ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - An unlikely winner joined a familiar weathered face in the Arlington Park winner's circle Sunday, as Major Rhythm, all $73.40 of him, won the by a desperate head, with 59-year-old Hall of Famer Earlier Fires aboard.
Fires came back drenched with sweat on a sultry day. He had to work for the winner's share of a $200,000 purse.
"This horse needs help the last 70 yards," Fires said. "He's not a top horse, but he gives you all he's got."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Story ended a nine-race losing streak with an eventful win in Sunday's $300,000 at Hollywood Park, a race delayed by the late scratch of top contender Star Parade and an incident in which an assistant starter was kicked.
Hollywood Story won by a half-length over Healthy Addiction, finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.55. Sharp Lisa, who stalked the early pace, finished third, and was followed by Proposed, Freakin Streakin, and Bardy Woman.
Trainer Scott Lake has the potential to gobble up 80 percent of the $100,000 purse in Tuesday's Charles Town Dash Invitational Handicap.
Lake, who has dominated the stakes scene at the West Virginia oval this season by winning 5 of the 8 stakes run so far, clearly has a tremendous advantage in the 4 1/2-furlong dash with his one-two punch of Outcashem and Explosive Count.
Two fillies with proven stakes form at Finger Lakes will face stiff challenges from downstate shippers in a pair of $50,000 stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares on the holiday card at Finger Lakes.
Carlow returned from a five-month layoff to win the Susan B. Anthony Handicap, but she will need to run much faster than she did that day in order to beat the Mike Hushion-trained Sweet Sweet in the six-furlong Arctic Queen for older females.
Not Very Ladylike, a winner in 2 of her last 3 starts while facing open company, and Hailie's Girl, a consistent performer against Pennsylvania-breds, head a field of 10 3-year-old fillies for the $50,000 Foxy J.G. Stakes at Philadelphia Park.
Not Very Ladylike drops in class to face statebreds for the first time after crushing first-level allowance horses by 7 1/2 lengths in the slop last time out.
Eleanor Rose's greatest strength is also her greatest weakness.
The 5-year-old mare, who meets six rivals - three running as an entry - in Tuesday's $50,000 Alameda County Fillies and Mares Handicap, likes to run fast early.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly here at Pleasanton where speed always seems to play well. But her insistence on going early sometimes means she doesn't save enough to outfinish rivals late.
Absolutely True suffered a narrow defeat in his latest effort and will attempt to make amends in the Front Range Handicap at Arapahoe. He faces a good group of four other older runners in the $25,000-added race, a seven-furlong event that will be run as the seventh on a nine-race program.
Absolutely True held a clear advantage in late stretch in the Arapahoe Park Sprint on June 11, only to get nailed at the wire by the fast-closing Komax. Absolutely True should benefit from that race, the first of his campaign, and is given a slight edge in Tuesday's competitive affair.
Siphon City ($48.60) controlled the pace and drew off through the final furlong to score a six-length victory over Three Hour Nap in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap.
Under jockey Elvis Trujillo, Siphon City sprinted clear early and set fast fractions of a half-mile in 45.82 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.91 while under a long rein. Siphon City responded when Trujillo urged him through the lane and widened to the wire while clocking the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.76.
Kimchi, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks, added the second jewel in Canada's triple tiara to her collection with a solid score in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City at Fort Erie on Sunday.
With regular rider Patrick Husbands aboard, Kimchi stalked the pace of front-running Essential Edge before taking the lead and pulling away in midstretch. She had to fend off a late run from Sweet Breanna to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths.
"We had a nice trip," said Husbands.
