Semaphore Man had scored all five of his career wins at Oaklawn Park heading into the $50,000 King Cotton on Saturday, and he added to that total when he turned back fellow horse-for-course Junior College in the stretch for a 2 3/4-length win.
Junior College finished second, 3 1/4 lengths clear of Probation Ready.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A year ago Spring at Last made the long trip to Dubai to win the $1 million Godolphin Mile. But after notching his first Grade 1 victory, a half-length decision over A. P. Arrow in Saturday's $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, Spring at Last's next trip to the Middle East could be for all the marbles in the $6 million Dubai World Cup.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Crown of Thorns was making his first start around two turns, against winners, and in a stakes race on Saturday, but he felled all three obstacles in one swoop by rolling to a stylish 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Barrier Reef bounced back from a disappointing effort in last month's Count Fleet and may have put himself on the Triple Crown trail with a determined half-length victory over Roman Emperor in Saturday's $109,000 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct.
Texas Wildcatter finished third. Cave Valley, the 2-1 favorite, was sixth of seven.
PORTLAND, Ore. - It's unusual to see a 12-year-old horse who is still racing, and it is rarer still when such an aged campaigner is able to win. An Naabi, a 12-year-old son of Phone Trick, did just that Jan. 27 at Portland Meadows when he drew away to defeat younger $2,500 claimers by 6 3/4 lengths in 1:07.40 for 5 1/2 furlongs.
"I'm pretty proud of him," said owner and trainer Eulia Bischoff. "He's a special horse."
OLDSMAR Fla. - Last spring, trainer Rick Slomkowski's future looked bright. A hands-on horseman, Slomkowski was getting on many of his own runners during training hours, training for one of the biggest owners in the country in Frank Calabrese, and winning at a better than 20 percent clip with his runners at Tampa Bay Downs.
ALBANY, Calif. - Russell Baze had to wait for nearly five minutes after Two Step Cat crossed the finish line in Friday's third race at Golden Gate Fields before finding out that he had become the first North American rider to win 10,000 races.
Rallying along the rail, Baze and Two Step Cat won by a nose over Brite Oakie, who was a nose in front of Unusual Men in a three-horse photo at the end of the one-mile race for $4,000 claimers.
"This is a milestone, but not the final milestone," Baze told fans after the victory.
Baze said he didn't think he had won the race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After winning the Selima Stakes and Tropical Park Oaks around two turns on grass in her last two starts, it was surprising to see Bsharpsonata's name among the nominees for next Sunday's Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes on the Gulfstream Park main track. And it's even more surprising to learn trainer Tim Salzman intends on running the 3-year-old filly in the seven-furlong Forward Gal.
Bsharpsonata tuned up for the Forward Gal by working a half-mile in 47.00 seconds over the main track here Friday. The move was the fastest of 29 at the distance.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The usual weather-related problems led to 22 missed days of training during January at the Trackside Training Center, where many horsemen are stabled and ship to run at Turfway Park in Florence during this time of year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - He's not headed to the Kentucky Derby, but Rodman stamped himself as a 3-year-old to watch with an impressive debut win Thursday at Aqueduct.
Rodman, a Kentucky-bred son of Malibu Moon owned by Barry Schwartz and trained by Mike Hushion, rebounded from a slow start to register a five-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race. He ran six furlongs in 1:11.43 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
