Probation Ready came from off the pace to win the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes under a patient ride from Robby Albarado.
The race was originally carded for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf but was switched to the main track, which was sloppy after heavy rain.
Albarado allowed the 4-5 favorite to settle early as Tainted Money sprinted clear of the field in a 22.47 quarter.
"I figured he'd have some pace in the race, and he did," said Albarado.
Devil House outdueled favorite Cat on a Cloud through the stretch to win her fourth straight race in the $50,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. She won by a half-length over Cat on a Cloud, who finished 2o1/4 lengths clear of third-place runner Time's Mistress.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Florida-bred sprinters are keeping owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist at the top of horse racing.
Gilchrist trained the ill-fated Lost in the Fog, who won the 2005 Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding sprinter. Owned by Aleo, Lost in the Fog died of cancer last year.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, the Aleo-Gilchrist team pulled an upset in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds with the improving Smokey Stover.
Buddy Got Even lagged back early before charging past the entire field to post a 9-1 upset Saturday in the $50,000 Forego Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
While Straight Line, the 6-5 favorite, bobbled badly and nearly fell to lose all chance in the far turn, Buddy Got Even was just biding his time under apprentice Alonso Quinonez. Down the stretch, as front-running Yucatan began to tire, Buddy Got Even and Will He Shine both drove past, with Buddy Got Even striding clear in the final sixteenth.
Magnetic Miss prevented 1-5 favorite Wrenice from winning her sixth straight race, when she darted to a length and a half win in the $50,000 Genesis on Friday night at Delta Downs. Wrenice rallied for second in what was her two-turn debut, finishing a neck in front of pacestter Speedy Diva.
ARCADIA, Calif. - For the 11th time since the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting began on Dec. 26, there is a pick six carryover. The Saturday carryover of $504,847 is the third time that there has been a two-day carryover at the meet.
Saturdays carryover is the third highest of the meeting.
Interest figures to be high in Saturdays pick six, a day that features four stakes in the Sunshine Millions program for California-breds and Florida-breds. All of the Sunshine Millions races are in the first half of the program.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It took 19 starts for trainer Richard Mandella to win his first race of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, in a maiden race on Thursday. He would just as soon maintain a winning trend when Polyfirst starts in Sunday's $75,000 Wishing Well Handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.
"It was a great relief to win a race" Thursday, Mandella said. "But I've seen that movie before."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There are no shortage of graded stakes opportunities for long-winded turf specialists at Gulfstream Park this meet, and the first one comes on Sunday when a full and evenly matched field of 12 competes at 1 3/8 miles in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Handicap.
The Grade 2 Mac Diarmida is a prelude to the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap on Feb. 24 and the Grade 2 Pan American Handicap on March 31.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Last winter, Ken McPeek was off somewhere in Brazil, Argentina, or perhaps even Australia attending horse sales and generally just getting away from the grueling daily routine of training racehorses for a living. But after taking nearly a one-year sabbatical from the business, McPeek returned to his first love last April and now finds himself ready for another run along the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown trails.