ALBANY, Calif. - Although he suffered a small undisplaced fracture of his left wrist Friday, leading jockey Martin Garcia is planning to ride here Wednesday and was booked on mounts for Thursday.
Garcia had to miss riding assignments on Hollywood Park's Gold Rush Day on Sunday, but will begin riding full-time at Hollywood Park next Wednesday. After Sunday's races, Garcia had a 107-92 lead in the jockey standings over perennial leader Russell Baze.
AUBURN, Wash. - Starbird Road stalked the pace of Salt Grinder to the stretch, then powered to the front and easily withstood the late charge of Spanish Highway to win Sunday's $40,000 Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs by two lengths in 1:08.60 for six furlongs. Spanish Highway got second by 2 1-4 lengths over last year's Seattle Handicap winner, Slewicide Cruise.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Lava Man's domination of California's handicap division has expanded to turf.
The reigning winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup and Santa Anita Handicap, Lava Man won Sunday's $150,000 for California-breds at Hollywood Park by 5 1-4 lengths, setting a course record of 1:44.26 seconds for 1 1-8 miles on turf. The previous record of 1:44.78 was set in 1995 by Fastness.
Lava Man's win was the highlight of Sunday's 10-race California Gold Rush program for state-breds.
ALBANY, Calif. - Sharp Writer ($6.60) rallied from last, pulling away late to win the $41,700 Walnut Creek Overnight Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
Now Victory opened a 12-length lead through the opening six furlongs of the 1 3/8-mile turf race, running 1:10.52 and was still leading by 3 (three one-half) lengths after a mile as the field began to surge to the tiring leader.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Summer Girlfriend ($11.60) upset 3-5 favorite Knights Templar in Sunday's $125,400 Star Shoot Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Jockey Gerry Olguin put Summer Girlfriend on the lead in the six-furlong dash, and they recorded moderate fractions while running into the wind on the backstretch.
Knights Templar, last year's Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, stalked four-wide on the turn and loomed boldly at the head of the stretch, but Summer Girlfriend held her ground and prevailed by a length, in a final time of 1:11.93 seconds.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Jon Court shipped into Lone Star Park last year and won five stakes and on Saturday picked right up where he left off by guiding Preachinatthebar to a gutsy neck win over Stockholder in the Grade 3, $300,000 at Lone Star Park.
"I always enjoy coming to Texas," Court said. "So far it's been great and hopefully it continues."
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Willow O Wisp ended a three-race losing streak with a frontrunning win in Saturday's $100,000 at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Willow O Wisp ($5) ran 1 1-16 miles on turf in 1:39.05, always leading by at least a length and winning by 1 1-4 lengths.
Artiste Royale, a stakes winner in France last year, stalked Willow O Wisp and finished second, a nose in front of New Export. Red Fort, second in the 2005 Inglewood, finished fourth, losing by 1 1-2 lengths.
ALBANY, Calif. - Charmo ($6.80) unleashed a spectacular kick in the stretch, catching perfect-tripper Aragorn to win the Grade 2 $330,000 on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
Winless in his first 16 career starts in France although he was group-placed as a maiden, Charmo won his fourth race since moving to the United Stakes and recorded his first stakes victory. The win was trainer Julio Canani's fifth in the 57th running of the Mile.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Wally's Choice returned from a six-month layoff with a sharp performance to take Saturday's $100,000 by a widening 2 1/2 lengths under Ken Shino.
The Bosselman/Gus Fonner is the showpiece event of Fonner Park's 38-day meet, which will wind up its season on Kentucky Derby Day.
Wally's Choice, the 5-2 second favorite in the field of eight, found his way through traffic on the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, ran down upset-minded 20-1 shot Motion Approved in upper stretch, and charged home for the win in 1:47.40 over a sealed track rated good.
