LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A tight photo revealed that Sabellina barely got the nod over Silca's Sister following a ferocious duel Sunday in the $171,750 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Sabellina, a New York-bred mare trained by Chuck Simon, was declared the winner by a nose over Silca's Sister after 1 1/8 miles were completed in 1:49.96 over a turf course rated good. Sabellina, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $20.60 as sixth choice in a field of 11 fillies and mares.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Proudinsky ($3.20) sat behind an easy pace and prevailed in the lane, outkicking Bold Chieftain through the stretch to capture the $100,000 Grade 3 at Bay Meadows on Sunday.
The German-bred colt scored his initial U.S. victory, capturing the about 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths over Bold Chieftain in 1:48.27. Bedlam Bertie, who alternated on the lead with Bold Chieftain through fractions of 24.84, 48.82 and 1:13.84, held third easily ahead of the filly Illuminise.
CYPRESS, Calif. - Jess You and I remained unbeaten in four starts after winning his stakes debut in Saturdays $1,223,800 for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos.
Ridden by J.R. Ramirez, Jess You and I ran 400 yards in a stakes record 19.37 seconds, finishing a neck in front of Blues Girls Too. FDD Dynasty, the 3-2 favorite finished third, his first loss in five career starts. FDD Dynasty won the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity during the summer and was eligible for a $1 million bonus if he had won the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Million Futurity next month.
Shop Again upset favorite Starry Pie by a neck in the $50,000 Ada for fillies and mares at Remington Park on Saturday. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Open Meadows.
Shop Again ($31.80) sat in third early in the six furlong race as Open Meadows set pressured fractions of 22 seconds for the opening quarter and 45 seconds for the half-mile mark. Shop Again took the lead in the stretch then held off Starry Pie, covering the distance in 1:10.37.
Don Pettinger rode the winner for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Roman Commander rallied along the rail in the final furlong to win Saturday's $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park, the colt's second stakes win of the fall.
Roman Commander ($8.80) ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:44.77, finishing three-quarters of a lengths in front of Unusual Suspect. Liquidity, the 8-5 favorite, finished third in the field of six 2-year-olds.
Roman Commander was always near the front, stalking Baltimore Drive and Hurry Up Austin through fractions of 24.33 and 48.27 seconds.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Javier Castellano didn't seem to want to get off Bernardini. The other riders all had dismounted after the Breeders' Cup Classic. Losing jockeys were explaining their downfall to trainers, and Invasor, the horse that had just passed Castellano and Bernardini to win the $5 million Classic, was ready to head into the winner's circle. Castellano sat aboard in the twilight, seemingly stunned that his super-horse had lost.
Favorites took it on the chin at Aqueduct on Breeders' Cup Day, getting shut out in five stakes. In the Grade 3, $114,100 , the final race on the card, it looked as though even-money Fishy Advice was going to get the favorites on the board after setting most of the pace, but second choice Drum Major ($8.80) ran him down late to win by a head.
Drum Major rallied from well off the pace to run 1 1/8 miles on a good turf course in 1:50.59 under Joe Bravo.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Todd Pletcher's day began later than usual on Saturday morning.
"I was kind of dogging it today," Pletcher said. "Got out at about 4:45. I had to go to the airport last night, so I was up kind of late."
Unflappable Pletcher seems like the sort of person to rise each morning at the same moment, no prompting necessary. He does, but sets an alarm as backup. "I'd be too afraid I'd oversleep."
Redaspen ($17.60), pinched back at the start, held off a late rally by 9-1 longshot Wild Chick to win by a head in the $65,000 Navajo Princess Stakes at the Meadowlands.
A 4-year-old filly ridden by Victor Molina for Maryland-based trainer Tim Woolley, Redaspen made a three-wide move coming around the turn and took the lead in midstretch. Prop Me Up finished third as the 3-5 favorite.
The heavy favorites prevailed in both divisions of the Tri-State Futurity at Charles Town, but not without some drama in the second portion of the split stakes.
The 8-1 maiden Virginia Rebel was in front when she lugged in at midstretch, and Eagle Speed ($3.20) overtook her to win by a head under jockey Kendrick Carmouche.
Based at Penn National with trainer Clovis Crane, Eagle Speed, a West Virginia-bred son of Coastal Storm, has now won 3 of 5 starts. He covered seven furlongs in 1:28.94.