ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wanna Runner, a California invader trained by Bob Baffert, looms the likely choice in a field of 13 for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.
Sterwins, a promising but lightly raced gelding trained by Todd Pletcher, will be the other out-of-towner in the 147th running of the Queen's Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
Sabellina broke slowest and trailed to the top of the stretch, rallied along the hedge, altered course through traffic to the outside beneath Javier Castellano, and finished strongly to overtake Finlandia in the final strides of Sunday's $114,700 Mount Vernon Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park.
Sabellina, who had won just one of her previous 14 starts, ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 on firm turf and paid $10.60. She earned $68,820.
AUBURN, Wash. - R. Associate pulled off a 28-1 stunner in Sunday's one mile, $75,000 Emerald Budweiser Handicap at Emerald Downs, coming from well off the pace under rider Ben Russell to prevail by a length over Norm?s Nephew in 1:34.20. Heavily favored Flamethrowintexan held third after setting a pressured pace through six furlongs in 1:09.20.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - David Flores was a delighted passenger on Dixie Meister in the first half of the $250,000 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park on Sunday.
As Spellbinder and Ice Cole fought through quick fractions of 22.74 and 45.99 seconds, Flores kept Dixie Meister well off the pace, waiting to pounce. The winning move came in early stretch when Dixie Meister rallied from fifth to reach the front.
With the pacesetters out of contention, Dixie Meister held off Super Frolic to win by a length.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Der Ali won his stakes debut in a weak running of the $66,500 Quicken Tree Stakes for state-breds at Hollywood Park on Sunday.
Ridden by Juan Ochoa, Der Ali ($12) rallied from fourth to upset favored Cut Trial, finishing 1 1-2 miles on turf in a slow 2:30.05. Ochoa brought Der Ali wide through the stretch and caught Cut Trail in the final sixteenth, winning by a half-length.
Sultry Bard, who beat maiden claimers last month, finished third in a field of six. None of the six runners were stakes winners prior to Sunday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kentucky shipper Chace City won Sunday's $125,800 Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, despite ducking in repeatedly through the stretch of the five-furlong dash for 2-year-olds.
Chace City broke on top under Shaun Bridgmohan and dueled with Fast Trick through a wind-aided first quarter of :21.98 seconds. He opened up a clear lead on the turn and scored by five and a quarter lengths, in a final time of :59.21.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - An upset victory by Persistent ($131.20) in a maiden claimer on Saturday has led to a pick six carryover of $156,727 for Sunday's nine-race program at Hollywood Park.
Sunday's pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on an otherwise unimpressive program.
The fourth race is for 2-year-old maidens. EZ Warrior, trainer by Bob Baffert, drew the rail and is the expected favorite.
There are only a half-dozen entrants in the sixth race, an allowance race at six furlongs. The Pharaoh and Shakin N Dancin are top contenders.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Zoning In ($22.20), a runner-up in his racing debut, became a stakes winner in his second start, capturing the $70,350 Malcolm Anderson Stakes at Bay Meadows on Saturday.
A $17,000 yearling purchase at last October's Barretts Sale, the Cal-bred Zoning In and Youandiatdelmar turned the five-furlong race for 2-year-olds into their personal match race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The upset that Colonial Colony pulled two years ago in the at Churchill Downs - well, that was nothing compared to what transpired Saturday in the 25th running of the Grade 1 race.
Seek Gold, who was last of nine runners approaching the eighth pole, launched an incredible outside rally to pull out a nose victory over a tough-luck Perfect Drift and light up the toteboard at 91-1.
Ridden by Calvin Borel, Seek Gold returned $185.40 when surpassing the record $127.20 mutuel that Colonial Colony paid following his nose victory in the 2004 Foster.
