Rocky Gulch, while spotting his rivals from 10 to 18 pounds as the 127-pound highweight, held off a late bid from Cattleman Prospect for a three-quarter length win Sunday in the $147,200 at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.

The one-mile race was the richest for Thoroughbreds on the inaugural New Mexico Cup card, a program of 11 stakes for New Mexico-breds worth $1.5 million. The purses for the races were announced at $1 million when the meet began in September, but have increased three times since then in large part to the success of the 650 slot machines operating at Zia.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Willman is the director of publicity at Santa Anita, and has a popular weekend radio show on a Los Angeles station. But nothing quite gets him going like watching his homebred McCann's Mojave race, and he could barely find the words to describe his feelings after McCann's Mojave bravely fought off all challengers to take the $250,000 before 22,194 on Sunday at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jockey Robby Albarado enjoyed a memorable afternoon Sunday at Churchill Downs when riding the winners of the three richest races on a 10-race card, including favored Bending Strings in the Grade 2, $169,350 .

Bending Strings broke a nine-race losing streak when rallying from just off the pace to win by 4 1/2 lengths over Florida invader Prospective Saint. Miss Fortunate finished third, another 3 1/2 lengths back.

Drake's Victory overcame a troubled start to win his first stakes with a stretch long rally in the $175,000 .

Ridden by Corey Nakatani for trainer Julio Canani, Drake's Victory ($12) finished a mile on turf in 1:33.85. He bobbled at the start and was at the back of the field until the final turn.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine canceled its live card after the third race on Sunday because of high winds, which were gusting from out of the west up to 30 miles per hour.

Sunday's two stakes, the $250,000 Coronation Futurity and the $100,000 Labeeb, were both rescheduled for Thursday.

A tornado that ripped through western Kentucky and southwestern Indiana early Sunday inflicted substantial property damage at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. No one was seriously injured at Ellis, but at least three horses suffered fatal injuries, according to track officials.

Charming Socialite picked up the fifth stakes win of his career on Saturday night when he led throughout to capture the $40,000 Buffalo Bayou Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park. It was a neck back in second to Shakethemhatersoff, who finished a neck in front of third-place finisher and favorite Middleweight.

Charming Socialite ($16.80) was up by two lengths through an opening quarter in 23.37 seconds in the mile and a sixteenth turf race, and continued to maintain a clear advantage through a half-mile in 47.81. He went on to cover the distance over turf rated firm in 1:44.54.

Ashby Hill, who holds the track record for six furlongs at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., became a stakes winner at that distance on Saturday when he won the track's $59,860 Lea County Sprint.

Ashby Hill ($13.60) rallied for a half-length win over Dangerous Devon, while it was another length and a quarter back in third to Devon Rules. Ashby Hill covered the distance in 1:09.80. He set the track record of 1:08.60 on Oct. 22, 2005.

ARCADIA, Calif. - On a day when the pool is guaranteed to reach $1 million, the pick six starts with a carryover of $185,615 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Sunday.

Because Sunday is the final day of the meeting, the pool must be distributed even if no one holds a ticket featuring all six winners. If that occurs, the pool will be distributed to ticketholders with five winners.

The pick six covers the sixth through 11th races on the 11-race program. First post is 11:15 a.m.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mea Domina returned earlier than expected from a five-month layoff to win Saturday's $150,000 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Trainer Ron McAnally had intended to run Mea Domina at Hollywood Park this fall, but moved the comeback forward Hollywood Park said it would not run races on turf because the course was not in satisfactory condition.

The only local opportunity was the Grade 2 Las Palmas, a race that Mea Domina won convincingly by a length over Elusive Diva.