Rose Hunter was in command throughout for a 5 1/4 length win in the $40,000 Houston Chronicle Stakes on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.
Pad The Wallet finished second, three lengths clear of third-place finisher Voz De Colegiala. Paz Ciudadana was scratched from the Chronicle, which was the first stakes of the meet at Sam Houston.
Slew Lucky became a stakes winner on the final day of The Woodlands meet on Saturday, when he upset the $20,000 Woodlands Juvenile by a length and paid $33.20.
The six furlong race for 2-year-olds was one of five stakes on the richest card of the meet.
Slew Lucky stalked Rahy Royal, who set a pressured pace of 23 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.80 for the half-mile mark. Slew Lucky overtook that one and rallied through the stretch, covering the distance over a fast track in 1:12.60.
Jockey Terrance McGee rode the winner for trainer Milton Gaede.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A ground-saving trip behind a fast pace allowed favorite Geronimo ($6.40) and jockey Kent Desormeaux to snap a string of seconds and win the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita. A 6-year-old gelding racing in the six and one-furlong turf sprint for the third straight year, Geronimo won by a head over King Robyn. Jungle Prince finished a nose back in third.
Neil Howard is making a habit out of training horses that excel over the Keeneland main track. In 2002-04, the Howard-trained Midway Road was unbeatable for him there, and now Alumni Hall is almost as untouchable.
On Saturday, Alumni Hall demonstrated that fondness for the Keeneland strip by winning the Grade 3, $150,000 - a race that his stablemate Midway Road had won a year earlier. The victory pushed Alumni Hall's Keeneland record to 4 for 5.
Trainer Tim Tullock took a chance by running Abbondanza in Saturday's $75,000 Dave's Friend Stakes at Laurel Park rather than shipping to Delaware Park to face easier competition Sunday in an optional claiming sprint.
Abbondanza ($27.20), a 4-year-old ridden by Enrique Jurado, made Tullock look smart by rallying along the rail to outfinish 3-5 favorite Forest Park by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong stakes.
Gumboots put away 3-5 favorite Devil's Bride on the lead before cruising to a 7 1/4-length win over that one in the $167,250 Fanfreluche Stakes at Woodbine.
Gumboots ($6.90) ran six furlongs in 1:10.09, earning $99,630 in her stakes debut for Eaton Hall Farm and trainer Josie Carroll.
It was the second stakes triumph on the card for jockey Patrick Husbands, who guided Seattlespectacular to victory in the $109,000 Chief Bearhart.
Seattles Best Joe ($12.60) sat well off a swift pace before making a strong move in the lane to win the $50,700 Sausalito Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Ridden by Dennis Carr, Seattles Best Joe was last through the opening quarter, as odds-on Stormin' Lyon and Carthage battled through an opening quarter in 21.53 seconds. He was still far back as the two leaders went the opening half in 43.83. Stormin' Lyon began to ease clear of Carthage, but Seattles Best Joe rallied down the middle of the track to win by five lengths, covering six furlongs in 1:08.59.
Celestial Legend extended her unbeaten streak to three Friday night with a 3 1/2-length victory in the $50,000 Holly Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at The Meadowlands Racetrack.
Ridden by Chris DeCarlo, Celestial Legend ($3.40) dueled for the early lead before dropping back slightly. She launched another bid in the lane that carried her to an easy win over Wild and Proud, with Primary Motive third. Celestial Legend ran the six furlongs on the fast track in 1:09.52.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Two $55,000 New Jersey-bred handicaps top the first of a pair of "make-up" Tuesdays at The Meadowlands Racetrack.
The Accordant and the Queen Lib headline a nine-race card that gets under way at 1:10 p.m.
The Big M also added an Election Day matinee on Nov. 8 to help offset the seven weather-related cancellations this meet.
Both Tuesday stakes will be run at six furlongs.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Charedi's Peak heads a field of eight entered in the $48,000-added Michigan Juvenile Fillies at Great Lakes Downs on Tuesday. The seven-furlong race is the first race on the card, which has a 5 p.m. eastern first post.
Divisional awards for the 2005 season will be presented after live racing on Tuesday.
