ALBANY, Calif. - Odds-on favorite Eastern Sand sat behind the slow pace of Mr. Splash and edged him in the final strides, winning a head bob to capture the $100,000 Grade 3 at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Jockey Victor Espinoza sat closer than usual because of the slow pace and raced wide for a clear trip. He moved closer into the lane but needed the length of the stretch to get by his rival in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. He won by a head in 1:49.03.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Olaya unleashed a powerful stretch kick under Edgar Prado and wore down Spotlight in the final yards to win Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 by a neck at Aqueduct.
Spotlight, who took over from the pacesetting Little Buttercup turning for home, held second by one length over Kate Winslet. Latice, the 4-5 favorite, wound up fifth.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Angel Cordero obviously picked the wrong day to ride Indian Vale.
Bouncing back from the worst performance of her career in last month's Cotillion Handicap at Philadelphia Park, Indian Vale went gate to wire to win Saturday's Grade 3, $107,800 by 9 1/2 lengths at balmy Aqueduct. Taittinger Rose, who chased Indian Vale every step, held second by 1 1/4 lengths over Asti. Silent Siren and Wait It Out completed the order of finish.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Catcominatcha, under a terrific ride by Rafael Bejarano, collared front-running High Cotton in deep stretch to post a neck victory Saturday in the 24th running of the Grade 3, $116,700 at Churchill Downs.
High Cotton spurted clear from the field approaching the eighth pole, but Bejarano deftly guided Catcominatcha out of traffic and to an inside path, which the colt used to register his second victory from six career starts.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Whenever a horse gets a big Beyer Speed Figure in winning her career debut, a certain amount of skepticism follows the horse to her next start in the belief the horse will be unable to fully duplicate that performance.
But by drawing clear to post a 1 3/4-length victory Saturday in the $120,600 at Churchill Downs, French Park surely made believers out of some of her doubters. Ridden by Mark Guidry, French Park is now 2 for 2 after earning a 95 Beyer when romping in a maiden sprint last month at Keeneland.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After enduring a tough beat in Saturday's Grade 2 Long Island Handicap with Spotlight, trainer Christophe Clement jumps right back into the stakes waters Tuesday when he sends out Joyful Chaos in the $65,000 Glowing Tribute on a special Election Day card at Aqueduct.
A solid field of 10 fillies and mares who have not won an open stakes race on turf were entered in the Glowing Tribute, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Two others were entered in the unlikely event the race is moved to the main track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Racing on Election Day is a longstanding autumn tradition at Churchill Downs. True to form, a 10-race card is on tap Tuesday, even though the only votes being cast will be on horses at Churchill.
Indeed, there is no election Tuesday in Louisville - one surefire sign being the conspicuous lack of campaign advertisements on local television and radio in recent weeks. Still, Churchill held up its end of the annual bargain by putting forth yet another card with predominantly large fields.
MIAMI - Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., who fell one win shy of catching Tim Ritvo for the training title at the recently concluded Calder meet, had a very busy and productive day at the racetrack Saturday.
In the morning, Plesa sent out more than a half-dozen members of his potent stable for recorded workouts at Calder, including his graded-stakes-placed B. B. Best, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 in preparation for this weekend's $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - An Election Day matinee Tuesday at The Meadowlands launches the final week of the New Jersey Thoroughbred season.
First post will be 1:10 p.m. Eastern for the eight-race card. The meet concludes Saturday night.
The $55,000 Miss Liberty Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and 70 yards on the turf headlines the holiday card, and trainer Tim Hills hopes history repeats with Toll Taker.
Ride Her Out, whose promising career has been interrupted on several occasions, gave every indication she could still have a big future on grass by posting a surprising half-length victory over fellow longshot Pattiano in Saturday's $40,000 Copano Stakes at Calder.
Ride Her Out, a 4-year-old daughter of Stormy Atlantic, had started just nine times coming into the 7 1/2-furlong Copano, and only once since February. The Copano was only the second start of her career on grass.
