ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Just Rushing set dawdling fractions before outrunning a sharp Are You Serious in a determined victory Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,400 Vigil Stakes.
With Emma Wilson aboard, Just Rushing established fractions of 23.41 and 46.31 in the seven-furlong Vigil. Are You Serious came inside Just Rushing at the quarter pole, and held a slim lead throughout most of the stretch, but Just Rushing persevered late and won by a neck, in a final time of 1:23.87.
Travel Plans, the longest shot on the board, battled for the lead on the turn, opened a half-length advantage in midstretch, then held off three rivals who were all gaining on her at the wire to win the $75,000 Sweet and Sassy for fillies and mares at Delaware Park.
Ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, Travel Plans hit the wire a neck ahead of 15-1 shot Amandatude with Summer Cruise a nose back in third and Miss Elsie another half-length behind in fourth.
The streaking Stay Close won her first stakes in her first stakes try, running down the pacesetting Midwatch in deep stretch to take the $95,000 Henry Clark by 1 1/2 lengths on Saturday at Pimlico.
Bet from 4-1 on the morning-line to 7-5, Stay Close hugged the rail under Oliver Castillo until turning for home. She then tipped out and took after Midwatch, drew even about 12 jumps from home, and pulled away.
Stay Close was timed in 1:37.36 over good turf and paid $4.80.
It was her fourth win in her last five starts, all on turf.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Divine Park proved to be more than a suitable plan B for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in Saturday's Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
Subbing for an injured Elusive Warning, Divine Park registered a front-running, 3 1/4-length victory over favored C P West in the $150,000 Withers before 3,666 at Aqueduct. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Frosty Secret in third. Mint Slewlep, Street Magician, Our Sacred Honor, and Brisco N Logan completed the order of finish.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Funny how things can change in this game. One month trainer Wayne Catalano was saying Dreaming of Anna wouldn't make the Kentucky Oaks, and the next he was all but saying she's a cinch to win.
All it took was one swift tour of the Churchill Downs oval for such seismic change to occur. Dreaming of Anna, with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard, posted the fastest time of six prospects working toward the Oaks on a busy Saturday morning at Churchill, and afterward, Catalano hardly could contain his enthusiasm.
In a field loaded with speed, Jet Propulsion proved the fastest and ultimately best of the bunch after leading throughout to score a shockingly easy 1 1/2-length decision in the $150,000 Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap at Calder Race Course. The Grade 3 Miami Mile was the last of four stakes on the card.
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park has a record three-day carryover of $1,481,038 on Saturday's program. The bet has not been hit since the meeting began on Wednesday.
Friday night, all of the six winners of the pick six races paid at least $10 to win and three paid more than $30.
Saturday's pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 1:20 p.m. Pacific. Post time for the first pick six race, the fourth race, is scheduled for 2:53 p.m.
AUBURN, Wash. - One of the more interesting aspects of the early part of this year's Emerald Downs meeting will be to see how Westsideclyde and See Ya Later Slew, two of the most exciting runners to emerge at last year's stand, will stack up against the best in the local handicap division.
In the case of Westsideclyde, at least, we probably won't have to wait long.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Arravale, Canada's Horse of the Year and champion female turf horse in 2006, checked back into Woodbine without fanfare a couple of weeks ago and has been gearing up for her 4-year-old bow.
A Kentucky-bred owned by Robert Costigan and trained by Mac Benson, Arravale defeated older fillies and mares here in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes to cap a five-start 2005 season in which she earned more than $1 million.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Last year's Kings Point Handicap turned out to be a cozy spot for Funny Cide, who set soft fractions en route to a gate-to-wire victory over Gold and Roses as the 3-5 favorite. While Funny Cide heads Sunday's field in name recognition, he will find things much tougher in the 27th renewal of the $65,000 King's Point.
Funny Cide, the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, will face five fellow New York-breds including in-form runners Accountforthegold and Who What Win in the nine-furlong Kings Point, one of two stakes on closing day at Aqueduct.