The strategy for Elite Squadron was the same as in his last race. The only difference is that this time he held on - and more.
Leading from soon after the opening bell, Elite Squadron pulled away to a 4 1/2-length victory Saturday in the 74th running of the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap, helping to erase the bitter memories of his previous race, the April 12 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland, when he led every step except the last few before being defeated by a head at 38-1.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One big one down, another bigger one to go. The calculated gamble that trainer Larry Jones took by running Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby - and leaving only Proud Spell for the 134th Kentucky Oaks - worked to sweet perfection Friday when Proud Spell splashed to a five-length victory in the filly classic at Churchill Downs.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Doug O'Neill is sending an eight-horse stable to Delaware Park later this month, which he described as "a little experiment" to keep some of his horses on dirt.
O'Neill, who has won 20 trainer titles in Southern California in the last six years, said the horses will be sent to Delaware on May 14. It will mark the first time that O'Neill, 39, has had a stable based away from Southern California. He has approximately 90 horses in training at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Reade Baker will be a man on the move over the next couple of weeks as he divides his attention between his home team and several road trippers.
Baker's first out-of-town engagement will be with Northern Netti, who will be looking for her third win in as many career starts in the $100,000 Bouwerie, a seven-furlong race for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Belmont on Sunday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A strong closing kick in a recent turf workout was the impetus for the connections of Tizdejavu to run in Friday's Grade 3 Crown Royal American Turf Stakes. But it was the 3-year-old colt's early foot that made the difference in him winning the $181,950 race.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When many people reach their 70s, they take a long and serious look at retiring. At 76, retirement seems to be the furthest thing from trainer Troy Taylor's mind. Instead, he is gearing up to be the leading trainer at Hastings for the second year in a row.
Taylor led the standings with 46 wins from 137 starters in 2007, the second time in his long career that he was the leading trainer here. The last time was in 1963, 45 years ago.
AUBURN, Wash. - By any measure, Wild Cycle had a productive campaign at Emerald Downs last season. He won the Tacoma Handicap, placed in three other stakes, and ran fourth in the Emerald Derby in five starts as a
3-year-old.
It's just that he might have done so much better were it not for a freak accident shortly before last year's meeting began. Rolling in his stall, Wild Cycle managed to strike a front leg with a hind hoof and sever an artery. His life was briefly in danger, and his campaign was put on hold.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A mix of horses from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, and Texas are under consideration for the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Derby on May 10, according to local racing officials. The 1 1/16-mile race will share a card with two 3-year-old divisions of the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Downs meet that concludes Sunday has been an interesting one from the start. It has produced record-breaking performances, heartwarming comeback stories, and a massively disappointing effort from a superstar who fell from grace here in less time than it takes to go to the fridge for a beer.
The two biggest stories around here this meet are those of leading trainer Jamie Ness and leading jockey Daniel Centeno. Dangerous in their own right, the two were deadly when they teamed up, winning 48 times from 130 starters, a 37 percent clip.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - An old claiming horse named Gravano won the first race on April 17 at Hawthorne. In fact, he couldn't lose, according to the bettors, who made Gravano a crushing 1-2 favorite to beat five rivals in a $4,000 claimer. Gravano delivered, won by six: "Shown whip," reads the official chart comment for his performance.
Afterward, Doug Matthews, who has owned and trained Gravano since summer 2004, showed the horse the door.
"One hundred and three starts," Matthews said. "I wanted him to go out a winner."