Trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Roman Chapa cannot lose in stakes company at Oaklawn Park. The team continued their sweep of the local stakes program on Saturday, when More Moonlight reeled in True Tails through the stretch to win the $50,000 Dixie Belle Stakes.
It was the third Oaklawn stakes win of 2005 for Asmussen and Chapa, behind the $50,000 Dixieland with Razor and the $50,000 American Beauty with Souris.
Straw Hat outran Medigating through the stretch to win the $50,000 Black Gold Handicap at Fair Grounds.
Straw Hat won his second straight race to give trainer Neil Howard his fifth stakes victory of the Fair Grounds meeting. Under jockey Robby Albarado, Straw Hat settled in last early in the one-mile race behind a crawling pace of 24.74 seconds cut out by Deference, with Medigating tracking him in second.
The scratch of morning-line favorite Roar Emotion sent Silmaril off as the 4-5 public choice in the $75,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel, and she came through with a narrow victory for her backers.
Star of Anziyan set the early pace, pushed first by Smokin' Greida and then Rochetta. Silmaril, ridden by Ryan Fogelsonger, stayed off the early leaders in the one-mile Nellie Morse, then found a narrow opening between horses and dug in for a four-horse stretch battle and won by a neck over Rochetta, with Points West a half-length back in third.
Munificence ($5) remained perfect in three career starts Friday night when he drew out to an 8 3/4-length win in the $50,000 Triple Sec for 3-year-olds at Delta Downs in Vinton, La. Mechanic finished second, seven lengths clear of third-place finisher Buddys Rebel.
Munificence covered the 6 1/2-furlongs, run over two turns on a muddy track, in 1:21.61.
Steve Bourque rode the winner for trainer Jim Hudson and owner John Murrell.
ARCADIA, Calif. - When she seeks her second straight Santa Monica Handicap victory Sunday at Santa Anita, Island Fashion's resume will outshine every other starter in the Grade 1, seven-furlong race.
But what have you done for me lately? Don't ask. Nine fillies and mare will try to knock off the favorite in the $250,000 Santa Monica, and their timing is perfect. That is because Island Fashion may not be the same mare that blazed to successive Grade 1's last winter, followed by a gallant runner-up finish against males in the Santa Anita Handicap.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Judging from the way Ron McAnally's stable is winning grass races for fillies and mares this week, it may be dangerous to bet against Solar Echo in Sunday's $75,000 Wishing Well Handicap at Santa Anita.
McAnally won Wednesday's top race, a $57,200 allowance race over a mile on turf, with Mea Domina. Thursday, McAnally won the $79,350 Tuzla Handicap over a mile on turf with Good Student.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There will be little margin for error when a full and well-matched field of turf specialists travel 1 3/8 miles in Sunday's $100,000 Mac Diarmida Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Only six pounds separate 118-pound highweight Burning Sun from low weights Navesink River and Swagger Stick in the Grade 3 Mac Diarmida. Trainer Bobby Frankel will saddle Burning Sun and uncoupled stablemate Gigli. Swagger Stick is one of three horses in the race from the barn of H. Graham Motion, who will also send out Colonial Bay and Change Course.
ALBANY, Calif. - Nine fillies and mares will compete in the $100,000 Brown Bess Handicap on Sunday as the Golden Gate Fields fall-winter meeting ends.
The 1 1/16-mile turf race lost its Grade 3 status this year, but it boasts a quality field headed by Hoh Buzzard, a Grade 2 winner at Churchill Downs.
Also entered are Uraib, winner of the Hillsborough Handicap on turf last fall at Bay Meadows, and Beaucette, runner-up in the Golden Poppy Handicap, also at Bay Meadows last fall.
NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Steve Asmussen appears to have found an ideal spot for Dancing Liebling in Sunday's feature race at Fair Grounds, a $62,500 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the grass.
The three-other-than condition should be an easier spot than her last race, the Pago Hop Stakes, where Dancing Liebling was overmatched by Shadow Cast. Dancing Liebling breezed through her previous condition in November at Churchill Downs.
