Mon, 01/21/2008 - 00:00

Champs Elysees shows family class

ARCADIA, Calif. - Champs Elysees did what a 2-5 shot was supposed to do in Saturday's $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 2 race with a stretch-long rally, a victory that made him the fifth member of his illustrious family to win a graded stakes in the United States.

A full brother to the champion Banks Hill (who earned $1,824,008), Cacique ($1,462,331), and Intercontinental ($2,052,463), and a half-brother to Heat Haze ($1,183,696), Champs Elysees won the San Marcos Stakes in his second American start.

Sun, 01/20/2008 - 00:00

Carryover city at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. - A string of longshots on Sunday has created a pick six carryover of $129,821 for Monday’s 10-race program at Santa Anita.

Also, there is a $65,712 carryover in the $1 Super High Five, which requires bettors to correctly select the first five finishers in the last race.

Monday’s $2 pick six covers the fifth through 10th races on a Martin Luther King Jr. Day program that begins at noon Pacific. The first pick six race, the fifth race, is due off at 2:05 p.m. Many of the pick six races have large fields.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Champs Elysees last to first in San Marcos

ARCADIA, Calif. - Champs Elysees did what a 2-5 shot is supposed to do in Saturday's $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 2 race with a stretch-long rally, a victory that made him the fifth member of his illustrious family to win a graded stakes in the United States.

A full brother to the champion Banks Hill ($1,824,008), Cacique ($1,462,331), and Intercontinental ($2,052,463), and a half-brother to Heat Haze ($1,183,696), Champs Elysees won the San Marcos Stakes in his second American start.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Miss Missile takes another stakes

Miss Missile ($4.80) won her second stakes of the Delta Downs meet on Friday night, when she held off 21-1 shot Eagle's Song by a neck in the $55,000 Genesis.

Diego Saenz rode the winner, who covered seven furlongs over a muddy track in 1:28 for owner and trainer Charlie Smith.

Her other stakes win at Delta came in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Valentine Fever dominates Cincinnati Trophy

Valentine Fever entered the $50,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park with a reputation as a skilled synthetic-track horse. And she only furthered that reputation Saturday, winning over Polytrack by eight lengths.

Rebounding from her first defeat in three starts over synthetic surfaces, a fourth-place finish in the Dec. 22 Gowell Stakes at Turfway, Valentine Fever ($12.80) easily handled the opposition in the sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Rated in fourth early by jockey Tommy Pompell, she quickly advanced on the rail to hit the front, and drew off in the stretch.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Honey Honey Honey uncatchable

Honey Honey Honey used his strong early speed to lead from start to finish en route to a 5 1/2-length victory in the $65,000 Pasco, one of two stakes for 3-year-olds on the card at Tampa Bay Downs.

Coming off a nose victory in the Inaugural three weeks earlier, Honey Honey Honey ($18), ridden by Jose Lopez for trainer Stanley Gold, covered seven furlongs in 1:24.75.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Doyouwanttodance upsets at 18-1

Doyouwanttodance won her fifth straight race when she took the lead at the start of the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes and never looked back, winning by 2 3/4 lengths before a crowd of 19,973 at Oaklawn Park. Fast Deal finished second in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares, while it was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Lady Takum.

Doyouwanttodance ($38.80) broke on top and led the field through fractions of 22.93 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.76 for the half-mile mark. She went on to cover the distance over a fast track in 1:12.14.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Spirited Away scores in the slop

Spirited Away captured the $60,000 Truly Bound Handicap at Fair Grounds, coming home 1 1/2 lengths in front of Unforgotten over a sloppy track.

Jockey Miguel Mena took Spirited Away to the front immediately, holding off Adhrhythm in the early going. She opened up a four-length lead in the stretch and held off hard-charging Unforgotten at the wire. It was 7 1/4 lengths back to Kathleens Reel in third. Adhrhythm held on for fourth.

Spirited Away ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.81 and paid $10.60 to win. She won $36,000 for owner B Wayne Hughes and trainer Paul McGee.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Trick's Pic takes Tuzla

Starting for her third trainer since early October, Trick's Pic won her first stakes in the $110,300 Tuzla Handicap at Santa Anita.

Trick's Pic ($14.40) won the Gradeo3, one-mile turf race by two lengths over I Can See, rallying from fourth to finish in 1:35.09. Trick's Pic was ridden by Victor Espinoza, a replacement for Corey Nakatani, who missed the race after sustaining a collarbone injury during training hours on Saturday.

Sat, 01/19/2008 - 00:00

Ah Day romps in General George prep

Ah Day certainly didn't show any signs of rust in his return from a 7 1/2-month layoff.

Racing for the first time since finishing second in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap on last spring's Kentucky Derby undercard, Ah Day ($3.60) drew off to a 4 3/4-length victory over pacesetter Cognac Kisses in Saturday's $78,800 Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong Fire Plug, run in 1:09.95 over a track labeled good, served as Ah Day's prep for next month's Grade 2 General George Handicap at seven furlongs.