ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Canadian International Day turned out to be cold and rainy, with the going generously rated as yielding on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course.
And while that might have appeared to play right into the hands of the European shippers, it was New York-based horses who took home the lion's share of the spoils from Sunday's three major turf events.
Relaxed Gesture and Meteor Storm, both shipping in from Belmont, finished one-two in the Grade 1, $2 million at 1 1/2 miles.
Wait a While used her early speed and Fegan's Legacy waited a little longer to use his speed Sunday, when each ran off to lengthy victories in off-the-turf juvenile stakes at Belmont Park.
In the $82,575 Pilgrim for colts and geldings, Fegan's Legacy took command before the three-furlong marker under Joe Bravo and galloped home through the stretch to win by 3 1/4 lengths in hand over Church Service. It was 14 lengths back to favored Go Between in third.
Private World ($15.20) stayed unbeaten by winning her second career start in the $82,125 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux and trained by Bob Hess Jr., Private World won the six-furlong stakes by three-quarters of a length over 2-1 favorite Bettarun Fast. It was five lengths back to Make Mine Minnie.
Private World pressed the pace inside and fought off Bettarun Fast through the lane to win in a modest 1:09.59.
The last time Hotstufandthensome raced on soft turf, he won the Elkhorn Stakes at Monmouth Park by four lengths. Racing over a similar surface for the Grade 3, $150,000 Cliff Hanger Handicap at The Meadowlands, Hotstufandthensome turned in an even more dominating performance.
Following instructions given to him by trainer Norman Pointer, jockey Rajiv Maragh kept Hotstufandthensome off the early pace and the 5-year-old responded when asked by drawing off to a 14 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.
ALBANY, Calif. - Thrilling Victory ($34.20) unleashed a strong closing kick, nipping odds-on stablemate Heavenly Humor at the wire for a major upset in the $58,275 Albany Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
The 3-year-old filly, third to her stablemate in her last start at Bay Meadows, sat well off a four-way duel down the backstretch. Agentinisima set the pace with a 21.53 opening quarter with Heavenly Humor second, inside Jasmine's Gem and Yerevan Star as the four spread across the track.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Briviesca wrested control from a trio of front-runners leaving the third and final turn of the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes before proceeding to a 1 1/4-length victory on a soggy Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.
Owned by Darpat S.L. Stables and trained by Bill Mott, Briviesca returned $8.80 as third choice in a field of eight fillies and mares. Cape Town Lass, the 3-1 second choice, finished second, another two lengths before Louve Royale, the 2-1 favorite. The winning time for 1 1/2 miles was 2:38.77 over a soft turf course.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Relaxed Gesture overhauled another New York invader, Meteor Storm, at the eighth pole and then drew off for a decisive victory in the $2,002,000 at Woodbine Sunday.
The Grade 1 International was the second stakes win on the card for Moyglare Stud, trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Corey Nakatani, a combination which also captured the Grade 2 Nearctic with Steel Light.
Mr. Trieste made his sixth consecutive win a memorable one on Saturday, when he shattered a track record while winning the $65,800 by six and a half lengths at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.
Go Kitty Go finished second in the race, while it was another two and a quarter lengths back in third to Bayou on the Moon. Perfect Moon, a leading contender, was scratched from the Kachina.
Proper Carson drew out to a seven-length win in the $20,000 Woodlands Derby at The Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan., on Saturday. Crypto Dynamo rallied from last for second in the mile and a sixteenth race, while it was another neck back in third to Slew of Love.
Proper Carson ($6.60) pushed pacesetter and favorite Bisquik through fractions of 24 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.20 seconds for the half-mile mark before overtaking that one and going to to cover the distance over a muddy track in 1:47.60.
ALBANY, Calif. - Adreamisborn ($4), far off the slow pace set by entrymate Shadow Raider, rallied strongly in the stretch to win the $100,000 Tanforan Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
The 6-year-old gelding was last through the opening mile as he got a ground-saving trip. He swung out for room entering the lane and mowed down his rivals to win going away as he defeated Noble Masterpiece by one length in 2:17.77 for the 1 3/8-mile turf race.
Noble Masterpiece made a strong move, getting first run, but he couldn't hold off Adreamisborn.
