Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

Eye Look Back overcomes bad start

Eye Can't Look Back ($11.20), despite bobbling at the start, still managed to defeat 11 other Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies in the $50,000 Royal North at Beulah Park.

Eye Can't Look Back was rushed up by jockey Jane Magrell and took the lead after splitting horses on the backstretch. She took a three-length lead into the stretch and finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of the previously unbeaten Great Goin Rose.

Got Bling, part of the three-horse Tim Hamm entry at 4-5, was 2 1/4 lengths farther back in third.

Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

Stuck in Traffic hangs on

Stuck in Traffic set sizzling fractions before holding off Not Bourbon in the $150,400 Achievement Stakes at Woodbine.

Struck in Traffic's time of 1:08.62 was just .06 of a second off the six-furlong Polytrack record, which was set last year by Financingavailable. He returned $3.60 as the favorite, and earned $90,000 in the race for Ontario-breds.

Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

Lady Digby wins head bob with Mary Louhana

The final margin was a lot closer than when they met a month earlier in Florida, but Lady Digby still got the better of Mary Louhana in the $80,000 Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park.

Lady Digby ($3.80) had finished second behind former juvenile filly champion Dreaming of Anna in the Grade 3 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs on March 15, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Mary Louhana.

Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

Seattle Smooth romps in Bay Meadows Oaks

Seattle Smooth recorded her first stakes victory, capturing the $75,000 Bay Meadows Oaks with a strong stretch run, pulling six lengths clear in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

"She doesn't have a quick turn of foot, but, once she gets moving, she gobbles up the ground pretty good," winning jockey Russell Baze said.

Christmas Ship was able to open a comfortable lead while setting easy fractions. She had a 1 1/2-length advantage over Naturally Perfect after running a 47.15-second opening half-mile.

Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

Three in row for Santa Teresita

Santa Teresita won her third consecutive race, and stakes debut, in the $78,650 Santa Lucia Handicap on a warm afternoon at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Jockey Joe Talamo rode Santa Teresita to a comfortable win in the restricted race over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Santa Teresita was last of six fillies and mares to the end of the backstretch before rallying wide on the final turn and reaching the front in the final furlong. She was timed in 1:41.91, and finished two lengths in front of Model.

Sat, 04/12/2008 - 00:00

15 months later, Exhale ready to run

ARCADIA, Calif. - Exhale was a Triple Crown hopeful in 2007 until his season ended when he was found to have a bone spur in his left knee. Surgery put Exhale on the sidelines.

At the time, trainer John Sadler was philosophical about Exhale's setback, saying "I think he'll be a nice older horse."

Exhale, 4, makes his comeback in an optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs in Monday's fifth race at Santa Anita. It will be his first start since he won a maiden race over 6 1/2 furlongs by five lengths in January 2007.

Fri, 04/11/2008 - 00:00

Emigh sweeps Friday stakes at Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Jockey Chris Emigh swept both stakes run Friday at Oaklawn Park, when he guided Prom Shoes to an off-the-pace, upset victory in the $100,000 Fifth Season, and Palanka City to a front-running win as the favorite in the $50,000 Prima Donna.

The stakes double continued the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn, where at least one stakes a day is carded. The season will end Saturday with a stakes triple led by the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

Fri, 04/11/2008 - 00:00

Sandburr, 9, rings up special victory

Sandburr, a 9-year-old Sandpit gelding, kicked off the Lone Star meeting Thursday evening by winning the $50,000 Premiere Stakes, becoming the oldest winner of a black-type stakes race this year.

Jockey Cliff Berry, who won four races on the opening-night card, placed the winner just off the pace in second early, a length off of Lil Jett, who set fractions of 47.67 seconds and 1:13.03 in the mile race for Texas-breds.

Fri, 04/11/2008 - 00:00

Lone Star signal held from account-wagering sites

Account-wagering sites were unable to take wagers on races from Lone Star Park for its opening card on Thursday night because of a dispute between the track's owner and its horsemen.

The dispute centers on the cut of wagering revenue that horsemen receive from bets placed through account-wagering sites, according to representatives of both sides. As of Friday afternoon, a blackout of the signal from the track on account-wagering sites appeared to be likely for the entire opening weekend, and perhaps beyond.

Fri, 04/11/2008 - 00:00

Kip Deville picks up where he left off

EXINGTON, Ky. - Three cheers for the best turf miler in the country. Kip, kip, hooray. Kip, kip, hooray. Kip, kip hooray.

In his first start since capturing the Breeders' Cup Mile last fall, Kip Deville picked up right where he left off by streaking to victory in the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile on Friday before 14,056 at Keeneland.

Kip Deville won this race last year, when it was still a Grade 2. It is now a newly minted Grade 1, and became the third Grade 1 victory on Kip Deville's resume.