A gritty Bustin Stones made the successful transition from restricted stakes to open company Monday and scored the biggest victory of his career to remain undefeated.
Forging to the lead right out of the gate under Ramon Dominguez, Bustin Stones held off a late charge from Lord Snowdon in the stretch to win the Grade 2, $246,750 General George Handicap at Laurel Park by a head. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to a troubled-trip Premium Wine in third.
Eight stakes that received a purse boost of at least $100,000 and the return of the Greenwood Cup after a two-year absence helped push Philadelphia Park's stakes purses to a record $5.475 million for 2008.
The purse structure for 31 stakes, released Monday, represents a 27 percent increase from 2007.
The Grade 2 Fitz Dixon Cotillion got a $250,000 increase, making it worth $750,000. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, positioned five weeks before this year's Breeders' Cup, will no longer be run as a handicap.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With the loss of 11 days of racing to wet conditions and subsequent drainage problems with its synthetic surface, Santa Anita suffered a 26 percent drop in business in the first half of the track's winter-spring meeting. The meeting began Dec. 26, 2007 and runs through April 20.
Four new turf stakes for 2-year-olds, including one designed as a prep for the Breeders' Cup, and a pair of listed races upgraded to Grade 3 status are among the most notable changes on the 2008 stakes schedule at Delaware Park.
The 32 stakes, worth a collective $5.3 million, will as usual be highlighted by the $1 million Delaware Handicap. The Grade 2 Delaware Handicap headlines Delaware's $2.5 million Festival of Racing, a weekend package of seven stakes on July 12-13.
Almost halfway round the world, things were humming along smoothly for the sprawling Steve Asmussen stable on Monday, with Curlin safely and comfortably housed in the quarantine barn at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse after an uneventful trip from Louisiana to Dubai that began Friday morning. But Monday morning at Fair Grounds, the scene was much more chaotic, as Pyro had his first work since his explosive win in the Risen Star Stakes interrupted by a loose horse.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Indian Blessing, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2007 who is unbeaten in five races, will make her next start in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 8, trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday.
Indian Blessing has already made one successful journey from California to Louisiana this year, winning the Grade 3 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 9. She is part of Baffert's stable in Southern California.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sugar Swirl left little doubt she's the queen of the local filly and mare sprint division after cruising to an 8 3/4-length victory over Change Up and four other overmatched rivals in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Ready for Fortune overcame a bumping incident at the break to register a neck victory over Armonk in Sunday's $82,775 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to True Intentions, a stablemate of the winner, in third.
Mario Pino guided Ready for Fortune to victory, the jockey's 6,032nd career win, tying him for 14th-place all-time with Hall of Famer Johnny Longden.
Eight Belles indicated her intent to be a force in the 3-year-old filly division this year when she cruised to a 13 1/2-length win in the second division of the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Sunday at Oaklawn Park. It was the second straight blowout win for Eight Belles, who came into the race off a 15-length allowance win at Fair Grounds.
"This filly is serious, and I'm glad to see her duplicate it two races in a row," said Larry Jones, who trains Eight Belles for Rick Porter.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Cheroot led for one stride of Sunday's $98,650 Daytona Handicap at Santa Anita - the last.
Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Cheroot finished a nose in front of Moth Ball, scoring his first stakes win in more than 14 months.
Cheroot ($58.80) rallied from sixth. He was one of five horses within a length at the finish of the race over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Cheroot was timed in 1:12.82, and was the third-longest shot in a field of 12.