Joint Effort, ridden by Edgar Prado, took full advantage of a rail opening on the turn and went on to a near-record victory Saturday in the $119,600 at Churchill Downs.
Leaving the half-mile pole, Prado guided Joint Effort past front-running Morner, and the issue was pretty much settled thereafter, as Joint Effort glided to a 3 1/4-length score over favored Adieu in the 7 1/2-furlong La Troienne. The winning time was 1:28.18, just missing the 1:28.08 mark set four years ago by Miss Lodi.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Costa Rising made a successful debut on the turf Friday afternoon as he led every step of the way in the opening day feature, the $50,000 John Franks Stakes.
Favored Screen Idol's late rally came up a nose short and the defending champion from last year's John Franks settled for second, followed by Krises Bells and Spritely Walker in the one-mile race for Louisiana-breds.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and jockey Russell Baze did not plan on taking Trickey Trevor off the pace in Saturday's $200,000 . But Baze's impromptu strategy paid big dividends after Trickey Trevor rallied from third place in the run down the backstretch to score an easy three-length victory over With Distinction.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A few days before the 132nd on Friday, trainer Dallas Stewart wondered aloud about how Lemons Forever, the longshot filly he brought into the Grade 1 race, could overcome the far outside post in a field of 14 3-year-old fillies.
"You really got to run from there, don't you," said Stewart, perhaps with feigned angst. "How are you going to do that?"
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Todd Pletcher was being posed for photos with Emirate Airlines host-esses, asked for television interviews, barraged with reporters' and publicists' questions Friday. He did find time to win half of the first eight races on Kentucky Oaks Day.
Pletcher won the first, fourth, and fifth races, and it wasn't enough to have Oonagh Maccool score a decisive victory in race 8, the Grade 2, $271,000 . He also sent out second-place La Reason, with three entries still left on the card.
Julien Leparoux still is an apprentice jockey, which means he hasn't watched as many races as some of the grizzled veteran riders on this circuit. But as the field for Friday's $114,300 Crown Royal American Turf turned down the Churchill Downs backstretch, Leparoux could see all five of his rivals from his seat aboard Stream Cat, and he knew he was watching something good.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Three New York-bred fillies trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. will be on the outside looking in when the gate opens for Sunday's 29th running of the $100,000-added Bouwerie Stakes.
In a field of nine, the Dutrow-trained How 'bout No, Ice Cool Kitty, and Oprah Winney drew respectively in posts 6, 7, and 9 for three different owners, so they will run as separate betting interests.
"We'll take a shot with all three - all the owners want to run," said Dutrow.
The Arlington Park stakes schedule is just about the same in 2006 as previous years, but opening weekend boasts a new race on the calendar, and based on the entries alone, consider the first running of the Avers Wexler Stakes a success.
The Wexler, named for a prominent local owner, offers a $100,000 purse and is open only to Illinois-owned horses, but despite that fairly severe restriction the turf race has drawn one of the more solid fields of older horses recently seen here this side of the Arlington Million.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - So whose turn is it to win on Sunday?
In the last year, Healthy Addiction, Hollywood Story, and Star Parade have won graded stakes in Southern California, but failed to win consecutive races at that level. Healthy Addiction will try for that accomplishment Sunday, when she runs in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park.
She has to beat Hollywood Story and Star Parade, as well as the longshots Freakin Streakin, New Regina, and Santa Candida.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Gumboots and eight other Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies will prep for the June 11 Woodbine Oaks on Sunday in the $150,000 Fury Stakes at Woodbine.
The seven-furlong Fury has been a successful Oaks prep, producing four consecutive winners, from 1997-2000.
Gumboots notched her first two starts at 2, including the Fanfreluche Stakes. After running third behind the talented duo of Top Notch Lady and Angel on Watch in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes here in November, she wintered at Santa Anita.
