ARCADIA, Calif. - Proud Tower Too, the winner of four consecutive sprints, has largely been forgotten since his win in the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai last March.
He missed the rest of 2006 mainly because of injury. During his absence, Proud Tower Too's accomplishments were overshadowed by the success of other sprinters.
Favorites swept the two stakes run Friday night at Delta Downs, with Mean Butterbean proving 1 1/2 lengths best in the $40,000 Lookout, and Stormy Amber winning by 1 1/4 lengths in the $40,000 Prime Rewards.
Both races were run at one mile in the slop, and were restricted to horses who had never won a stakes.
Mean Butterbean ($2.40) stalked the pace set by Blue Sunday in the Lookout, took the lead after a half-mile in 47.52 seconds, and went on to cover the distance in 1:40.38.
MIAMI - Take D' Tour asserted her class superiority over six overmatched rivals, cruising to a 14-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Stage Door Betty Handicap at Calder.
The Stage Door Betty was one of four $100,000 stakes on Saturday's Grand Slam III program.
Special Cheers ($15.60), the pacesetter, held off 30-1 shot Storm Savvy by a nose to win the $60,000 Sandpiper for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
Under Luis Gonzalez, Special Cheers set early fractions of 22.15 and 45.43 seconds to hold a short lead into the stretch, with Storm Savvy right at her flank and Foret ranging up outside. But Special Cheers shook free to gain a clear lead leaving the eighth pole, then just lasted late over Storm Savvy with Foret a half-length back in third.
In a pair of photo finishes in which the margin was a neck, one heavy favorite just held on and another was beaten in the male and female divisions of the Maryland Juvenile Championship at Laurel Park.
Roaring Lion ($4.80) scored his third consecutive victory for jockey Luis Garcia and trainer Richard Small when he fended off a late run by Bianchi's Boy to win the race for Maryland-bred 2-year-old males.
Welcome Inn ($11) ran down 1-5 favorite Spectacular Malibu in the stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since Nov. 26 because of rib injuries suffered in a paddock accident, is gearing for a return to riding at Santa Anita on Jan. 10, according to his agent, Jim Pegram.
Valenzuela received doctor's clearance to begin exercising horses on Thursday, Pegram said. He was expected to begin riding in the mornings over the weekend, Pegram said.
"He wants to get fit and he's anxious to get back into action," Pegram said.
NEW ORLEANS - Undefeated Cat on a Cloud will face her most difficult test Monday in the $75,000 Letellier Memorial Stakes, the New Year's Day feature on the Fair Grounds card.
A roan daughter of Smoke Glacken, Cat on a Cloud has eight rivals in this six-furlong test for 3-year-olds.
Cat on a Cloud has done nothing wrong in her two starts, winning a maiden special weight at Ellis Park easily, then demolishing her rivals in the $200,000 NATC Futurity at Monmouth Park.
Trainer Ronnie Werner said he doesn't know yet how good Cat on a Cloud might be.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Tony Dutrow appreciates a good horse as much as the next trainer, even if that horse is not in his barn. And while Dutrow speaks glowingly of the Gary Contessa-trained mare Magnolia Jackson, he is very much looking forward to taking her on in Monday's $65,000 Interborough Handicap with Smart and Fancy.
MIAMI - How tough is Monday's $100,000 Tropical Park Derby at Calder? Tough enough that Pickapocket, who enters the race off a pair of stakes victories, not only won't be the favorite but also may not even be among the top three betting choices in the 1 1/8-mile turf race. The Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby is traditionally the first graded stakes in North American each year, and it drew a field of 12 3-year-olds.