OCEANPORT, N.J. - Bayou Breeze overcame a stumble at the break and outdueled the heavily favored Sense of Style by a nose to win the $60,000 Revidere Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Sense of Style, who went off at 3-5, was the center of attention in the mile and 70-yard race for 3-year-old fillies over a muddy track, her first start since finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in October.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - So much for closers being at a disadvantage against a slow pace. Although on paper the $110,100 seemed to lack much speed, the winner of the Grade 3 race Saturday at Churchill Downs was Delta Princess, who passed the entire field in the final quarter-mile to win going away.
MIAMI - Eddie Castro became the first jockey in North America to ride nine winners on a single card when he accomplished the feat at Calder on Saturday.
The late Chris Antley also won nine races in a single day, Oct. 31, 1987, but did so at two different racetracks, Aqueduct and The Meadowlands.
River's Prayer remained unbeaten after two starts with a front-running win in Saturday's $94,125 Cinderella Stakes. The victory was trainer Paula Capestro's first stakes win at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Felipe Martinez, River's Prayer took the lead from the rail, set a quick pace of 21.50 and 44.68 seconds, and was not challenged in the stretch. She appeared to tire late, but finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of My Lucky Free in the field of eight 2-year-old fillies. River's Prayer ($3.60) finished 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.30.
Exceptional Ride closed with a flourish to be up in the final strides to win the $42,250 Awad Stakes at Arlington Park.
Ridden by James Graham and based at Churchill Downs with trainer Ken McPeek, Exceptional Ride returned $4 as favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds. Raving Rocket, who led to the final yards, finished a neck back in second, another 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Ready Ruler in third.
Exceptional Ride finished one mile over a yielding turf course in 1:37.68. Owned by Eliah and Lisa Kahn, he has won 4 of 11 starts.
Frost Princess got her second straight victory on the Pimlico turf, winning the $50,000 Pearl Necklace by 1 1/4 lengths over Cozy Gain.
As the 15-1 Rudbeckia and 11-1 Ursula's Passion contested the early pace through three-quarters of a mile, jockey Horacio Karamanos had Frost Princess stalking the leaders. Karamanos and Frost Princess hung back until they came off the far turn, then swung wide into the top of the stretch.
Showing more speed than expected on the cutback from two turns, War Bridle pressed the pace and drew clear by 3 1/2 lengths to win the $40,000 Nevill/Kyocera at Lone Star Park.
The overnight stakes for 3-year-olds was run over 5 1/2 furlongs. Moody Goose rallied for second, 1 3/4 lengths clear of pacesetter and third-place finisher Lord of the Track.
Belmont shipper Que Puntual overcame some trouble to land her first stakes in the $357,200 at Woodbine.
Que Puntual was rank and had to be steadied by Cornelio Velasquez while tracking the leaders on the backstretch. She got clear sailing on the outside exiting the turn, then finished strongly to win by a half-length over 13-1 shot Ambitious Cat. Mona Rose was another half-length back in third in the field of 12 fillies and mares. The final time for 1 1/16 miles on turf was 1:41.96.
ALBANY, Calif. - Veteran rider Joe Castro earned the 2,000th victory of his career at Golden Gate Fields on Friday, guiding Aerial Hawk to a one-half length victory over favored Hot Fudge Sundae in a 1 1/16-mile $32,000 maiden claimer on the turf.
The 41-year-old rider got his first win in 1983 at Hollywood Park and has spent much of his career in Northern California.
