Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Fresno: Maiden Vadheim graduates in stakes

Vadheim ($50.60), one of three maidens entered, held off graded-stakes-placed Sky Cape to win Friday's $52,975 Harvest Futurity at the Big Fresno Fair.

Third in his Sept. 7 debut at Bay Meadows in a $50,000 maiden claimer and then fourth in a straight maiden race Sept. 29, Vadheim assumed a nice stalking position behind pacesetting Run Brother Ron and Whatever Whenever early. He was shuffled back to fourth at the quarter pole, swung three wide, and then finished strongly.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Meadowlands: Lost Etiquette in to win

Lost Etiquette benefited most when the turf course came up wet and Friday's $58,200 Salem County for 3-year-old fillies was moved off the Meadowlands grass to the main track.

Entered as a main-track-only entrant, Lost Etiquette pressed the pace under Jorge Chavez, took the lead on the far turn, and drew away to a six-length victory in a field that scratched down from eight to four.

Trained by Pat Reynolds for Paul Pompa Jr., Lost Etiquette ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:40.84 over a fast track and paid $4.20 as the favorite.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Hastings: Monashee sails home

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite, Monashee cruised to her 11th straight stakes win in the Grade 3 $129,048 Ballerina Breeders' Cup at Hastings on Saturday.

With Dave Wilson aboard, Monashee went right to the front and set modest fractions of 24.06 seconds, 49.13, and 1:14.40 before coasting home in 1:50.64 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Monashee, who is trained by Tracy McCarthy, was under wraps the whole way, and her final margin of 1 1/4 lengths over the second-place finisher Lady Raj isn't indicative of how much the best she actually was.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Delaware: Peak Maria's Way rebounds at Delaware

Peak Maria's Way rewarded backers who were willing to overlook her last race, sprinting to a clear lead and leading every step to win Saturday's $58,350 Justakiss at Delaware Park by 2 1/2 lengths.

Ridden by Joseph Rocco for trainer Michael Gorham, Peak Maria's Way ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.22 and paid $4.20 as the favorite

Lemon Drop Mom, the 7-5 second choice who came in off two straight wins, went after the winner on the turn for home, never really threatened, and held second by 2 3/4 lengths. Bondage won a three-way photo for third.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

59-1 shot up to win Finger Lakes Juvenile Fillies

Jovanna, shipping in off a hot maiden score at Saratoga by trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. and bet down to 1-5, took the lead in the lane in the $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile Fillies on Saturday. Then things got interesting.

Say Toba Sandy, a 59-1 shot, eased off the rail at the sixteenth pole and responded to rider Jose Osorio with a furious rally to reel in Jovanna and win by three-quarters of a length.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Leonnatus Anteas beats older in Durham Cup

Leonnatus Anteas ($7.80) beat an accomplished group of older opponents and shattered the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack record in Saturday's $150,800 Durham Cup Stakes at Woodbine.

Leonnatus Anteas raced five lengths off the lead on the backstretch, and made a four-wide bid on the far turn under Jono Jones. He hit the front at the top of the stretch, and then held off Eccentric and favored Arch Hall to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:49.55. The previous record was 1:50.49.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Poor start no problem for Calico Bay

MIAMI - Calico Bay overcame an eventful start to deny Silk Ridge a sweep of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, rallying from last for an impressive four-length victory in Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes at Calder Race Course.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Bold Hawk by a head in Hawthorne Derby

STICKNEY, Ill. - New York-based trainer Jimmy Toner knows a turf stakes horse when he sees one, and Bold Hawk did not come to Hawthorne for his stakes debut on Saturday just to take in the Stickney sights. A sharp move about three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish put Bold Hawk on the front in the Grade 3, $250,000 Hawthorne Derby, and he won by a head over favored Twilight Meteor despite loafing a bit the final half-furlong.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Reversals of fortune in Calder Derby, Oaks

MIAMI - A couple of 3-year-old turf specialists coming off eventful trips, Soldier's Dancer and Cozzi Capital, had no such traffic problems on Saturday, rebounding with victories in the $200,000 Calder Derby and $200,000 Calder Oaks, respectively.

Soldier's Dancer, an unlucky fourth three weeks earlier in the Needles Stakes, easily turned the tables on the three horses who finished in front of him that day, rallying to a convincing six-length victory over Imawildandcrazyguy, Fair Weather Stan, and Fearless Eagle in the Grade 3 Calder Derby.

Sat, 10/13/2007 - 00:00

Criminologist overpowers Athenia foes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Approaching the top of the stretch of Saturday's Gradeo3 Athenia Handicap, the trio of Criminologist, Fantastic Shirl, and Dance Away Capote all began to launch their bids after the loose-on-the-lead longshot Beautiful Daniele.