EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Rajiv Maragh rode the winners of both stakes at the Meadowlands on Monday, opening day of a 41-day meet that runs through Nov.o10. Maragh won the $60,000 Ready Jet Go for fillies and mares with Generosity and the $55,000 King Bold Reality for turf sprinters with Remain Silent.
For the first time since 2002, the Meadowlands kicked off the Thoroughbred season on the Labor Day weekend, and 7,817 turned out on a warm, sunny afternoon.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - A new method of distributing purses at Bay Meadows that gives more to the winner but less to the third- through fifth-place finishers has polarized horsemen here.
Beginning this meet, winners receive 60 percent of the purse, rather than the previous 55 percent. The runner-up still receives 20 percent, but the third-place finisher now gets 12 percent (rather than 15 percent), fourth place gets 6 percent (7.5), and fifth place gets 2 percent (2.5).
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Wicked Style won a non-descript maiden race early on a Saturday in mid-July at Arlington Park, and he was an 8-1 shot Saturday in an apparently so-so edition of the Arlington-Washington Futurity. But Wicked Style's name is out there now, and racing fans may get to know this horse even better before the year is out.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - There were plenty of happy campers here at Woodbine on Sunday after Rahy's Attorney won the $125,000 Vice Regent Stakes.
The party, in fact, started earlier Sunday afternoon when Glitter Rox won a $40,000 claiming race after graduating for $32,000 in her last start here Aug. 5.
AUBURN, Wash. - Heavily favored Gallon ($3.40) turned on the afterburners to catch uncoupled stablemate Cafe Tortoni in the final strides en route to a neck victory in Saturday's $49,500 WTBA Lads Stakes for 2-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Ice Cube held third after dueling with Cafe Tortoni for the early advantage.
Gallon, a son of Victory Gallop who races for Mike and Amy Feuerborn, made up three lengths through the final furlong to cover the mile in 1:37.20. He was ridden by Leslie Mawing and is trained by Jim Penney, who also trains the runner-up.
Taking full advantage of an unopposed early lead, Madison's Music captured Saturday night's $100,000 Matron Handicap at Evangeline Downs.
Defending Matron champ Plaid rallied down the stretch to finish second while 3-2 favorite Delicate Dynamite had to settle for third.
Rating kindly for Kirk LeBlanc through pedestrian early fractions of 24.75 and 48.52 seconds, Madison's Music ($5.80) had enough left in the late going to hold off the runner-up by a length.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Wildrally, patiently handled by John Jacinto, split horses with an authoritative move nearing the eighth pole before pulling away by 1 3/4 lengths Saturday's $75,000 A. L. "Red" Erwin Stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds at Evangeline Downs.
Hallway turned in a late run of his own to finish second, followed by Quite Sultry and Tortuga Straits.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Blues Girl Too, the champion 2-year-old Quarter Horse filly of 2006, won her first stakes of 2007 in Saturday's $320,150 Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos.
Ridden by Saul Ramirez, Jr., Blues Girl Too ($5) finished a nose in front of fastest qualifier Sir Runaway Dash, running 400 yards in 19.45 seconds. Sent off as the favorite, Blues Girl Too led by as much as a half-length but was fully extended to keep the lead. Not a Full Moon finished third in the field of nine.
Laurel Park in Maryland begins its 68-day fall and winter meet on Wednesday facing new competitive threats to the north, where slot machines are fueling big purses at old and new racetracks in Pennsylvania.
That competition, however, has not kept horsemen away from Laurel's opening-day card. Ninety-five horses have been entered for the 10-race card, which includes four turf races. Most are from trainers who are regulars on the Maryland circuit, including King Leatherbury, Scott Lake, Graham Motion, Gary and Dale Capuano, and Ferris Allen.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Tasha's Miracle, the winner of the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes in August, was scratched from Monday's $250,000 Del Mar Debutante after suffering stomach cramps on Saturday, trainer John Sadler said.
She was expected to have been favored in the Grade 1 race for 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs.