the champion older horse in Canada for the past two years, set a track record of 109.87 for six furlongs over a "good" in the $52,262 George Royal Stakes at Hastings on Saturday.
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 victoryover Spaghetti Mouse.
ARCADIA, Calif.-For the second time in a week, there is a massive pick-six carryover at Hollywood Park. Sundays pick six begins with a two-day carryover of $387,380. The pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 1:20 p.m. Pacific.
Several of the races have large fields, including 13 runners in the first leg, a maiden claimer over six furlongs; 10 runners in the sixth race, a $40,000 claimer over 1 1/16 miles on turf; and15 runners in the last race, a six-furlong maiden race on turf.
Jockey Ramsey Zimmerman, spending the whole summer in Chicago for the first time in several years, won the first stakes race of the Arlington Park meeting, capturing the $100,000 Illinois Owners Stakes by two lengths over favored Fort Prado.
Zimmerman got a major assist from Mother Nature, with a rainy couple days softening the Arlington grass course, just the way Lord Carmen likes it.
"This horse loved the way the turf was," Zimmerman said. "It was just a question of pushing the button at the right time."
El Roblar ran down pacesetter Ghosttrapper and held off a determined run from Heroi do Bafra through the stretch to win his first graded stakes on turf in the $109,500 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, El Roblar ($5.20) was third early, stalking Ghosttrapper, who set an early pace of 23.27 and 46.11 seconds, leading by as many as 10 lengths. El Roblar made progress on the leader on the turn, took over in early stretch, and was fully extended to finish a half-length in front of Heroi do Bafra in the field of eight.
Making amends for a fourth-place finish as the Comely favorite three weeks earlier, Zaftig ($11.60) rallied from off the pace to wear down odds-on Carolyn's Cat and win the Gradeo3, $208,400 Nassau County for 3-year-old fillies by 5 1/4 lengths.
Making only her fourth career start for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, Zaftig settled into good striking position under Jorge Chavez, as last year's Spinaway winner Irish Smoke battled with two-time stakes winner Carolyn's Cat through early fractions of 22.57 and 45.01 seconds.
Longshot John Charles ($26.40) battled for the lead throughout in Friday night's $60,000 Need for Speed Stakes at Evangeline Downs before holding off a late charge from favored Brother Bean to earn bragging rights as the quickest horse on the grounds. Toolengthsoflite saw his four-race winning streak come to an end as he reported home third, followed by Unbridled Trust. Defending Need for Speed champ Jimmy's Boy was a late scratch.