Oprah Winney got the easy prep her connections were seeking Sunday as she strolled to a 31/4-length victory in the $104,700 Schenectady Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park.
Scatkey rallied to get second by a nose over Karakorum Starlet.
The win was the fourth from six starts this year for Oprah Winney, who will now be pointed to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario Becrux, winner of last year's Woodbine Mile, tuned up for Sunday's renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million turf race with a six-furlong breeze in 1:14.80 here Monday morning.
The Woodbine Mile, for 3-year-olds and upward, will be run on Sunday. A field of about 12 is expected, with several candidates still weighing their options.
Locally based exercise rider John McInerney, who galloped and worked Becrux for trainer Neil Drysdale here last year, was aboard for Monday's drill over a firm main turf course that had the dogs well out.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bear's Kid figures to be the speed of Wednesday's paceless Woodbine feature and will likely take some catching in the $80,000 optional claimer.
Bear's Kid, a 4-year-old trained by Reade Baker, seemed poised for stardom when he landed the Grade 2 Summer Stakes on the grass in his fourth start at 2. However, he subsequently ran fifth in the Grade 3 Grey BC Stakes on the dirt before going to the sidelines for nearly a year.
ELMONT, N.Y. - It remains to be seen if last weekend's trio of Grade 1 stakes conducted at Belmont Park will have any impact on next month's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Monmouth Park.
The winners of the Ruffian (Ginger Punch), Man o' War (Doctor Dino), and Garden City Breeders' Cup (Alexander Tango) are not nominated to the Breeders' Cup and would have to be supplemented at six-figure sums.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A $37,000 filly by Skip Away headed the preferred session of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's annual yearling sale at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion on Saturday.
Sue Leslie purchased the sale topper, who is the second foal from the $325,422 earner Cozy Up Doc. Box Arrow Farm, as agent, was the consignor.
The second-highest price was a $31,000 filly by Monashee Mountain, who was bought by Beclawat Stable from Woodlands, as agent.
Mikimoto's Mojo could be headed to New York. The unbeaten 2-year-old, who backed up a sharp debut win at Louisiana Downs last month with a three-length score in the $125,000 Lafayette at Evangeline Downs on Sept. 3, will be nominated to the Grade 1, $400,000 Champagne at Belmont Park, according to his trainer, Patrick Mouton.
"Whether we go depends on two things," he said of the race run on Oct. 6.
EDMONTON, Alberta - True Metropolitan defended his title with a dominating performance in last Saturday's $100,000 Speed to Spare here at Northlands Park.
Just four other older horses opposed True Metropolitan, a 1-5 favorite who extended his win streak at this course to five.
All of those wins came under Quincy Welch, who had the 5-year-old gelding on cruise control throughout the 11-furlong race.
"My horse was very keen to go on, but he relaxed when nobody challenged us early," Welch said.
EDMONTON, Alberta - True Metropolitan defended his title with a dominating performance in Saturday's $100,000 Speed to Spare at Northlands Park.
Just four other older horses opposed True Metropolitan, a 1-5 favorite who extended his win streak locally to five.
All of those wins came under Quincy Welch, who had the 5-year-old True Metropolitan on cruise control throughout the 1 3/8-mile Speed to Spare.
"My horse was very keen to go on," said Welch, "but he relaxed when nobody challenged us early."
ALTOONA, Iowa - Rolling Sea ($2.20) overpowered her three rivals in Saturday's $45,000 Central Iowa Stakes at Prairie Meadows, drawing off in hand to win by 10 1/2 lengths. With the field reduced to four horses, Prairie Meadows, for the first time in track history, offered win wagering only and the 1-9 favorite didn't disappoint.
Following the race, jockey Joel Campbell quipped that this race was nothing more than a workout for the 4-year-old Rolling Sea, who is likely to make her next start at Keeneland next month.