A R Crackers was up for a head win over 3-5 favorite Waupaca on Saturday night in the $50,000 Retama Park Turf Breeders' Cup Handicap. Waupaca was a clear second, finishing a length in front of third-place finisher Seainsky.
A R Crackers returned $20.60 and was ridden by Omar Rodriguez, who registered his first North American stakes win last weekend at Retama.
OPELOUSAS, La. - Stalking the pace under the kind handling of Jamie Theriot, Shaky Town ($5.60) wore down local hero Drill Hall down the stretch to win the $100,000 Evangeline Mile on Saturday night. Three quarters of a length separated the top two finishers and it was another two and a half-lengths further back to Kentucky invader Chippewa Trail in third. Absent Friend and highweight High Strike Zone completed the order of finish in the meeting?s premier event in the handicap division. The running time was 138.60 over fast going.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Willow o Wisp tuned up for the $400,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 5with a hard-fought win in Saturday's $150,000 at Del Mar.
The victory marked his second straight stakes victory, seven weeks after the Grade 3 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Willow o Wisp ($4.80) stalked pacesetter Juliesugardaddy to the top of the stretch and outfinished that rival to win by a head. Willow O Wisp ran 1 1-16 miles on turf in 1:41.45.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - This time there were no blinking numbers, no glaring inquiry signs, no tense riders on the phone with Arlington stewards. It was just Powerscourt, jockey Kieren Fallon pumping madly, alone at the finish of the .
A year after Powerscourt flopped toward the rail in the stretch run of the Arlington Million, impeding some of the horses he was leaving in his wake and getting disqualified from first to fourth, he made mincemeat of the best field of turf horses assembled this year in the U.S.
Bossier City, La. - Even money favorite Premier Dance made it two stakes in a row on Saturday as he drew away from 6-5 second choice Smart 'n Salty to win the Minstrel Stakes at Harrah's Louisiana Downs. Noble Texas was along for the show spot followed by Exacto.
DEL MAR, Calif. - has developed so quickly that trainer Howard Zucker is nominating him for fall stakes.
With a win and a second-place finish in his first two starts, Excess Temptations, 3, will try for his first victory against winners in a $60,000 optional claimer for California-breds at Del Mar on Monday.
Excess Temptations is coupled with the maiden winner Excess Taxes. They form an entry that will be strongly favored against six rivals.
Excess Temptations is the stronger half of the entry. Zucker expects a top performance.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Handicappers might not care to give a second look in Monday's $65,000-added John's Call at Saratoga because he is in a 1 5/8-mile turf race and coming off a year layoff.
Spanish Spur hasn't run since winning the John's Call last August, but trainer Jonathan Sheppard said he isn't very concerned that Spanish Spur is coming back in such a long race. A 7-year-old gelding, Spanish Spur was sidelined with a "slight tendon injury," according to Sheppard.
Racing continued at Monmouth Park on Saturday despite the refusal of many leading jockeys to ride because of intense heat and humidity.
Horses were in the saddling paddock awaiting the 1:15 p.m. first post as the riders met with stewards and track officials.
Top-ranked jockeys Stewart Elliott, Chris DeCarlo, and Aaron Gryder took off their mounts.
"We felt it was unhealthy for the horses and riders," DeCarlo said.
Management eventually convinced enough riders to remain and complete the program, which began at 2:01 p.m.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Patrick Biancone and jockey Gary Stevens long have maintained that Angara is a horse of top quality with a tremendous turn of foot, but the filly had not quite proven as much in several high-profile stakes.
Until Saturday, that is. Facing easily the best assemblage of female turf runners so far this year, Angara, with Stevens aboard, flew past most of the field and posted a neck victory over another late runner, Megahertz, to win the 16th running of the Grade 1 on Saturday at Arlington Park.
