Sun, 01/29/2006 - 00:00

Slick City Nites wins Bucharest

Coady Photography/Jenifer Juelsgaard
Slick City Nites wins the $30,000 Bucharest for 3-year-olds at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night.

Slick City Nites raced close throughout for a two and a quarter length win over Herman Muttster in the $30,000 Bucharest for 3-year-olds at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. It was another length and three quarters back in third to favorite Minstrel Runner.

Slick City Nites ($8.40) sat off of pacesetter My Dana Boy, who under pressure set fractions of 21.81 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.78 for the half-mile mark. Slick City Nites took the lead in the stretch, and increased his advantage, covering six furlongs over a sloppy track in 1:11.94.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Da Stoops dominates

Horsephotos
Da Stoops wins the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash at Santa Anita on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Da Stoops ($4.60) won his second restricted race of the Santa Anita meeting, leading throughout the $250,000 .

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Da Stoops ran six furlongs in 1:08.94 and won by 7 1/2 lengths. After bobbling at the start, he led from the rail through early fractions of 21.37 and 43.56 seconds.

A California-bred, Da Stoops was never really threatened. After a brief skirmish with Dinner Magic in the opening furlong, Da Stoops pulled away to lead by three lengths entering the stretch and five lengths at the eighth pole.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Five in row for Hot Storm

Horsephotos
Hot Storm wins the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hot Storm's annual visit to California produced a lucrative stakes win in the $300,000 .

In 2005, Hot Storm, a Florida-bred, won the Sunshine Millions Oaks in a 21-1 upset in her lone start of the year on the West Coast. This year, bettors gave her every chance in the Filly and Mare Sprint, sending her off as the 3-1 second choice.

Hot Storm, 4, took advantage of a track that played friendly to front-runners Saturday and won her fifth consecutive race.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Bordonaro gets job done

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Bordonaro with Pat Valenzuela riding wins the $300,000 Padua Stables Sprint on Sunshine Millions Day at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Bordonaro was out of sorts at his barn in the morning, and washed out in the paddock before the race, but he saved plenty of energy for the $300,000 , which began the Gulfstream Park portion of the Sunshine Millions.

After getting outrun for the early lead, Bordonaro was able to reel in early leaders Areyoutalkintome and Thor's Echo, then staved off a late bid by Tacirring to win by three-quarters of a length and score his third straight victory and seventh in his last eight starts.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Joint Effort wins going away

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Joint Effort, and jockey Mark Guidry, race to victory in the $250,000 Ocala Stud Oaks on Sunshine Millions day at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Joint Effort circled rivals into the stretch before drawing off to an impressive 2 1/2-length victory over A Sea Trippi in the $250,000 .

Joint Effort, a 3-year-old daughter of Runaway Groom, rallied five wide into the stretch, readily overtook the tiring leaders inside the eighth pole, and won going away under jockey Mark Guidry. A Sea Trippi also rallied wide off the turn and finished willingly to be second-best. Lake Alice, a 90-1 chance, raced forwardly from the outset and continued well to be third.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Lava Man rebounds in Classic win

Horsephotos
Lava Man (right) with Corey Nakatani up in the 2006 Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Lava Man, who earned more money than any other California-bred in 2005, showed why he is the king of the statebreds in Saturday's $1 million at Santa Anita.

Ending a three-race losing streak that cast doubt into whether he could regain his outstanding form of last summer, Lava Man won the Classic against California-breds and Florida-breds by 2 1/4 lengths over Whos Crying Now, a Florida-bred.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Miesque's Approval pulls upset at 48-1

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Miesque's Approval with Eddie Castro riding defeated Silver Tree and Jockey Jerry Bailey in Bailey's final ride of his career in the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There would be no storybook ending to jockey Jerry Bailey's career, but he went out a champion nonetheless, even after his final mount, Silver Tree, fell three-quarters of a length shy of catching 48-1 Miesque's Approval in Saturday's $500,000 at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

House of Fortune stalks, then rolls to victory

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
House of Fortune runs to victory in the Sunshine Millions Distaff on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Arnold Zetcher has made his fortune in women's clothing, and on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, his mare House of Fortune was pretty in pink. House of Fortune, wearing Zetcher's bright pink silks, turned back fellow California-bred Dream of Summer on the far turn and then turned on the jets en route to a 6 1/2-length victory in the $500,000 .

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

Moscow Burning claims her race

Horsephotos
Moscow Burning under David Flores wins The Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - After losing the 2004 and 2005 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf by a combined 1 1/2 lengths, Moscow Burning finally had luck on her side in Saturday's $500,000 at Santa Anita.

Under a well-timed ride by jockey David Flores, Moscow Burning ran down the leaders with a wide stretch run to win the richest race of her career and reach millionaire status.

Sent off favored, the California-bred Moscow Burning ($4.60) finished 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.39.

Sat, 01/28/2006 - 00:00

R Loyal Man sharp in Pasco score

Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley
R Loyal Man wins the $75,000 Pasco Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Prominent from the outset, R Loyal Man shook off the competition leaving the turn and drew off smartly through the stretch to post an impressive 3 3/4-length victory in the $75,000 Pasco Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Under a confident ride by Manoel Cruz, R Loyal Man vied for the lead through an opening quarter of 22.65 seconds and a half-mile of 45.56. After shaking off Neverbeendancin and Electrify leaving the turn, R Loyal Man drew away with a flourish to stamp himself as one of the early favorites for the Grade 3, $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 18.