STICKNEY, Ill. - The East Coast-based trainer Linda Rice is a rare participant in Chicago races, and she sent Spruce Run from Monmouth Park to Hawthorne Race Course for the for a good reason - to win.
The betting public was unconvinced, letting Spruce Run go off at overlaid odds of 14-1, but Spruce Run rallied strongly in the final furlong and caught favored Fort Prado just before the finish, winning by a neck in the Grade 3, $150,000 Carey, a one-mile grass race.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bay Meadows had two consecutive dead heats in Friday's final two races.
In the seventh race, Souvenir Sands ($4) caught No Derby ($3.80) at the wire in a $20,000 claimer at six furlongs. In the next race, Future Hit ($5.20) caught Din's Dynasty ($36.20) at the wire in an $8,000 maiden claimer at one mile.
Dennis Carr was involved in both dead heats, riding Souvenir Sands and Future Hit.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Apprentice jockey Martin Garcia, remains in the intensive care unit of Stanford Hospital with a severe concussion sustained when his mount fell in Friday night's sixth race at Bay Meadows.
Gracia, a 20-year-old apprentice from Vera Cruz, Mexico, third in the standings behind Russell Baze and Roberto Gonzalez, was injured when his mount Cruz'n Memo stumbled and fell on the far turn.
He pitched face first onto the track and was hit in the head by a rival's hoof that dented the top of his riding helmet.
What's Your Edge dueled odds-on favorite Diabolical into submission to take the colt division of the NATC Futurity on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Sparkling Pink captured the filly division as Monmouth hosted the two $200,000 NATC stakes for the first time.
The National Association of Two-Year-Old Consignors Futurities, both contested at six furlongs, are restricted to 2-year-olds sold at auction this season.
What's Your Edge ($9.80), bought by Klaravich Stables for $150,000 at the March Ocala Breeders Sale, is now 2 for 2 following a very professional effort.
Sweet Talker, never worse than third in five previous starts on turf, picked up right where she left off before a three-month freshening when she drew clear to win the $150,000 Martha Washington Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park.
Sweet Talker ($6.40) made a three-wide move to challenge 7-5 favorite Victory Lap and 33-1 longshot Lucrezia coming into the stretch and pulled clear in midstretch to defeat Lucrezia by 1 1/4 lengths. The New York-based Dynamite Lass was third. Victory Lap faded to fourth.
After being boxed in and blocked from the backstretch to deep stretch, heavily favored Love Locket ($4) found room along the rail and drove clear to a one-length victory in the $58,500 Irish Sonnet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Delaware Park.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Ramon Dominguez, Love Locket is now 2 for 2 since being stretched out to two turns for her second career start. She covered the mile on a fast track in 1:41.69.
Coastal Fortress ($6) circled three wide into contention on the far turn and kicked clear in the stretch to score a 2 3/4-length win in the $171,775 La Lorgnette Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Warm Rain set quick fractions in the La Lorgnette while being pressed by favored Elle Runaway. Coastal Fortress was never far from the leaders under Todd Kabel, and she hit the front nearing the quarter pole en route to a convincing score over Roving Angel. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.18.
Brooke's Halo was the only 3-year-old in the $98,000 Las Madrinas Handicap for fillies and mares Friday at Fairplex Park. She also was the only front-runner. Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Brooke's Halo ($4.40) took command at the start of 1 1/16-mile race and rolled gate to wire for her fourth win from nine starts.
Trained by Jeff Mullins and owned by Michael House, Brooke's Halo won by two lengths over Mini Skirt. Santa Candida finished third. The Las Madrinas victory was Mullins's third in the last four years, and the first stakes win of the meet for Pedroza.
Speed horses fared best on the inaugural program of racing at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., including Lorenzon, who led throughout to win the $50,000 Premier Stakes. Five of the six Thoroughbred races on the card were won by front-runners, with all of the Thoroughbred races held around one turn. The remaining five races on the opening program were for Quarter Horses.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Heza Hemi, winner of the Little Ones Stakes on Sept. 4, heads a full field of 10 for the $50,000 Patrick Wood Stakes at Great Lakes Downs on Monday.
The six-furlong Wood, which goes as race 8 on a 10-race card that begins at 5 p.m. Eastern, is for Michigan-bred 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Heza Hemi, trained by Larry Penner, rallied to win by a neck last time out over Mt. Factor and Shoot With Pride. Colin Skinner picks up the mount because Heza Hemi's regular rider, Ricky Knott, is out with a broken wrist.
