ARCADIA, Calif. - On a day when his son and a former assistant won Grade 1 races at Belmont Park, trainer Richard Mandella wasn't about to be left out of the party.
Mandella trains Rock Hard Ten, who successfully returned from a near seven-month layoff to capture the Grade 2, $500,000 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting on Saturday. It was a performance that should set him up ideally for the Breeders' Cup Classic four weeks hence at Belmont Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Diamond Omi pulled an upset in the $200,000 , edging the previously unbeaten Wild Fit after a stretch-long duel.
Diamond Omi ($19.40) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.57, scoring by three-quarters of a length over 1-2 favorite Wild Fit, who finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of Golden Silk in the field of seven 2-year-old fillies.
The first two finishers are expected to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park on Oct. 29.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Owner Greg Norman had said prior to Saturday that depending on The Daddy's performance in the Grade 2, $750,000 at Louisiana Downs, the New York-bred would probably be heading to one of two Classics: the Breeders' Cup, or the Empire for horses bred in New York.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - A wide-open field of 11 juveniles takes aim at the $50,000 World Appeal Stakes at The Meadowlands on Tuesday. Over half the field is trying turf for the first time, and only one horse, the likely favorite Last Best Place, has won on grass.
The World Appeal, at one mile and 70 yards, had initially been scheduled for opening night on Friday. The race did not fill then, but garnered a large field when rescheduled for Tuesday. First post on Tuesday is 1:10 p.m., and the World Appeal is carded as the eighth race.
ELMONT, N.Y. - For the second time this year, Ashado overcame doubts to prove that she's still the No. 1 mare in racing.
Bouncing back from the worst performance of her career in the Personal Ensign Handicap, Ashado held off a late surge from Happy Ticket to win Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 by a half-length at Belmont Park. Happy Ticket finished second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Society Selection.
Sweet Symphony finished fourth as she suffered her first career defeat. Personal Legend, Dream of Summer, and Island Sand completed the order of finish.
Those savvy enough to come up with longshot Riskaverse in Saturday's Flower Bowl Invitational were rewarded nicely in the pick four Saturday at Belmont Park.
The pick four on the Beldame Stakes, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Flower Bowl returned $1,726 for $1. The winning combination of 6-7-3-9 consisted of Ashado ($5.40), Shakespeare ($3.80), Borrego ($10.60), and Riskaverse ($73.50). The New York Racing Association guaranteed a pool of $500,000 and the wager handled $536,361.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Gary Mandella always wanted to run Taste of Paradise at Belmont Park, he just couldn't find the right time or spot. Saturday, he finally found it.
Unleashing a powerful stretch kick under Garrett Gomez, Taste of Paradise drew clear to a two-length victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 to earn a spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint here on Oct. 29.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Showing tremendous determination, Shakespeare stretched his unbeaten streak to five with a gutsy head victory over English Channel in the Grade 1, $750,000 on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Shakespeare ($3.80) ran the 1 1/2 miles over a firm course in 2:27.22.
The 4-year-old, who suffered a potentially career-ending knee injury last season, passed several important tests in the Hirsch by proving he was a Grade 1-caliber horse who could handle this distance.
ELMONT, N.Y. - With longshots Taste of Paradise ($55) winning the Vosburgh and Riskaverse ($73.50) taking the Flower Bowl Invitational the Pick 6 at Belmont Park went unhit for the third consecutive day.
Thus, there will be a Pick 6 carryover of $526,640 entering Sunday's card. Those who had 5 of 6 on Saturday's card received $5,553.
