Thrilling Victory, who benefitted from her entrymate Laguna Pointe keeping favored pacesetter Jill's Sky honest on the front end, scored her first stakes victory in the $69,725 Bay Meadows Oaks on Saturday at Bay Meadows.
Thrilling Victory ($5.40) sat off the pace down the backstretch. She moved out in the lane and prevailed by a neck after a stretch-long duel in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies. Her winning time was 1:44.68.
Erik Rodriguez's misfortune turned out to be a lucky break for fellow jockey Roberto Alvarado Jr. in the $50,000 Primonetta Stakes at Laurel Park.
Rodriguez, who had his choice of a strong three-horse entry for owner Michael Gill and trainer Mark Shuman, was injured in a spill Friday at Laurel Park. As a result, Alvarado picked up the mount on Forest Music ($3), a wire-to-wire winner by 8 1 /2 lengths in the Primonetta.
Ministers Wild Cat edged Judiths Wild Rush by a nose after a stirring stretch battle in Woodbine's opening day feature, the $140,475 Jacques Cartier Stakes.
Ministers Wild Cat, who was briefly on the 2003 Kentucky Derby trail, dueled through the turn with the 4-5 favorite Chris's Bad Boy during fractions of 22.58 and 45.30 seconds.
Judiths Wild Rush commenced a wide rally on the turn and joined the leaders early in the stretch, but couldn't get by Ministers Wild Cat, who covered six furlongs in 1:09.67.
Indigo Girl finished with authority under Guy Smith to win the $50,000 Hallowed Dreams Stakes by a length at Evangeline Downs.
Maid in China, favored with entrymate Forty Babes, settled for second, a neck in front of Rubian Star. Trained by Sam Breaux, Indigo Girl ($6.20) covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.09 and has earned more than $170,000.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - While the primary focus for leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs is on the battle between Jesus Castanon and Terry Houghton, riders in the second flight of the standings - Winston Thompson, Jose Lezcano, and Tommy Pompell - are also having standout meetings.
CHICAGO - Hopefully, when the filly One Other Than was named, it wasn't a statement of her expected limitations. Five months and three starts ago, One Other Than cleared her one-other-than allowance condition. It is too late now to contemplate a name change, but One Other Than looks like the one to beat in a two-other-than allowance Monday in the featured sixth race at Hawthorne.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The partnership of Alex Solis and Megahertz can make Santa Anita history on Sunday.
For the third consecutive year, Solis will ride Megahertz in the $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap, going for an unprecedented third victory in the meeting's championship race for older fillies and mares on turf.
will be heavily favored to win the 11th stakes of her career. Bettors have grown accustomed to seeing Solis and Megahertz in the winner's circle. Since Megahertz arrived at trainer Bobby Frankel's stable in late 2001, she has won 9 of 16 starts with Solis aboard.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hollywood Park has made slight increases in purses for maiden special weight, allowance races, and starter allowance races for the spring-summer meeting that begins Friday.
The increase is part of a $450,000 boost in prize money that is available this year after a debt in the purse pool was retired in 2004, according to racing secretary Martin Panza.
"Last year, we had an overpayment we made up," he said. "We were able to make adjustments."
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Try as he might, Wally Dollase can't escape the shadow of Bobby Frankel.
Dollase recently moved his entire 30-horse stable to Kentucky from his longtime Southern California base, but when Katdogawn represents Dollase in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on Sunday, the mare will have a very rough assignment facing Intercontinental, who only this week was shipped from California for Frankel.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - After the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby go into the record books this weekend, just one serious prep will remain for the May 7 Kentucky Derby. And, as usual, a handful of 3-year-olds will be trying to take the so-called backdoor route to the Derby by running in next Saturday's $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, which will be run for the 24th time.
