OCEANPORT, N.J. - The long trip from home paid off for Hystericalady on Saturday with an emphatic victory in the Grade 2, $280,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park.
It could be the first of two visits to New Jersey for the 4-year-old. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer hopes for a return here Oct. 27 for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
"We would like to come back," Hollendorfer said. "We'd like to be in the picture at the end of the year, if we can keep Hystericalady sound and training well."
Le Cinquieme Essai ($10.30) captured the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes for the second year in a row Saturday at Woodbine.
Le Cinquieme Essai led throughout the seven-furlong turf sprint, setting moderate fractions of 24.13 seconds and 47.98 under Steven Bahen. He prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Just Rushing, who pressed him most of the way along the inside. Awesome Action wound up third, and favored Leonnatus Anteas faded to fifth in the eight-horse field.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As Street Sense crept up alongside Grasshopper approaching the quarter pole of Saturday's $1 million Travers, the crowd of 38,909 at steamy Saratoga was gearing up for an impressive stretch run from the Kentucky Derby winner.
The crowd - and Street Sense - got more than they bargained for. But in the end, they got exactly what they came to see.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Alan Garcia guided Shakis through a narrow opening in upper stretch and the 7-year-old Irish-bred horse did the rest as he exploded through the lane en route to a three-quarter-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga.
Shakis, a son of Machiavellian owned by Shadwell Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, set a new course record by running 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.33 over a firm Mellon turf course. That eclipsed the mark of 1:45.40 set 34 years ago by Tentam and equaled in 1978 by Waya.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Jockey Russell Baze met with Bay Meadows stewards for 2 1/2 hours Saturday to answer charges against him arising from Thursday's first race, when Baze struck Imperial Eyes twice with his whip after the horse broke down. Steward Darrell McHargue said Saturday afternoon that he and the other stewards were "in the process of deliberating their decison."
DEL MAR, Calif. - With a goal of running in different Breeders' Cup races at Monmouth Park in October, Lava Man and Tiago will have a prep race in the $500,000 Goodwood Stakes at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita on Sept. 29.
While Tiago is considered a candidate for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 27, the nation's richest race, Lava Man is more likely to use the Grade 1 Goodwood as a prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile over a mile and 70 yards on Oct. 26.
Whatever regrets the Bolger family may have had after the retirement of their European 2-year-old champion Teofilo earlier this month evaporated Saturday at the Curragh as their juvenile New Approach landed the Group 2, $169,000 Futurity Stakes.
Trained, like Teofilo, by Jim Bolger, and owned, like Teofilo, by the trainer's wife, New Approach led throughout under Kevin Manning as the 8-11 choice to defeat 40-1 maiden longshot Curtain Call. Henrythenavigator, winner of the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, was third. The time for the seven furlongs on soft ground was 1:29.00.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Approximately 12 hours before he could have loaded into the starting gate on Saratoga's main track for the $1 million Travers, Any Given Saturday was on the Oklahoma training track working a leisurely four furlongs in 51.19 seconds.
It was the first workout for Any Given Saturday since he romped to a 4 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 5. Any Given Saturday is being pointed to the Grade 2, $150,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park on Sept. 22.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Nobody hit the pick six at Del Mar on Friday, resulting in a carryover of $170,432 for Saturday's 10-race card.
The pick six begins with the fifth race, whose post time is scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific time.
The pick is extremely challenging on Saturday, with large fields and several inscrutable races to test handicappers. Included is the seventh race, for maiden 2-year-olds, in which eight of the 10 runners will be making their debuts.
