OCEANPORT, N.J. - Haddie Be Good, in her first start for trainer Mark Hennig, beat Spanish Lullaby by 1 1/4 lengths Sunday at Monmouth Park in the $60,000 Candy Eclair Stakes for fillies and mares.
The 4-year-old Haddie Be Good ($7.20) ran the 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf in 1:01.54 for her fifth win in 15 career starts.
"I knew she'd be tough right from the break," said jockey Joe Bravo.
Mohegan Sky, the 2-1 favorite, was third.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jiggs Coz ($3.80) established himself as the prohibitive favorite for the June 24 Queen's Plate with a decisive score in the nine-furlong, $151,200 Plate Trial Stakes on Sunday at Woodbine.
Jiggs Cozz broke alertly under David Clark and proceeded to stalk slow fractions of 23.92 and 48.32 seconds, which were set by Alezzandro.
The coronation of Balance or Hystericalady as the leader of the California older filly and mare division will have to wait. The list of contenders for that role grew on Sunday when Nashoba's Key beat those two and three others in the $186,100 Milady Breeders Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Unbeaten in four starts, Nashoba's Key ($12.80) showed a remarkable rally in the final furlong, passing Balance and Hystericalady, to win the Grade 2 Milady by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by apprentice jockey Joe Talamo, Nashoba's Key ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.16.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Delightful Kiss got completely overlooked in the betting, but he was impossible to miss three-eighths of a mile from the finish of the Ohio Derby, a gray streak moving twice as fast as any other horse out on the track.
The big middle move proved plenty good, and Delightful Kiss, winning his first stakes race, went on to a 3o1/2-length victory over Moyer's Pond in the Grade 2, $300,000 derby. Late-running Reporting for Duty finished third, with odds-on favorite Cowtown Cat a non-threatening fourth.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fabulous Strike served notice that he could be a major factor in the national sprint ranks when he rolled to victory under a hand ride from Ramon Dominguez in the Grade 3 Aristides Breeders' Cup, one of three stakes run Saturday at Churchill Downs.
ELMONT, N.Y. - A furious stretch rally by Rutherienne and a gutsy effort by the inexperienced Bit of Whimsy were both rewarded as the two 3-year-old fillies finished in a dead heat for win in Saturday's Grade 3, $109,000 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park.
It was a half-length back to Classic Neel in third. She was followed in the order of finish by Sharp Susan, Tears I Cry, and Survived.
Marias Golden Rose moved from midpack on the backstretch to contending for the lead on the turn, opened a three-length lead in midstretch, and cruised home a 2 1/2-length winner in the $75,000 Pearl Necklace for Maryland-bred 3-year-old fillies.
"At the quarter-pole I had too much horse so I just let her run," winning jockey Horacio Karamanos said
Ziggly took all the late money, went off at 4-5, and hung too far back too long under Luis Garcia, closing hard from last on the turn to finish second but never threatened the winner.
Rosinka ($4.60) made the lead on the backstretch and was never headed, winning the $100,000 John Rooney Memorial for fillies and mares by 2 3/4 lengths.
Palmilla held second by a neck over stablemate Omeya, both trained by Jonathan Sheppard and coupled in the wagering.
Ridden by Jeremy Rose for trainer Graham Motion and owner the Lavington Stud, Rosinka ran the 11/8 miles in 1:48.48 on firm turf.
Raging Rapids, the 7-5 favorite, went right to the front from post 8 under Jose Flores and led every step, winning the $60,000 Caught in the Rain by a three-quarters of a length over Hailie's Girl.
Hailie's Girl, under Victor Molina, sat two or three lengths off Raging Rapids most of the way, began closing the gap in midstretch, and was gaining at the wire.
Defiant Maid, bet from 7-2 on the morning line to 9-5, never fired and finished last.
Strike Softly ($3.20) outclassed her seven rivals in the $336,700 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine, winning the 1o1/16-mile grass race by 1 1/2 lengths under Todd Kabel.
Over a course labeled firm, Murani and Essential Edge dueled through fractions of 24.35 and 46.94 seconds. Strike Softly stalked the leaders along the rail, and was steadied on the turn while inside of Fiery Dancer, who had Corey Fraser aboard.