DEL MAR, Calif. - The main track stakes for fillies and mares in California get a much-needed new participant for Sunday's $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar.
Happy Ticket, the winner of the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs in June, will make her California debut in the Grade 2 Hirsch at 1 1/16 miles.
"We want to come West, take a mini-vacation, and run her," trainer Andy Leggio said on Saturday from his base at Louisiana Downs.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Been there, done that.
That sums up the field for Monday's Sonoma County Fair feature, in which six older runners will compete at a mile on the turf for a $40,000 claiming tag. There's a multiple stakes winner, Boss Ego; a graded-stakes winner, Kilgowan; the multiple stakes-placed Apollo King; and the turf stakes-placed Right Proof. Dancing Pioneer, whose three career victories have all come on turf, and Nose to It, a recent winner making his turf debut, round out the field.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Bella Shambrock romped to an eight-length win Saturday in the $60,000 Tyro Stakes for 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park.
The winner of the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows on July 4, Bella Shambrock earned his second stakes win and his third win overall before 9,292 on a steamy afternoon.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Bella Shambrock ($3) flew out of the gate. He opened a three-length lead in a flash, forcing his four rivals to hustle to keep pace.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Saturday's third race was designed to propel a 3-year-old to the $1 million Travers on Aug. 26. That 3-year-old just wasn't expected to be Hesanoldsalt.
But as 3-5 favorite Corinthian sputtered in the stretch, Hesanoldsalt pulled away from Take the Bluff to win the second-level allowance race by three-quarters of a length. It was another 5 1/2 lengths back to Corinthian in third.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Like a Gem recorded a 48-1 upset in the $252,800 Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine Saturday.
Kimchi, the 2-1 favorite in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, wound up fourth in her quest to become the first filly to capture the Canadian triple tiara, a series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Strike Softly led through moderate fractions, over a course labeled soft. Kimchi pressed the pace, and Like a Gem assumed a stalking position under jockey David Clark.
Favorites had a rough time Saturday at Philadelphia Park on Pennsylvania's Day at the Races card, which featured six $50,000 stakes for statebreds.
The chalk went down in four of the six races, and three of the six winners paid double-digit mutuels, topped by All Dolled Up, who won the Mrs. Penny for fillies and mares on turf at 15-1.
Aly'svalentine, slightly favored in the seven-furlong Ambassador of Luck Handicap for fillies and mares, was the only favorite to win one of the stakes that was not a steeplechase.
Dantrelle Light, taking advantage of her high speed and inside post, led throughout to register a 2 3/4-length victory over Sophisticatedevent in the $60,000 GTOBA Juvenile Turf Fillies Stakes at Calder. The GTOBA is restricted to 2-year-old fillies who are progeny of the Georgia Thoroughbred Owners and Breeder Association nominated stallions.
Master of Disaster displayed anew his affinity for Delaware Park, powering to a 1 1/2-length victory as the odds-on choice in the $54,000 Oh Say Stakes for 3-year-olds.
The victory improved Master of Disaster's record at Delaware Park to 5 for 5; he is 0 for 4 everywhere else.
Six program scratches reduced the 10-horse field to four, and three of them wanted the lead.
Dreaming of Anna, a good-looking Frank Calabrese-owned and Wayne Catalano-trained invader from the Midwest, dominated the $60,000 Tippett for 2-year-old fillies like a 3-5 shot should.
Ridden by Dane Kobiskie, Dreaming of Anna won an early two-way battle for the lead with 13-1 shot Flying Kiwi in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, shook off a challenge by Flying Kiwi on the turn, and sprinted away to win by 7 1/4 lengths.
Flying Kiwi held second, 6 3/4 lengths in front of 7-1 shot Quick Kiss in third in the field of nine.
Rare Crystal took advantage of the speed duel in front of her to win Friday night's $12,950 Inaugural Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 3 1/4 lengths as Columbus opened its 24-day season.
Rare Crystal, ridden by Armando Martinez, was making her first start in Nebraska after arriving with owner-trainer Jim Cranwell's stable from Canterbury Park. She was well backed as the 3-2 second choice in the field of six and returned $5 for her first stakes victory. She was timed in 1:13.40 for the six furlongs over a fast track.
