SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bonfante sat in a perfect spot as Vicarino and Tribesman dueled each other into submission, then pulled away in the stretch to score an easy 4 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3, $125,000 Bay Meadows Sprint on Saturday.
Tribesman, who had won five straight, and Vicarino, coming off a track-record performance, went head-and-head from the instant the gate opened. Vicarino had his head in front at the half-mile pole through an opening quarter of 21.72 seconds.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Trainer Wayne Catalano always maintained Dreaming of Anna was a better horse on turf than on dirt, even after her victory in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Thus far, it's been hard to argue with that assessment.
Dreaming of Anna ($4.40) once again validated Catalano's long-standing opinion by notching her seventh win in nine career starts on grass, a convincing 6 3/4-length victory over Lady Digby, in Saturday's $175,000 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
STICKNEY, Ill. - After a subpar race last out at Oaklawn Park, Mr. Soul was shipped to Chicago to start at Hawthorne. Trainer Hugh Robertson hoped a change of scenery would help boost the fortunes of Mr. Soul, who had shown promise a year ago at Oaklawn but failed to develop much during the remainder of 2007, though he did win a summer allowance race over Arlington's Polytrack before going on the shelf.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. The pick six went unhit Saturday for the second consecutive card, creating a $236,310 carryover entering Wednesday's card at Aqueduct.
There is no racing Sunday due to the Palm Sunday holiday and Monday and Tuesday are dark days.
There was a carryover of $49,820 entering Saturday's card. The carryover into Wednesday was assured when longshot Prince of Peace ($48.60) won the $67,500 Instant Friendship Stakes. McLovin ($22.60) and First Commandment ($29.90) were other longshots in the sequence.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In addition to being good, Carolyn's Cat was lucky to win Saturday's Grade 3 $108,000 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct.
Though Carolyn's Cat was much the best winning the Cicada in front-running fashion by 3 3/4 lengths, she was fortunate to remain the winner after bumping hard into Throbbin' Heart at the break, nearly unseating jockey Stewart Elliott and eliminating any chance Throbbin' Heart had to be competitive.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A strong Saturday card at Santa Anita will be enhanced by a pick six carryover of $97,494.48, which resulted from no one sweeping the bet on Friday.
Saturday's card begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. There are 10 races, so the pick six will encompass races 5-10.
The sequence includes the Grade 2, $200,000 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds, which goes as the ninth race. Such accomplished runners as Georgie Boy, Gayego, and Bob Black Jack are in the nine-horse field.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Ken McPeek is planning to put his improving 3-year-old prospect Nistle's Crunch on the road to the Kentucky Derby. He's just not sure which of the many available trails he'll take just yet.
Nistle's Crunch, a son of Van Nistelrooy, comes off the best performance of his career, a two-length entry-level allowance victory here on March 1. The versatile Nistle's Crunch has not finished worse than third in six career starts - two on Polytrack, two on turf, and two on conventional dirt.
Kodiak Kowboy cruised to a six-length win in his 3-year-old debut on Friday, when he captured a six-furlong optional claiming race in 1:10.21 at Oaklawn Park. He will be pointed next for the $100,000 Lafayette at seven furlongs at Keeneland on April 6, said his trainer, Steve Asmussen.
Kodiak Kowboy ($2.80) was making his first start since finishing third behind Kentucky Derby favorites War Pass and Pyro in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 27. Friday, he tracked the pace in a four-horse field, then easily swept to the lead in the stretch under jockey Luis Quinonez.
NEW ORLEANS - Elliecat won't have the element of surprise this time when she goes forward in the Fortin Handicap, one of six stakes featured on the closing Saturday's Lagniappe Stakes Day.
Her last race was the Chou Croute Handicap, on Feb. 16, where she wired the field at 75-1, holding on to win by a neck.
As Elliecat has matured on the track, trainer Dallas Keen has seen an increased maturity in the barn. Elliecat has always been notoriously hard to handle, biting grooms and trying to throw riders.