ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Jono Jones and trainer Catherine Day Phillips won the $501,600 for the second year in a row Sunday at Woodbine with Jambalaya, who embarrassed his eight rivals in the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Jambalaya bypassed the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, but Day Phillips had him spot-on for the Breeders', a mile and a turf event for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Steve Asmussen believes he made some bad decisions as it pertained to Santana Strings. It is obvious that he has corrected those mistakes.
Santana Strings, under an aggressive ride from Eibar Coa, put away the early pace-setter, Storm Surge in midstretch, then held off a late run from longshot Social Probation to win Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 by three-quarters of a length at sun-splashed Saratoga. A crowd of 61,707 was announced on T-Shirt Day, where many fans spun through the turnstyles multiple times.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Majestic Thief held off a late charge from fellow co-highweight Crowned King to capture Sunday's Blue Skies Handicap at Harrah?s Louisiana Downs. Agrivating General finished third followed by favored Akanti.
Ridden by Lonnie Meche, Majestic Thief ($7.00) made a sweeping move to the front in the second turn and held a clear advantage past the furlong marker. Crowned King was in high gear down the middle of the track by that time but his rally came up a neck short. The final time for the mile and seventy yards over a fast track was 1:41.93.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Wildcat Heir returned in spectacular fashion with a 5 3/4 length romp in the $100,000 Teddy Drone Stakes on the Haskell Day undercard Sunday at Monmouth Park.
In his first race since winning the Grade 1 DeFrancis Memorial in November, Wildcat Heir ran the six furlongs in 1:08.59 on the fast track.
He didn't miss a beat, even with the layoff.
Wildcat Heir ($6) sat third behind a speed duel between War's Prospect and Toscani. Those two blazed the half mile in 43.64 seconds.
Unbridled Danz, making her stakes debut, remained unbeaten in three starts when leading all the way in the $75,000 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Ridden by Jesus Castanon and trained by Becky Maker, Unbridled Danz finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.24 over a firm turf course and returned $5.80 as favorite in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies. Royal Bean, the 3-1 second choice, finished second by 1 1/2 lengths.
Unbridled Danz, an Unbridled's Song filly owned by Stan Fulton, had won her first two starts at Arlington Park before shipping south for the Audubon Oaks.
COLLINSVILLE, IL - Thinned to a four-horse field by a spate of scratches Saturday night before Fairmount Park's largest non-Derby Day crowd in years, the $50,000 Circle C Classic for older males was sapped of all pari-mutuel drama as bettors headed for the exits before what should have been the four-stakes card?s most exciting race.
Paz Ciudadana stalked pacesetter Rose Hunter early then overtook her in the stretch for a four and three quarter length win in the $50,000 Margarita Breeders' Cup at Retama Park.
Rose Hunter held second, finishing a neck in front of third-place finisher Topango.
Paz Ciudadana, who returned $4.40 as the favorite, covered the mile and a sixteenth on turf for fillies and mares in 1:41.99. Adrian Ramos rode the winner for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Paz Ciudadana has now won six of 13 career starts and has earnings of $146,188. She races for Nelson Bunker Hunt.
Proven Cure, who is an 11-year-old gelding, won his fifth straight race Saturday night when he rallied for a three-quarter length win in the $40,000 Brother Brown at Remington Park. Orphan Brigade finished second, a length and three-quarters in front of favorite and third-place finisher The Niner Account.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Bully Bones, unraced since April after a bout with sore shins, overcame a wide trip and a quick pace to win Saturday's $150,000 s at Del Mar.
Bully Bones ($10.20) finished 6 1-2 furlongs in 1:17.36, winning the Grade 3 Sorrento by 1 1-2 lengths over 11-1 Acceleration. Slick Road, an outsider at 41-1, finished third in the field of nine 2-year-olds. Indian Breeze, the 2-1 favorite and the winner of the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park last month, faded to finish eighth.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Adreamisborn ($4.40), benefiting when even-money favorite A to the Z stumbled and lost his rider at the start, proved superior in the stretch as he captured the $98,000 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday.
Not only did the mishap leaving the gate eliminate Adreamisborn's primary competition, but it also compromised the chances of runner-up Charbonnier, who tried to go after the loose horse while on the lead instead of relaxing.
