Courtly Jazz benefited from a rail-skimming ride by new journeyman David Cohen to score a $24.60 upset at Fairplex Park in the $98,000 Ralph M. Hinds Handicap. Cohen lost his apprentice allowance Saturday and wasted no time making his mark as a journeyman: The Hinds was his first stakes win, and Sunday was his first three-win day.
Trained by Gary Mandella, Courtly Jazz won by a neck over Robledo; it was 3 1/2 lengths back to Melanyhasthepapers. The time was 1:49.81 for about 1 1/8 miles.
Artistic Express had no problem carrying her speed seven furlongs as she recorded a 1 1/2-length, front-running score over Fly to Me in Sunday's $113,500 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.
It was the third victory in this race for trainer Mike Hernandez, who also won it in 2002 with Beautiful America and 1995 with Three Pack.
Under Edgar Prado, Artistic Express ($36.20) covered seven furlongs in 1:26.29.
Earlier in the week, trainer Christophe Clement lost an overnight stakes at Belmont Park by a nose to trainer Bill Mott.
Saturday, Clement exacted some revenge when Bright Abundance got the jump on the Mott-trained My Lordship turning for home and held off that rival by a half-length to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Noble Damsel Handicap before 7,324 at Belmont. It was one length back to Asti in third.
Trainer Doug O'Neill and jockey Martin Pedroza extended their respective leads at Fairplex Park by winning the $98,000 Pomona Derby with Dover Dere. Dover Dere snapped a nine-race losing streak by finishing one length in front of Chummin. Ninety Fine finished third. Khyber Pass, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth. Program favorite Texcess scratched.
The win by Dover Dere ($7.40) was his first since December. He pressed the pace outside Chummin and edged clear late to win the "about" 1 1/8-mile race in a slow 1:49.96.
Capitalizing on a blistering pace, Level Playingfield rallied from last to first to win the $75,000 Marfa Stakes at Turfway Park.
Appearing hopelessly out of touch with the field early, Level Playingfield shot through the stretch under jockey John McKee, catching early leaders Korbyn Gold and With Distinction in the closing yards to score by a length. Korbyn Gold, who controlled the pace, held second narrowly over With Distinction.
Mingo Mohawk ($11.60) rallied from last in the final quarter-mile to score a widening 1 1/2-length victory over Bisquik in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby.
Under jockey Glenn Corbett, Mingo Mohawk clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.92 over a track listed as good. Bisquik nosed out pacesetter Yak the Desert Rat in the final stride for the place.
Prairie Meadows concluded its 48-day mixed meeting Saturday with total handle dropping 5.6 percent from the corresponding 47-day meeting in 2004, according to preliminary figures.
The average total daily handle on Prairie Meadows races at the meet was $447,582, down from $474,015 in 2004. Ontrack handle was $59,034 per day, up nearly 2 percent from last year, but offtrack handle was down more than 7 percent from 2004's $416,039 average daily total.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - For the second straight Sunday, Danny Dion's Bear Stables struck paydirt in a 2-year-old stakes here at Woodbine.
Last week it was Bear's Kid, pulling off a surprising victory in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes in his first start for local trainer Reade Baker. This time, the bear of the hour was Bear Character, who won the seven-furlong Swynford in an upset for his Alberta-based trainer Dale Greenwood. Jim McAleney rode both winners.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine has put on some fine racing throughout September, but there are no legitimate feature races on Wednesday's eight-race card.
There are, however, several intriguing maiden special weight events for 2-year-olds, including the first, which is scheduled for a mile on the grass.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Wednesday's racing at Suffolk Downs has been canceled to allow the region's horsemen and track employees to rally at the State House and testify before a joint legislative committee holding hearings on allowing slot machines at Massachusetts racetracks.
