ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mike Fox, Alezzandro, and Marchfield were the only three horses to compete in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, which concluded with the Breeders' Stakes here Sunday.
And it was Marchfield, who had been disappointing in both Mike Fox's Queen's Plate at Woodbine and in Alezzandro's Prince of Wales at Fort Erie, who stepped up to capture the $500,000 Breeders' over 1 1/2 miles of turf.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Being the leading trainer at Del Mar has led to a few awkward moments for Peter Miller. He found that out recently while visiting with friends between races.
"Someone said, 'I'm sitting with the leading trainer at Del Mar,' and I started to look around for Jeff or Doug," Miller recalled over the weekend.
Perennial leaders Jeff Mullins and Doug O'Neill were nowhere to be seen. Miller was the focus of the comment. Through Sunday, Miller has forced people to notice his stable, winning seven races and tying for the lead in the standings with O'Neill.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The San Mateo County Fair, better known as the Bay Meadows Fair, opens Wednesday.
The fair could also be called "Bay Meadows light" since is serves primarily as a two-week prep for the fall Bay Meadows meet, which opens Aug. 22 after an 11-day fair run.
Filling races at the meet has traditionally been a delicate balance and appears to be even tougher this year. Only 52 runners were entered on opening day, when only one of the eight races drew the minimum of eight horses required to offer superfecta wagering.
Bevys Best took advantage of the speed-favoring surface at Columbus to claim his first stakes victory with a 5 1/2-length score in the $11,025 Hall of Fame Stakes on Saturday.
Bevys Best, trained by Larry Staroscik and with Armando Martinez riding, took control at the very beginning of the six-furlong sprint, posting a mild $8.40 upset over 6-5 favorite My Secret Star, who finished second.
Bevys Best covered the distance in 1:12.60 over a fast track.
Prospective Kiss used an impressive finish to capture Saturday's $45,000 John Bullit Stakes at Canterbury Park.
Prospective Kiss was part of an uncoupled entry for trainer Mac Robertson, who also saddled Honour Colony. The narrow favorite, Honour Colony sprinted to the lead but was joined by Sir Swervalot racing into the first turn.
Tempting Date rolled to 2 1/2-length win over Annie Savoy in the $50,000 Adena Springs Matchmaker Turf Sprint at Remington Park on Saturday. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third to Amarula.
Tempting Date ($5) dueled with Runs Naked through an opening quarter-mile in 21.44 seconds, disposed of her rivals, and rocketed home to cover five furlongs on firm turf in 55.49 seconds. Ramsey Zimmerman was aboard for trainer Chris Hartman.
Relaxing nicely on the lead, defending champion Now Victory ($3.40) had no trouble repelling a brief challenge by Saratoga's Magic at the quarter pole to score an easy victory in the $50,930 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
Indian Chant lead wire to wire in capturing the first stakes race of his career, Saturday's $75,000 Prairie Meadows Sprint.
Ridden aggressively by Glenn Corbett, the Tom Amoss-trained Indian Chant took it to the field right from the start. When challenged by Piratesonthelake at the quarter pole, he dug in and went on to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
Indian Chant, a 4 year old California bred, covered the distance in a stakes-record 1:08.08, .23 of a second off the track record.
Delta Vixen, under Ricky Faul, won the colt and gelding division of the $100,000 John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes on Saturday.
Big Erl, who had shaken free of the group of nine 2-year-olds on the turn, had to settle for second, a neck behind the winner and 1 3/4 lengths in front of Delta Angel in third. Buster Hut, favored at 7-5, was a nonthreatening fourth.
Delta Vixen ($5.80) is owned by Peter Cantrell and trained by Keith Desormeaux. A son of A. P. Delta, he covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:07.42 over a fast track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches returned to the worktab Sunday morning, trainer Todd Pletcher gave strong indications that she would not run in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama here on Aug. 18.
He didn't completely rule out the Alabama, but Pletcher is strongly considering giving Rags to Riches just one more race before the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27.
"Probably,'' Pletcher said. "It makes the most sense.''