Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Rain and wind force Aqueduct cancellation

A storm that brought heavy rains and strong winds to the New York metropolitan area Friday night into Saturday morning prompted New York Racing Association officials to cancel Saturday's live racing at Aqueduct. The facility was also closed for simulcasting.

More than an inch of rain had fallen by Saturday morning, and at least another inch was forecast, though, by what would have been post time Saturday, the skies were starting to brighten. The forecast also called for wind gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Pretty Imposing happy to be home

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It's home, sweet New Jersey home, for Pretty Imposing in the $55,000 Witches' Brew Stakes, the Halloween feature on Tuesday afternoon at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The Witches' Brew for fillies and mares going five furlongs on the turf headlines the seven-race card that starts at 1:10 p.m.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Flamethrowintexan leads all the way

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Flamethrowintexan went wire to wire to win his turf debut Saturday in the $141,250 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap at Bay Meadows.

Flamethrowintexan set a comfortable pace ahead of Now Victory. He was challenged in the lane by Fantastic Spain, who was ridden by Russell Baze, but held on to win by a head. Don Incauto rallied from last to finish third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Fantastic Spain. Grafton was another nose back in fourth. Flamethrowintexan ($12.60) finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.73.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Eccentric proves Polytrack expertise

LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was no accident that Eccentric wound up at windy, sun-splashed Keeneland to race in the Fayette Stakes on Saturday afternoon. That synthetic mush with the multicolored strands - Polytrack - was calling his name. A six-time Polytrack winner during the English phase of his career, Eccentric had been breezing on Woodbine's Polytrack since shipping into the barn of trainer Roger Attfield late this spring. And he liked Keeneland's version of the stuff, too.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Lights of Broadway scores

In Saturday's $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile, Lights of Broadway shook loose from early pressure to make the lead and kept six other 2-year-olds at bay in the six-furlong race on a sloppy and sealed main track.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Grandy's Glory upsets Fanfreluche

Grandy's Glory parlayed an ideal trip into a 14-1 upset score in the $150,400 Fanfreluche Stakes, for Ontario-bred 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Woodbine.

Grandy's Glory stalked front-runners Midnight Shadow and Saskawea on the backstretch of the six-furlong dash. She made a three-wide bid on the turn and hit the front at the head of the stretch, before drawing away to win by 4 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:11.47.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Threats left and right for Marq French

Last week, trainer Donnie Von Hemel was trying to piece together who might be running against his charge, Marq French, in Monday night's $50,000 Osage Hills at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

"It's going to be a pretty salty race," Von Hemel said of the Osage Hills, a five-furlong turf sprint for Oklahoma-breds, ages 3 and up.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Miss Goodnight is good enough

In a field scratched down to just four 2-year-old fillies, Miss Goodnight stepped up from maiden winner to stakes winner with a 2 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Blue Hen Stakes on Saturday at Delaware Park.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Ah Day too tough on dirt

He may not have needed the assist, but the weather played right into Ah Day's hands.

Sent off just above even-money at Laurel Park on Saturday, Ah Day won his seventh race and sixth stakes of the year in the $100,000 Japan Racing Association Stakes for 3-year-olds, which was switched from a 1 1/16-mile race on the turf to a mile on the main track.

Sat, 10/28/2006 - 00:00

Favorites win both stakes

Form held up at the Meadowlands Racetrack as odds-on favorites Frisk Her and Amansara captured the $55,000 stakes on a showery Friday night card.

The track was fast when Frisk Her ($3.60) scored a three-quarter-length win over Lookin Back at You in the Holly Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Frisk Her, with Joe Bravo aboard for trainer Kelly Breen, bumped Lookin Back at You in the stretch, prompting a stewards' inquiry that did not revise the order of finish.