ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Palladio won his second derby of the year Sunday at Woodbine, taking the $165,750 Ontario Derby with a powerful wide rally under jockey Richard Dos Ramos.
Palladio trailed the eight-horse field on the backstretch of the nine-furlong route, as Crafty Stag set an honest pace, with Gold and Roses and Stay Close in close proximity.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Trainer Steve Asmussen swept the first two places in Saturday's $50,000 Lady Luck Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the grass at Louisiana Downs. Paris Return put in a determined run down the lane to run her career record to a perfect two-for-two, while her entrymate, Double Faced, rallied from well back to finish second. Silver Navasha reported home third followed by Kat Nan Do, the 9-5 favorite.
ELMONT, N.Y. - First Samurai cemented his status as the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by splashing his way to a 2 3/4-length victory over Henny Hughes in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 at Belmont Park.
Henny Hughes, who pressed an extremely fast pace, held second, 9 3/4 lengths ahead of Superfly.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Heriberto Cedano will try to defend his title in the $100,000 Pebbles Stakes with , a filly still looking for a win this season.
A former assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer Phil Johnson, Cedano won last year's Pebbles with Fortunate Damsel.
The Pebbles, for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on the turf, tops the Columbus Day card Monday at Belmont Park. The holiday program begins at 1 p.m.
CHICAGO - There is a featured race Monday at Hawthorne, but just barely. With the horse population apparently taxed by a six-day racing week, the featured first scraped onto the card with just five runners. While some racing jurisdictions regularly let five-horses races go when entries are taken, it's a rarity in Chicago.
ARCADIA, Calif. - An attempt at Grade 1 glory failed in August and September for when she finished third in the Del Mar Debutante and fifth in the Matron Stakes at Belmont Park.
After those losses, River's Prayer takes a major drop in class to start against statebred fillies in Monday's $75,000 Cover Gal Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.
River's Prayer will be favored in the Cover Gal, run over seven furlongs for 2-year-olds.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The unbeaten Seaside Retreat will make his highly anticipated stakes debut Monday at Woodbine in 97th running of the $275,750 Grey Breeders' Cup for 2-year-olds.
The Grade 3 Grey, which has been won by such standouts as Sunny's Halo and Wando, has lured a field of seven, set to go 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Adieu overcame her inside post and a sloppy track to win Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 by two lengths at Belmont Park and establish herself as the likely favorite for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 29.
Along the Sea, a well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Matron, finished second, 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Keeneland Kat. Better Now, Catch My Fancy, Mykindasaint, Miss Normal, Philanthropy Lady, and Heckuva Rush completed the order of finish.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Alozaina ($43.80) notched the first stakes win of her career, outfinishing stablemate Sparkling Humor to win the $75,000 Autumn Leaves Handicap at Bay Meadows on Saturday.
The 6-year-old mare was far off the pressured pace set by odds-on favorite Penny Ante. She got a ground-saving trip but had no room behind a wall of horses entering the lane, but when a hole opened up, she burst through and wore down her stalking stablemate, who got a first-run trip.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Captain Squire won his second straight race since returning from a 14 1/2-month layoff and earned a likely berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint with a hard-fought victory in the Grade 1, $236,000 on Saturday at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.
