Sun, 09/30/2007 - 00:00

Namaste's Wish stays perfect on turf in Miss Grillo

ELMONT, N.Y. - In Prussian, trainer Bill Mott already has one of the leading contenders for the new $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. In Namaste's Wish, he may have one of Prussian's major challengers.

Namaste's Wish, a full sister to Grade 1 dirt winner Purge, may have earned a spot in the Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26 with a three-quarter-length victory over Sea Chanter in Sunday's $81,900 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sun, 09/30/2007 - 00:00

D Fine Okie beats males in Oklahoma Classic

D Fine Okie kept Zee Oh Six from winning the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Day Classic for a fourth time when she drove to a1 3/4- length win in what was the richest of eight Oklahoma-bred stakes run Saturday night at Remington Park. Purses for the races totaled a series-high $500,000.

D Fine Okie tracked pacesetter Zee Oh Six for much of the mile and a sixteenth Classic, as that one set fractions of 24.08 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.80 for the half-mile mark and 1:11.83 for six furlongs. D Fine Okie took over in the stretch and went on to cover the distance in 1:43.93.

Sun, 09/30/2007 - 00:00

Mystery Classic wins fourth straight stakes

Mystery Classic reiterated his status as one of the top sprinters in this region on Saturday night, when he won his fourth straight stakes in the $45,000 J.R. Straus Memorial at Retama Park. He led throughout for a three length win over defending champ Nuttyboom, who was three lengths clear of third-place finisher War Bridle.

Mystery Classic ($3.60) was up by a length and a half through an opening quarter in 22.22 seconds in the six-furlong Straus, and remained in command of the race through a half-mile in 44.67. He went on to cover the distance in 1:08.84.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Student Council makes it two straight

STICKNEY, Ill. – Try and figure this one out: When Student Council won the Pacific Classic on Aug. 19, he was saddled by trainer Vladimir Cerin, but was basically running on the training of Neil Howard – who had Student Council before his private purchase in August – and Steve Asmussen, into whose Saratoga barn the horse moved after Ro Parra’s Millennium Farms bought him. But on Saturday, winning the Hawthorne Gold Cup in smooth fashion, Student Council won under Asmussen’s name, while basically running off Cerin’s training in Southern California.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Tiago edges Awesome Gem

ARCADIA, Calif. - Returning from an 11-week layoff, Tiago vaulted onto a list of leading contenders for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27 with a nose victory over Awesome Gem in Saturday’s $520,000 Goodwood Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

The victory came in Tiago’s first start against older horses and was his second Grade 1 win. A half-brother to 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, Tiago won the Santa Anita Derby last April. He was the only 3-year-old in the Goodwood.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Wolfson targeting Woodbine turf stakes

MIAMI - After successfully invading Kentucky last weekend, trainer Marty Wolfson will now turn his attention north of the border to Woodbine where he plans to send Golden Strategy and Ecclesiastic for graded stakes on Oct. 21.

Wolfson shipped four horses to Kentucky Downs for the Kentucky Cup Turf card, coming away with a victory by Art Moderne in the Franklin Stakes as well as third-place finishes by Ecclesiastic and Golden Strategy in the Kentucky Cup Sprint and Turf.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

The Leopard earns spot in BC Juvenile turf

ELMONT, N.Y. - The Leopard may have found his spot on the turf.

After finishing a disappointing fifth in the Grade 2 Futurity on dirt two weeks ago, The Leopard responded with a switch to turf, recording a gate-to-wire 2 3/4-length-victory in Saturday's $81,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park. He Ain't Easy, also making his turf debut, finished second by 3 1/4 lengths over Grasberg.

The victory by The Leopard will earn him a place in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Classic Campaign gets up by nose

STICKNEY, Ill. - Richard Migliore and Classic Campaign barely won the Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap, and that may be the only way to do it with this horse.

Migliore had never ridden Classic Campaign before Saturday, but he had watched tape, and his impression of Classic Campaign was confirmed by Keith Allen, assistant to Classic Campaign's trainer, Bill Mott.

"They told me not to make the lead too early, because as soon as he hits the front, he thinks he's done," said Migliore.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Nashoba's Key still undefeated

ARCADIA, Calif. - Nashoba's Key is going to the Breeders' Cup as a perfect filly.

Saturday at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, Nashoba's Key extended her unbeaten streak to seven with a hard-fought win over favored Citronnade in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes.

Sat, 09/29/2007 - 00:00

Hard Spun turns tables on Street Sense

Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos
Hard Spun leads Street Sense home in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway. The two colts are expected to meet again in the Breeders' Cup.
FLORENCE, Ky. - Taking full advantage of a set of highly favorable circumstances, Hard Spun turned back his Kentucky Derby conqueror, Street Sense, after setting a moderate pace in winning the 14th running of the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday at Turfway Park.