SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Go Deputy won his first graded stakes doing what he had to do. He won his next one doing what he prefers to do.
Allowed to settle toward the back of the pack early, Go Deputy advanced steadily into contention down the backside, launched a strong three-wide move around the far turn, and took command outside the eighth pole to win the Grade 1, $500,000 by 1 3/4 lengths at Saratoga on Saturday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After three consecutive runner-up finishes in graded stakes, War Front shed his bridesmaid label Saturday, taking command of the Grade 2, $200,000 approaching the quarter pole and drawing clear to a 2 1/2-length victory over Judiths Wild Rush at Saratoga.
Mass Media, last year's Forego winner, checked in third, followed by Afrashad, Bishop Court Hill, and Thunder Touch.
It was the third victory in this race for Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who won the Vanderbilt in 1991 with Kid Russell and in 1998 with Kelly Kip.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Carolina Sky continued her rapid development for trainer Morris Nicks as she made her first stakes try a winning one in Saturday?s $50,000 Old South Handicap at Louisiana Downs. Candy Ball tried the winner from the outside nearing the furlong marker but was turned back and had to settle for second followed by veteran Due to Win Again and More Than Promised.
Trainer Steve Klesaris's plan of bringing Diabolical to the Kent Breeders' Cup looks to be in good shape as Diabolical easily took the local prep for that race, the $75,000 Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes, at Delaware Park on Saturday as the even-money favorite.
Vestrey Lady ($13.60) went directly to the front and kept on going to win her first stakes in the $155,900 Duchess, a 7 1/2-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
With Jim McAleney aboard, Vestrey Lady set moderate fractions while being stalked by Speedy Sandy, the 8-5 favorite in the six-horse field. Vestrey Lady held her position on the far turn, then drew away in the final furlong to prevail by three lengths.
Attendance was down significantly while handle numbers were mixed for the Belmont Park spring-summer meet that concluded on July 22, according to figures released Saturday by the New York Racing Association.
Overall handle on Belmont's races fell 1.5 percent from a daily average of $11,261,142 in 2005 to $11,089,909. Ontrack handle on Belmont's races rose 1 percent from a daily average of $1,570,872 in 2005 to $1,585,901. Belmont's meet was 59 days in 2006, 60 days in 2005.
Jockey Carlos Gonzalez picked up career win number 2,000 in dramatic fashion Friday afternoon at Louisiana Downs, narrowly prevailing in the ninth race of the day aboard 9-5 favorite Del Norte. Gonzalez outfinished leading apprentice Cody Meche, who was aboard Brickadier General, following a spirited stretch battle. Del Norte is trained by leading trainer Cole Norman, who has been riding Gonzalez first call for most of the season.
DEL MAR, Calif. - In a reflection of what many see as a decline in the quality of racing in Southern California, Del Mar is struggling to fill allowance races around two turns on dirt and has run more maiden claimers for sprinters in the first half of the meeting compared to 2005.
Through Sunday, the 23rd day of the meeting, Del Mar had carded 40 sprints for maiden claimers, compared to 35 during the same period in 2005. The number of two-turn allowance races on the main track had dropped nearly in half, from seven to four.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Of the nine probable starters in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic, Preachinatthebar is the only confirmed front-runner. Whether that plays a significant role in the outcome may not be known until Preachinatthebar reaches the stretch.
