LEXINGTON, Ky. - Asi Siempre had been largely a Grade 3 or Grade 2 caliber filly on turf. But on Polytrack there might not be any limit to her potential.
Making her first start over the synthetic Polytrack surface in Sunday's Grade 1, $500,000 at Keeneland, Asi Siempre scored easily, winning by 2.25 lengths over a field that included Happy Ticket, Spun Sugar, Summerly and Lemons Forever.
ALBANY, Calif. - Bonfante ($4.80), content to sit off the leaders early, moved into contention on the turn and rallied through traffic to capture the $75,000 Fort Mason at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
The 5-year-old gelding angled wide into the lane and had pacesetting Slew's Prince measured for the stretch run. He pulled away from that one with ease and was not seriously threatened by Mr. Ching, who made a strong move following him into the lane. He won the five-furlong turf race for Cal-breds by 1 1/4 lengths in 56.31 seconds with Slew's Prince running third.
Facing what appeared to be imminent defeat in the final sixteenth, Star Dabbler took one final lunge at Cielo Gold and finished on even terms with that rival in the Grade 2, $500,000 at Hoosier Park Saturday night. The dead heat was the first in the 12-year history of the race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bordonaro proved to be the fastest gun in the West on Saturday in the Grade 1, $220,000 , winning the six-furlong race by a length over a stubborn Thor's Echo in a swift 1:07.93 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.
It will take considerably longer, however, for his connections to decide whether to go to the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 4, because Bordonaro would have to be supplemented to the race by owners Fred Carrillo and Dan Cassella.
Ah Day offered further proof that he's as versatile as he is durable when he cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory over a sloppy track in Saturday's $80,750 Sonny Hine Stakes at Laurel Park.
The 3-year-old Ah Day ($5.60), second choice in a field reduced to five by two scratches, moved to challenge pacesetter Nine Best and stuck his head in front with a quarter-mile remaining, and opened up a three-length lead in deep stretch.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Summer Mayberry, the daughter of the late trainer Brian Mayberry and a trainer on her own since 1993, is disbanding her small stable this month and relocating to Ocala, Fla.
Mayberry, 35, plans to a launch a pinhooking operation. Her departure ends a three-decade involvement of the Mayberry family in training at Santa Anita. "We've been in this barn for 21 years," she said on the Santa Anita backstretch over the weekend.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The long reach of the Aidan O'Brien empire found its way to Keeneland Race Course on Saturday when one of the powerhouse stable's relatively unheralded runners, Aussie Rules, made a sensational run in the final quarter-mile to overpower eight rivals in the Grade 1, $600,000 .
ARCADIA, Calif. - In his first start in more than six months, Whilly faces a difficult test in Monday's $60,000 War Chant Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.
The War Chant has not drawn the world-class competition that Whilly has faced in the last year, but for a restricted race at a mile on turf it has a strong field.
Trainer Doug O'Neill insists that Whilly is ready for a comeback.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Lord Frederick will be very tough to beat Monday if Chad Hoverson can get him to settle early and set moderate fractions in the fourth leg of the Pacific Customs Brokers Ltd. Marathon Series. The 1 1/2-mile feature for horses who have started for $8,000 or less in 2005-06 carries a generous purse of $30,000 and drew 11 horses.
Heavily favored Cat Singer lived up to his advance billing when he led every step of the way en route to a 4 1/2-length win over his six Ohio-bred rivals in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance at Thistledown. The Endurance was one of five stakes for Ohio-breds on Friday's card.
Chop Spats rallied from the second flight to be second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Go Johnny Go.
Cat Singer ($2.40) has now won 4 of 5 starts this season, all stakes, with his lone defeat coming in his seasonal debut when he stumbled at the start and was eased.