ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A special turf training session for the Breeders' Stakes produced some unexpected excitement here at Woodbine on Sunday when Ascot Bill, ridden by Justin Stein, went against the grain by working inside the portion of the course prescribed for the morning proceedings.
The barrier cones known as "dogs" were well out on the main turf course, but Ascot Bill worked close to the rail, leading to a five-furlong clocking in 1:00.20 over the good going
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - Summerly, one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country until her career was put on hold last summer by a splint bone injury, will launch her comeback against a strong field that includes an old rival, In the Gold, in Wednesday's $70,000 Ashado Stakes at Saratoga. The 1 1/8-mile overnight stakes is named in honor of the two-time Eclipse Award-winning filly who won two Grade 1 races at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Burt Bacharach years ago wrote about the way to San Jose, but his horse One Off, co-owned by his wife, Jane, has made a circuitous route to Del Mar.
left California for Florida, where he was scheduled to run in a stakes race 1 1/2 weeks ago at Calder. But the race was rained off the turf, and One Off was scratched. Last Friday, One Off arrived back at Del Mar, where on Wednesday he is scheduled to race for the first time at this track, in the $85,000 Escondido Handicap.
I really hate this wagering column.
Eleven days into the Del Mar meet, every suggested wager has lost.
The sad part is that while this column has been dreadful, the complete Del Mar analysis published in Daily Racing Form and available online has produced 33 winning selections from the first 94 races (35 percent) and a flat-bet profit.
Nevertheless, the hunt for ?value? will continue in this value-oriented column. Besides, what are the chances are of going an entire meet without cashing a ticket?
AUBURN, Wash. - Flamethrowintexan and Starbird Road emerged victorious at Emerald Downs on Sunday in a pair of important preps for the Aug. 20 running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile.
Flamethrowintexan led throughout 1 1-8 miles in 1:48 to win the $100,000 Mt. Rainier Breeders' Cup Handicap by 4 1-2 lengths over 46-1 shot Don'twritemeoff. Ridden by Ricky Frazier and trained by Jim Penney, Flamethrowintexan paid $3.80 to win as the heavy favorite in a field of 10 and earned $55,000 for Paul Heist?s Grasshopper Stable.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Pure as Gold was as good as gold on Sunday at Del Mar, when he scored a surprising victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 , then survived a lengthy inquiry before retaining the win.
Pure as Gold ($48.20), the longest shot in the six-horse field, outgamed 4-5 favorite Bordonaro and Battle Won in a three-way duel to the wire in the six-furlong race, but jockey Alex Solis, aboard Bordonaro, claimed foul against Pure as Gold and jockey Jon Court, alledging his horse had been struck by Court?s whip with a furlong to go.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Court's in Session ($15.60), the lone confirmed closer in the field of five, took advantage of a heated pace duel to upset odds-on favorite Stone Rain in the $54,500 Ernest Finley Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair on Sunday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It almost didn't seem fair. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the first three graded stakes of the Saratoga session, had three of the six starters including 3-2 favorite Oonagh Maccool in Sunday's $250,000 . But it would take a courageous effort from the least regarded of his trio of talented fillies for Pletcher to notch his fourth graded victory of the young meet after Spun Sugar outgamed an equally determined Balletto to register a hard fought nose verdict in the main event on a card which drew a crowd of 43, 846.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Gouldings Green ($3.60) shipped in from Saratoga to capture the Grade 3, $151,600 at Woodbine Sunday.
After breaking from post 1, Gouldings Green assumed an inside stalking position in the mile and a sixteenth route over the inner track. Longshots Northern Candy and Roving Angel vied up front, and the latter took control on the far turn after fractions of :22.78 and :46.94 seconds.
