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.
Wrenice has turned in some of her best races at Retama Park. Last year, she was a 17-length allowance winner at the track. In the meet's first stakes Saturday night, she rolled to a 1 1/2-length in the $45,000 Lakeway. The race was her first since April.
Gerald Almodovar, riding one heavy favorite and another 11-1 longshot, swept the two stakes for West Virginia-bred juveniles at Charles Town on Saturday night.
Lord of the Dance ($2.20) remained unbeaten in three career starts with an easy 5 1/4-length victory in the $45,950 Henry Mercer Stakes for colts and geldings. Lord of the Dance, trained by Eddie Householder, has now won his three races by a combined margin of 20 3/4 lengths and looms the early favorite for the Vincent Moscarelli Stakes on the Oct. 20 West Virginia Breeders' Classic program.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It was a dream Saturday at Arlington Park for the leading connections at the meet.
A half-hour after Dreaming of Anna won the Pucker Up Stakes for owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano, Dreaming of Liz won the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes. Dreaming of Liz's win was the third on the card for Catalano and Calabrese, giving Catalano 71 wins at the meet, two more than the previous record set by, you guessed it, Catalano in 2005.