Sat, 06/04/2005 - 00:00

River's Prayer starts career two for two

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.

Sat, 06/04/2005 - 00:00

Arlington: Exceptional Ride rallies

Arlington Park
Exceptional Ride wins the $42,250 Awad Stakes at Arlington Park on Saturday.

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.

Sat, 06/04/2005 - 00:00

Pimlico: Two in a row for 'Princess'

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Frost princess wins the Pearl Necklace Stakes at Pimlico on the turf.

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.

Sat, 06/04/2005 - 00:00

Lone Star: War Bridle wins sprint

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.

Sat, 06/04/2005 - 00:00

Woodbine: Que Puntual proves game

Michael Burns Photo Ltd.
Que Puntual wins the $357,200 Nassau at Woodbine on Sunday.

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.

Fri, 06/03/2005 - 00:00

Castro reaches 2,000-victory plateau

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.

Fri, 06/03/2005 - 00:00

Melhor Ainda latest phenom for Frankel

ELMONT, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel will most likely never have another Ghostzapper. And he may not always be represented in the Triple Crown. But one thing Frankel will always have is a talented grass filly.

The latest in a long line of top-flight talented female turf runners is , who looks to remain unbeaten when she takes on seven rivals in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sands Point Handicap at Belmont. Ten 3-year-old fillies entered the Sands Point, scheduled for nine furlongs on the inner turf course, but two are main-track only.

Fri, 06/03/2005 - 00:00

Slow workout may hurt Berbatim

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - and Three Degrees are so evenly matched it is almost foolish to speculate which one is better. Yet when they meet for the first time Sunday as co-favorites in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park, a foiled workout makes one of them vulnerable.

Fri, 06/03/2005 - 00:00

Get Down meets 'Ravens' in Plate Trial

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen's Plate contenders Get Down and Dance With Ravens will clash at nine furlongs Sunday at Woodbine in the $163,500 Plate Trial Stakes.

Get Down posted one of the most impressive efforts by a 3-year-old at the meeting when he captured a seven-furlong allowance by 8 1/2 lengths on May 8. He also won both of his 2-year-old starts in sprints, but was a nonfactor in his lone two-turn attempt, in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa in February.

Fri, 06/03/2005 - 00:00

Baze hits No. 9,000 and heads back to office

ALBANY, Calif. - On the day after he recorded his 9,000th career victory, Russell Baze arrived at Golden Gate Fields around 6:30 a.m., as usual, to begin another day.

Baze is a man of routine. Every day, he comes to the track to work horses in the morning. And, every day, it seems, he visits the winner's circle in the afternoon.