FLORENCE, Ky. - Mere minutes after a disqualification was announced in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, handing victory to the Frank Brothers-trained First Samurai, Brothers got another triumph in a stakes race for 3-year-olds when Laity held off a swarm of challengers in the $100,000 at Turfway Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - While trainer Todd Pletcher awaits the return of his top older horse Flower Alley to his barn, he continues to stockpile suitable reserves in the handicap division.
Harlington made a successful jump from allowance company to the graded-stakes ranks with a hard-fought neck victory over longshot Contante in the Grade 2, $300,000 before 10,250 at Gulfstream. It was another three-quarters of a length back to It's No Joke.
Whos Crying Now finished fourth followed by Andromeda's Hero, Suave, Funny Cide, and Sun King.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Before Indian Vale took the mantle from her, was the top 3-year-old filly in trainer Todd Pletcher's barn last year. Away from the races since a second-place finish in the Alabama, Spun Sugar returns to the races Monday in a third-level allowance race going one mile at Gulfstream Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Marty Wolfson made it a point to show jockey Rafael Bejarano tapes of Mister Fotis's previous races prior to Saturday's $200,000 at Gulfstream Park. The tutoring sessions paid dividends when Bejarano guided Mister Fotis to a neck victory over Sir Greeley.
The Grade 2 Richter Scale marked the 2006 debut of reigning Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Silver Train, who finished seventh as the even-money favorite.
STICKNEY, Ill. - The trainer Mark Cristel reached downstate late last summer and came up with a gem. Cristel's operation, consisting mainly of Illinois-breds, is based in Chicago, but his family is from the southern part of Illinois, and his brother, Jim, trains at Fairmount Park. It was there last September that Proven Cat was claimed for a mere $10,000, and while she lost that day in a nonwinners-of-three conditioned race, Proven Cat has since proved up.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sharp Humor is likely to be voted New York-bred champion 2-year-old of 2005 when those awards are announced next month. But it is unlikely he'll be meeting New York-breds again anytime soon.
Sharp Humor may have put himself on the Triple Crown trail Saturday after pulling off a neck upset of 7-5 favorite Noonmark to win the Grade 2, $150,000 at Gulfstream Park. Noonmark, who put a head in front of Sharp Humor in midstretch, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Court Folly. In Summation finished fourth.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Wend remained perfect at Gulfstream Park and perfect at 1 1/16 miles as she recorded a one-length, front-running victory over Brunilda in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 .
Honey Ryder, last year's E.P. Taylor winner, finished third, a neck ahead of High Court.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Milk it Mick ended a 10-race losing streak dating back to October 2003 in the $300,000 , a race in which the first eight finishers were within 1 3/4 lengths at the wire.
Milk it Mick finished a head in front of Aragorn, who was a nose in front of Chinese Dragon. Cacique, the 7-5 favorite, finished fourth, a head behind Chinese Dragon.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Milk it Mick ($26.80) finished a mile on turf in 1:34.49.
Winning trainer Jim Cassidy credited Desormeaux for his ride.
The wet weather that came through Southern California on Friday forced the Grade 3, $110,500 from the hillside turf course to the main track, a scenario that seemingly benefited Da Stoops, who was sent off as the 2-5 favorite. But the slick track, and two upstarts, proved a hurdle too high for him to clear.
Da Stoops staggered home third - and just barely saved the bridge-jumpers who plunged in the show pool - behind the victorious Fast Parade and The Pharoah in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds.
OLDSMAR Fla. - When nominations closed Saturday for the Grade 3, $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby, $200,000 Florida Oaks, and $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes, there were a number of horses on the lists from such household names as Nick Zito, Bill Mott, and Todd Pletcher. But several locally based trainers are also tentatively pointing runners to the three Festival Day stakes, which will be run March 18.
