Tonight Rainbow won his third consecutive stakes this year in the $30,000 Dowd Mile Stakes at Fonner Park.
Under Larren Delorme, Tonight Rainbow won by two lengths in 1:41 for the mile over a fast track. Habaneros rallied through traffic on the far turn and finished second, while Stormy Business was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
Tonight Rainbow, trained by Boyd Caster, returned $4.80 as the favorite in a field of 10.
Wild Fit, one of the nation's leading 3-year-old fillies, came down with an infection over the weekend, has been turned out at a nearby farm, and is out of consideration for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks, her trainer, Patrick Biancone, said Monday at Keeneland. "She has been treated and will spend a month at Ashford Stud," Biancone said.
Wild Fit was the 8-1 second choice in the final Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Strong Faith ($4) rallied from last to capture the $39,550 Half Moon Bay Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Under jockey Roberto Gonzalez, Strong Faith was content to bide her time until she was asked to move up on the second turn. She sat behind tiring pacesetter Marla Bay before shifting out for the stretch run. Sky Dreams took the lead into the lane, but Strong Faith ran her down to score by a half-length. The winning time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.48 on a good track.
Arson Squad rallied from last in a field of five 3-year-olds in the $91,180 San Pedro Stakes to deny heavily favored Da Stoops his third stakes win of the Santa Anita meeting.
Making his stakes debut, Arson Squad ($7.20) ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.81, finishing 1 3/4 lengths in front of Da Stoops. The Pharaoh finished third, 7 3/4 lengths behind Arson Squad.
Capeside Lady showed her class at Oaklawn Park, driving to a 3 1/2-length win over Injustice in the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes in her first start since October. It was another half-length back in third to Caviar Emptor.
Ridden by Stewart Elliott, Capeside Lady ($3.40) broke sharply and raced through the first turn with Injustice, who led the field through an opening quarter in 23.42 seconds and a half-mile in 47.56.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - On the morning of the March 25 Lane's End Stakes, a colt named Likely was nothing more than an unraced, albeit well-regarded, 3-year-old colt in the Patrick Biancone barn at Turfway Park.
A little more than two weeks later, Likely is a stakes winner and untested in two starts. Off an easy debut win in the first race on Lane's End Day, Likely was even more impressive Sunday in running off from four rivals in the $107,800 at Keeneland.
Fort Prado won his second newly graded stakes this year, when he powered to a three-length victory over Dynareign in Saturday night's Grade 3, $193,000 at Sam Houston Race Park.
The Connally was elevated to graded status this year, as was the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup, which Fort Prado won in January during the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs.
ARCADIA, Calif. - In only his second trip to California, jockey Rafael Bejarano won six races at Santa Anita on Saturday, a milestone that included a victory aboard Silent Name in the $150,000 .
It was the 12th time in track history that a rider had won six races in a day.
Bejarano's win on Silent Name was his fourth of the day. Silent Name was always near the front, and rallied along the rail on the final turn, a move that essentially clinched the win.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Buzzards Bay dominated his rivals in the Grade 2, $500,000 on Saturday, winning off by six and a half lengths in a stirring performance that left his connections thinking Breeders' Cup Classic.
It was the second straight blowout stakes win for Buzzards Bay, who became a millionaire with the victory. He was purchased in July by Gary Broad and was making his fifth start for his new trainer, Ron Ellis.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It took exactly 1:48 for Brother Derek to make short work of the field in the Grade 1, $750,000 on Saturday. It took slightly less time for the mind of Dan Hendricks to start doing the math.
Shortly after the 1 1/8-mile race, Hendricks, the trainer of Brother Derek, rolled into a press box elevator to be taken to the ground floor and the winner's circle. He had the grin of a Cheshire cat etched all over his face.
"Forty-eight. Good time?" he asked rhetorically, his face beaming. "Can we add 12 and change to that?"
