ALBANY, Calif. - Secret Scheme ($4.60) set a brisk but unpressured pace as she easily scored a three-length victory over odds-on Victorina in the $51,125 Noe Valley for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
Third-place Logan Avenue Linda was 14 lengths behind Victorina in the 1 1/16-mile race. Secret Scheme's winning time was 1:41.82. Spellbinder, winner of the Grade 3 Berkeley on Labor Day, ran the same distance in 1:43.07.
Level Playingfield proved an aptly named winner of the Marfa Stakes at Turfway Saturday. Racing over a Polytrack surface that played fair to all running styles, he rallied from ninth to win the 6.5-furlong Marfa Stakes in track-record time.
Ridden by John McKee, Level Playingfield was far out of it in the early going, racing last as Caller One and Old Deuteronomy dueled on the front end with splits of 22.24 seconds and 44.70. But once in the stretch, he quickly became a player, advancing to fourth with a furlong remaining and surging to the lead in the final sixteenth of a mile.
ELMONT, N.Y. - When the best horse in a race is able to get loose on the lead, it usually makes for very little drama.
That's exactly what happened in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 at Belmont Park, in which Wanderin Boy, under Javier Castellano, was able to control the race from the outset en route to a 1 1/2-length victory over hard-trying Awesome Twist. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Reverberate in third.
Funny Cide finished fourth and was followed by Good Reward and We Can Seek.
MIAMI - Knight in Flight has won on the lead and won from behind. He's won on dirt and he's won on grass. The key question Monday is whether Knight in Flight can also win going 1 3/8 miles in the $45,000 Oliver Stakes on the turf at Calder.
Knight in Flight has never won beyond 1 1/16 miles or run farther than 1 1/8 miles. A versatile son of Family Calling, Knight in Flight rallied to a three-length victory going 1 1/16 miles here last summer and also led throughout to capture his third-level allowance condition by 4 1/4 lengths at the same distance June 19.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Its His Time will try to keep his perfect season at Great Lakes Downs intact when he faces nine rivals in the $50,000 Frontier Handicap on Monday evening. The 1 1/8-mile feature, being run for the 82nd time, is the fifth race on the card, which begins at 5:10 Eastern.
Ambition will take a backseat to reality on Monday at Fairplex Park for Meetmeinthewoods, who should rule a strong favorite when she returns to face fellow California-bred 3-year-old fillies in the day's feature, the $65,000 CTBA Marian Stakes.
Trainer Ron Spatz did it again at Calder on Saturday, winning the $100,000 U Can Do It Handicap for the third time in five years after A Sea Trippi rallied to a 2 1/4-length decision over 2-1 favorite Running Bobcats in the 6 1/2-furlong filly and mare dash.
Friel's for Real outdueled Silmaril in an extended drive down the stretch of the $100,000 Gala Lil Stakes at Laurel to grab a head victory in the one-mile race for fillies and mares.
Trained by Ned Allard, Friel's for Real proved her love of Laurel once again. The 6-year-old mare, based at Philadelphia Park, has now turned in five of her 13 victories at the Maryland track, including the Gala Lil in 2004.
Barilko ($2.90) maintained his position as the leader of Woodbine's 2-year-old division following a workmanlike score in the $126,200 Swynford Stakes.
Barilko set fractions of 22.96 and 46.03 under jockey Constant Montpellier while being pressed by Carysfort Light. He opened up a clear lead early in the stretch, and coasted home to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Bilbo. Acoustic Shadow finished third in the eight-horse field. Full Blast and Stillistillmovin were scratched.
