DEL MAR, Calif. - The sure, steady campaign that trainer Jim Cassidy mapped out for Singhalese paid dividends on Saturday when the 3-year-old filly scored the first stakes win of her career in the Grade 1, $300,000 .
Singhalese, a British import, was fourth, fourth, and third in stakes races in her first three starts in this country. Cassidy prepped her in an allowance race here on Aug. 1, and that victory, against softer competition, put her on edge for a top performance on Saturday.
AUBURN, Wash. - A Classic Life forged to the front on the second turn and drew out to score by six lengths over Gins Majesty in Saturday's $100,000 Washington Breeders' Cup Oaks at Emerald Downs. Gentle Flow was three lengths farther back in third, a nose ahead of 4-5 favorite Cee's Irish.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sweet Symphony passed her class test in a big way Saturday, rolling past favored Spun Sugar in upper stretch and drawing clear for a 6 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 before 29,833 at Saratoga.
Spun Sugar held second by 1 1/4 lengths over R Lady Joy. Sis City, Dance Away Capote, For All We Know, and Ready and Alluring completed the order of finish.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - gave Roger Horgan his first career victory as a trainer with an authoritative 3 3/4-length win in a New York-bred entry-level allowance here on July 29.
A former steeplechase rider and assistant trainer to Ken McPeek, Horgan seeks his first stakes victory when he sends out Royal Fudge against seven others in Monday's $65,000 Union Avenue Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at six furlongs.
DEL MAR, Calif. - 's Del Mar campaign has become an experiment for owner Stan Fulton and trainer Rafael Becerra.
After mixed results over the first half of the year, St Averil will be tried on turf for the first time in an optional claimer at a mile on grass Monday.
Yankee Wildcat, the 9-2 third choice, prompted the pace outside 2-1 favorite Procreate, caught him in deep stretch, and ran off to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $50,000 Mister Diz for Maryland-breds at Pimlico.
Yankee Wildcat ran the five furlongs on turf in 56.87 seconds under jockey Enrique Jurado and paid $11.
Procreate set all the pace and gave way near the sixteenth pole. Spring Kitten, 22-1, raced along the rail in an even effort to finish third in the field of eight.
Bossier City, La. - Rallying strongly down the stretch under Jose Riquelme, Equestrian Girls drew clear in the late going to capture Saturday's Elge Raspberry Stakes at Harrah's Louisiana Downs. Fellow longshot Leestown Fantasie finished second in the grassy one-mile affair for Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies followed by Zarba the Great.
HENDERSON, Ky. - Dream of Summer made the long journey from Southern California a worthwhile one for jockey Corey Nakatani and trainer Juan J. Garcia when the gray mare rallied for an emphatic 4 1/2-length victory Saturday in the $150,000 at Ellis Park.
The trainer John Ward apparently knows the purpose of a prep race. Miss Matched finished third, beaten more than 15 lengths, in a July 29 prep for the $100,000 Arlington Oaks. Saturday, looking like an entirely different horse, she won the Oaks by a length over longshot Gallant Secret.
Separato, the 3-2 favorite under Jeremy Rose, rallied from last to first to win the $58,900 Gate Dancer at Delaware Park.
Unhurried early in the field of six, Separato was set down going into the far turn, rallied outside and gained the lead in midstretch, then edged away late to beat 9-1 shot Blue Finally by a length. Major Mecke, 12-1, was another three lengths back in third.
Separato, trained by Tim Ritchey for Cash Is King Stable, ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.93 and paid $5.
