LEXINGTON, Ky. - On Sunday at Keeneland, shortly after John Velazquez won his eighth straight race, he said: "I didn't think anyone was counting."

Actually, quite the opposite. Velazquez and his main man, trainer Todd Pletcher, both are going so good these days that seemingly everything they do is under a microscope. Each man is coming off his first Eclipse Award-winning season, and both have been so prominent in major races across the country that their success at the Keeneland spring meet seems a mere side effect to their dominance of racing as a whole.

Game efforts by two horses that surrendered the lead in midstretch only to come back and win highlighted the run Sunday at Aqueduct.

In the $150,000 Times Square Division for males, Gold and Roses battled back along the rail under Shaun Bridgmohan after being headed by Big Apple Daddy to win by a half-length. Big Apple Daddy held off favored Galloping Grocer by a nose for second.

Raving Rocket ($9.) sprinted clear early in the $50,000 Golden Circle for 3-year-olds and was never headed, scoring a 1 3/4-length win over 2-5 favorite Semaphore Man.

Under jockey E.T. Baird, Raving Rocket covered the six furlongs in 1:10.05 over the fast track. Semaphore Man tracked the winner but could not cut into his lead in the stretch. It was the second stakes win this year for the Larry Rivelli-trained Raving Rocket.

Overall, Raving Rocket, a son of Lil's Lad, has won 4 of 8 starts and has earnings of $97,350.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A last-minute change in strategy led to an upset win by 23-1 Robador in Sunday's $250,000 at Hollywood Park, the featured race on the California Gold Rush program for state-breds.

Entering the race as a maiden after seven starts, Robador benefited from a quick early pace, closing from ninth in the field of 12 to win by a half-length over top contender Lucky J.H.

Top This and That, a 16-1 shot, finished third in the field of 12. Thor's Echo, the winner of the WinStar Derby at Sunland Park on April 12, finished fourth in the field of 12.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Valentine Dancer became the fifth California-bred filly or mare to surpass $1 million in career earnings on Sunday with a measured victory in the $150,000 at Hollywood Park.

The Fran's Valentine was one of five races worth at least $150,000 on the undercard of the Snow Chief Stakes.

Valentine Dancer's victory increased her career earnings to $1,008,126, leaving her well behind Fran's Valentine's all-time mark of $1,375,465.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Recent maiden winner R Fast Lady overcame a poor start, rallying wide to win the $63,365 at Bay Meadows on Sunday.

Both R Fast Lady and odds-on favorite Lunachick broke poorly, but the start proved to be good luck for the winner and bad luck for Lunachick, who finished second, beaten one length in the six-furlong race. The winning time was 1:09.74.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Melhor Ainda, making her seasonal debut, overpowered seven other 3-year-old turf fillies Sunday with a 3 1/2-length triumph in the $112,800 at Keeneland.

With John Velazquez riding for trainer Bobby Frankel, Melhor Ainda had just one rival beaten leaving the backstretch but wasted little time in putting the issue to rest after being set down for the drive. The victory kept the Pulpit filly unbeaten in three career starts and stamped her as a potential star in her division.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Pickle scored her first stakes win in Saturday's $109,600 at Hollywood Park, but the result left trainer Sandy Shulman convinced she should be undefeated in her brief American career.

Pickle ($20.80) held off a late run from Makeup Artist to win the Grade 3 Wilshire by a nose, finishing the one-mile turf race in 1:33.85. Amorama, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in 2004, finished third, with even-money favorite Mea Domina fourth in the field of eight fillies and mares.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fair Grounds shipper Lemon Maid ($3.90) blew away a good field of 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Woodbine in the $141,450 .

Lemon Maid, ridden by Todd Kabel for trainer Malcolm Pierce, led through fractions of :22.66 and :46.43 seconds while being pressed by Hatpin. Gold Strike made a four-wide bid on the turn, but Lemon Maid had plenty left for the stretch run, and drew off in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Gold Strike.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Favored Castledale ($5) split rivals at the eighth pole and held off Adreamisborn to the wire to win the $111,250 Grade 2 at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

Capturing his third graded stakes in the United States, Castledale was content to stay on the rail in midpack behind a slow pace set by Night Patrol, who went the first quarter in 25.41 seconds and opening half in 49.68 in the one-mile race over the Longden Turf Course.

The pace picked up considerably through the third quarter, which went in 23.94 seconds.