With the ultra-quick Flame of Love in the field, Trickle of Gold faced a key question going into the $75,600 Sweet and Sassy at Delaware Park: Could she win without the early lead? The answer: Yes.
Trickle of Gold, the even-money favorite in the six-furlong race, sat just behind Flame of Love through very fast fractions of 21.39 and 44.21 and, under a confident ride by Jeremy Rose, took the lead in the stretch and held off Annika Lass by a length. Miss Elsie was up for third.
Sarah Jane, a daughter of Northern Spur making her turf debut, crossed the wire first by a half-length in the $50,000 Tomboy Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies at River Downs, but she was disqualified and placed second behind Luvaprivate after veering out and bumping that rival in the final yards. Tommeyesgold, who had taken a brief lead at the top of the stretch, held on for third. Money Card, the 2-1 favorite, retreated at the quarter pole and finished sixth.
BALTIMORE - The future outran the past Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 at Pimlico.
Even with nary a previous stakes victory, the up-and-coming Master Command was bet down to 13-10 favoritism in the Schaefer, which had the grizzled 6-year-old Funny Cide as the 8-5 second choice. Ridden by red-hot Garrett Gomez, Master Command turned back a sustained challenge from Andromeda's Hero for his first stakes victory. Funny Cide labored home a well-beaten third.
BALTIMORE - Better Talk Now hadn't raced in six months, was running at shorter than his preferred distance, and his entrymate failed to set the fast pace he normally does.
None of that mattered Saturday, as Better Talk Now showed that he again will be a force in the turf division by rallying from last to win the Grade 2, $250,000 by a head over Dreadnaught at Pimlico. It was a neck back to 1-2 favorite Artie Schiller in third.
He was followed in the order of finish by Sabre d'Argent, Rebel Rebel, Shake the Bank, and Dr Detroit.
BALTIMORE - Friendly Island never let pacesetter Kazoo out of his sights the first part of the race, surged past that rival heading into the lane, and determinedly turned back a late bid from 24-1 shot Celtic Innis to capture the Grade 3, $190,000 on Saturday at Pimlico.
Friendly Island ($5.60), the favorite, beat Celtic Innis by three-quarters of a length, with the troubled Gaff another head back in third. Kazoo faded to fourth in the field of seven.
BALTIMORE - Ozone Bere, making her first start in this country, benefited from a ground-saving ride from Javier Castellano and got up in the final strides to beat Humoristic and capture the Grade 3, $100,000 for older female turf runners.
Ozone Bere ($17.40) rallied from seventh in the final quarter-mile and won by a head, with Humoristic a length in front of Art Fan. Ozone Bere completed 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.08.
"She hesitated a little, but then everybody split out, and I took my best shot," Castellano said. "I was very lucky with the trip."
BALTIMORE - My Lord, who had just one horse beaten turning for home, rallied strongly despite constantly switching leads in the stretch to get up and win the $94,500 by three-quarters of a length over the 8-5 favorite, Southern Missile. It was a nose back to 32-1 longshot Spring Kitten.
BALTIMORE - The way the $100,000 unfolded was something of a microcosm of everyday racing: Todd Pletcher flaunting his considerable clout.
Pletcher horses ran first and second for the entire 1 1/16 miles of the Sir Barton, with front-running High Cotton turning back stablemate Ultimate Goal by 5 1/2 lengths.
BALTIMORE - Songster dominated Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 , outsprinting Pagan Moon for the early lead and widening his advantage at every call to win by 10 lengths.
Valid Brush rallied to get up for second by a nose over Urban Guy. Pagan Moon, Mike'sgoodandtough, and We Miss You Nicko completed the order of finish.
Songster, under Edgar Prado, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.72 and returned $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite. Prado had him geared down the last 100 yards.
ELMONT, N.Y. - She has not run in six months, returns at a distance shorter than her best, and faces the champion 3-year-old filly of 2005 as well as the second-best juvenile filly of 2004. But on Sunday, none of that may count for much when Indian Vale returns for her first start at 4 and rules a prohibitive favorite over Smuggler, Balletto, and two others in the Grade 2, $150,000 Shuvee Handicap for fillies and mares.
