Trainer Stanley Hough swept both stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, when Travelator took the $65,000 West Long Branch for fillies and mares and Concorde's Edge won the $55,000 Gilded Times.
The two winners improved Hough's meet record to 5 wins in 12 starts.
In the West Long Branch, Travelator ($7), under Joe Bravo, swung into contention with a wide move on the turn and outdueled Fortress Hill in the final furlong to win by a nose. The win was Travelator's 11th in 27 career starts.
Ebony Breeze came through as the even-money favorite in the $100,000 My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park, but she had to work hard to do it.
Ebony Breeze ($4), under Heberto Castillo Jr., outdueled Storm Minstrel down the stretch of the six-furlong race to win by a neck. Storm Minstrel had 7 1/4 lengths on Umpateedle, the third-place finisher in the field of five fillies and mares.
Lemon Maid ($2.40) toyed with her three opponents in the $106,400 Hill 'n' Dale Stakes at Woodbine, winning the 1 1/16-mile event for 3-year-old fillies by four lengths.
Lemon Maid broke a little slowly under Todd Kabel, who put her in an outside stalking position along the backstretch. On the far turn, she drew even with front-running Warm Rain, who had set moderate fractions, and went on to prevail in a time of 1:47.81.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The $150,000 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park on Sunday features the first showdown between Osidy and Legal Precedent, two of the most impressive 3-year-old turf winners at the meeting.
was a hard-fought winner of the Grade 3 Will Rogers Stakes over a mile on turf on May 28, rallying from sixth to beat Willow O Wisp by a head.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park will offer the year's richest day of stakes racing in Southern California on July 9, a card that features five stakes worth $1,850,000, including the Grade 1, $750,000 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
Whether the program will be embraced by racing fans and supported by owners and trainers, though, remains to be seen.
ELMONT, N.Y. - It has been 10 months since Blue Sunday opened eyes with a 15-length maiden victory in his debut at Saratoga. Though he has run only twice since, Blue Sunday looms a solid favorite in Sunday's $100,000 Mike Lee Handicap for New York-bred 3-year-olds.
The Mike Lee, run at seven furlongs, is the first leg of the OTBs' Big Apple Triple, which includes the $125,000 New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 16 and the $150,000 Albany Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 24. If a horse wins all three races, he will earn his owner a bonus of $250,000.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The next nine days will go a long way in determining what kind of a summer trainer Tom Albertrani will have.
From Sunday through July 4, Albertrani is running three of his best horses in stakes races. Sunday, Albertrani will send out the favored Blue Sunday in the Mike Lee Handicap for New York-bred 3-year-olds. Next Saturday, Albertrani will send out Sheepshead Bay Handicap winner Sauvage in the Grade 2 New York Handicap. On July 4, Albertrani will saddle Peter Pan winner Oratory in the Grade 2 Dwyer against Roman Ruler.
CHICAGO - Straight Line is making a beeline back into graded stakes competition and appears to be headed to Thistledown for the Grade 2 Ohio Derby on July 2.
Straight Line's connections have been wavering between the Ohio Derby and the Iowa Derby, which is run a day earlier at Prairie Meadows, but trainer Brian Williamson said Friday that Straight Line was more likely to go in the Ohio Derby, a $350,000 race that is worth $100,000 more than the Iowa Derby.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If Nolan's Cat is the most heralded 3-year-old maiden in North America, then A.P. Arrow has to rank highly among all 3-year-olds with first-allowance eligibility.
Both Churchill Downs-based colts ran respectably behind Afleet Alex in the June 11 Belmont Stakes, with Nolan's Cat rallying for third and A.P. Arrow hanging tough to be fifth. Their respective trainers say their options are plentiful.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Yessirgeneralsir, the Texas-bred who won the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap in 2004, has been retired after injuring a tendon during a routine gallop in the last week, said his trainer, Dallas Keen.
, a 5-year-old gelding based at Lone Star Park, was scheduled to ship sometime this week to the Valhalla Farm of his owner, Jim Jackson. An ultrasound revealed Yessirgeneralsir bowed his left front tendon on Monday.
