More than eight months of frustration ended for the connections of Zanjero on Saturday after the multiple graded stakes-placed 3-year-old finally won a big one, outgaming 20-1 longshot Bwana Bull to win Mountaineer Park's $750,000 West Virginia Derby by a nose.
Zanjero, a Kentucky-bred son of Cherokee Run, was stakes-placed in five graded races dating back to his second-place finish behind Nobiz Like Shobiz in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his 2-year-old finale.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Stormello has been scratched from Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational after developing colic.
The winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity last December arrived at Monmouth Park from California late Friday afternoon and showed signs of distress later that evening.
He was vanned to the Midlantic Equine Clinic in Ringoes, N.J., for treatment.
Trainer Andrew Leggio Jr. has just started to map out a fall campaign for the promising 3-year-old stakes winner Atlanta Highway. He said the major goal will be the Grade 2, $300,000 Raven Run, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 20.
"That's what we're hoping to shoot at," said Leggio, who trains the Louisiana Downs-based Atlanta Highway for Dede McGehee.
At the age of 15, the gelding Hermosilla is more than half as old as his 29-year-old owner and trainer, Shaun Story. And together, the two have made quite a bit of noise at Wyoming Downs in Evanston, Wyo., where Hermosilla will run in the seventh race on Sunday.
AUBURN, Wash. - Call on Carson and Wild Cycle have divided the spoils between them in the 3-year-old division at this meeting, with Call on Carson winning the six-furlong Auburn and the 6 1/2-furlong Pepsi Cola before running a troubled second to Wild Cycle in the one-mile Tacoma on July 1.
Both horses continue to thrive, according to their connections, and there is no apparent reason to suspect that they won't be ready to put forth their best efforts in Sunday's $65,000 Seattle Slew Handicap at 1o1/16 miles.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bob Baffert was hoping to spend a couple of leisurely days in Saratoga. He was going to attend Monday's Hall of Fame ceremonies at which his first Kentucky Derby winner, Silver Charm, is being inducted. Then he would attend the sales hoping to find another one.
But Baffert's plans changed somewhat when his main client, Ahmed Zayat, abruptly decided to ship all his horses out of Del Mar, complaining about the Polytrack. While Baffert is still coming to Saratoga, he will be working more than he planned.
Arlington Park officials said Friday they are expecting a field of as many as 11 horses, including defending champion The Tin Man, for the Arlington Million, the highlight of the International Festival of Racing next Saturday, Aug. 11.
The 1 1/4-mile Million is one of three Grade 1 turf races to be run at the Arlington Heights, Ill., track. The others are the $750,000 Beverly D., for which eight fillies and mares are likely to enter, and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, which is expected to get nine 3-year-olds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - No one was more surprised than trainer Eoin Harty when he saw the first quarter of Friday's Grade 2 Honorable Miss posted in 23.03 seconds and his filly Burmilla by herself in front.
After getting away with that soft opening quarter, Burmilla, under Rafael Bejarano, had plenty left to fend off challenges from G City Gal and Indian Flare as she romped to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga. She ran six furlongs in 1:09.51 and returned $13.80 to win.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Frostad has won the Breeders' Stakes on three occasions, with two of those victories coming for Sam-Son Farm.
Frostad also has started maidens in the Breeders' on three occasions, without success.
On Sunday Frostad has entered a pair of maidens, Walk With Kings and Storm the Castle, in the $500,000 Breeders', a 1 1/2-mile turf race which is the final leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
Walk With Kings is the more accomplished of the duo, having made five starts and recorded three third-place finishes.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Lava Man, the top older horse in California, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 on Friday to remain on course for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 19, but the build up to the race has not been without a minor scare.
Last month, shortly after Lava Man won the Hollywood Gold Cup for the third consecutive year, he was found to be suffering from an abscess in his left front foot, trainer Doug O'Neill said. The abscess was more than likely present when Lava Man won the Gold Cup by a hard-fought nose over A.P. Xcellent.