ALBANY, Calif. - The 3-year-old filly division has been strong all year in northern California.
Arguably the best was Bending Strings, who began her career in Jerry Hollendorfer's barn and has since become a multiple graded-stakes winner back East.
Heavenly Humor, her stablemate, has won two stakes but hasn't run since her victory last spring in the San Jose at Bay Meadows.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Starting for his fourth trainer this year, Taste of Paradise gave trainer Gary Mandella his first graded stakes win in Sunday's $100,000 at Hollywood Park.
The longest shot in a field of seven, Taste of Paradise ($54.80) rallied along the rail to catch defending champion Watchem Smokey, who took the lead in final furlong.
Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Taste of Paradise ran six furlongs in 1:08.04 on a wet-fast track. He finished a nose in front of Watchem Smokey, who was two lengths clear of pacesetter My Master.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Silver Impulse notched her first stakes with relative ease on Sunday at Woodbine in the $163,350 for 2-year-old fillies.
Silver Impulse saved ground while running about three lengths off the early pace in the mile and a sixteenth event. She made a three-wide bid on the far turn, and emerged with the lead at the head of the stretch, before drawing away for a four and a quarter-length victory. The final time was 1:47.46 seconds.
"She's progressed nicely," said Emile Ramsammy, who rode Silver Impulse. "She ran her best race so far today."
Key to the Cat became a stakes winner on Saturday night when she beat the late-running Lady Mallory to the wire by a neck to win the $40,000 Katy at Sam Houston Race Park. It was another neck back in third to favorite Fun House.
Key To the Cat ($15.20) raced in midpack early, the moved to the lead in the stretch. She covered the mile and a sixteenth for fillies and mares over firm turf in 1:47.95. Larry Taylor rode the winner for trainer Steve Margolis.
VINTON, La. - Texcess rewarded Victor Espinoza's decision to pass up an appearance in an international jockey championship for Saturday night's $1 million when he drove to a length and a half victory in the second richest race for 2-year-olds in North America.
Closing Argument rallied for second, finishing a nose in front of the fast closing Anthony J.
The Jackpot was the third straight victory for Texcess, who won his maiden in the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile in October, then captured an entry-level allowance over Chips Are Down at Hollywood Park.
MIAMI - Todd Pletcher added a couple of more notches to his belt in his quest for the 2004 trainers' money-winning title and an Eclipse Award, sending out Host and Something Ventured to win the handicaps on Saturday's Grand Slam I program at Calder.
Host ($5.40) wore down co-favorite Silver Tree in the final strides for a neck victory in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf. The victory was the second straight graded stakes win for the Chilean-bred Host, who is owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk.
MIAMI, Fla. - Better Than Bonds looked like the class of the What a Pleasure on paper and made the most of the opportunity, rallying to defeat longshot G P's Black Knight by three-quarter lengths to capture the $100,000 stakes on Saturday's Grand Slam I card at Calder.
A 2-year-old son of Sweetsouthernsaint, Better Than Bonds had finished behind Rockport Harbor, Flamenco, and Defer in his last two starts. The competition was not so stiff in the What a Pleasure, a 1 1/16-mile race, but Better Than Bonds had to work hard before finally securing the victory.
VINTON, La. - Punch Appeal added to her already impressive resume Saturday night when she stormed to a 5 1/2-length win over even-money favorite Summer Raven in the $250,000 at Delta Downs. It was the fifth stakes victory this year for Punch Appeal.
The Princess, for 2-year-old fillies, was one of three undercard stakes supporting the $1 million Delta Jackpot. The combined purses for the four stakes was $1.4 million, making for the richest card of racing in the history of Delta.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Pellegrino, who had been a disappointment since arriving from South America last year, pulled an upset in Saturday's $250,000 at Hollywood Park.
Pellegrino ($22.40) rallied from seventh in a field of nine to upset a field that included Better Talk Now, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30.
Had Better Talk Now won the Grade 1 Turf Cup, he would have greatly increased his chances to claim the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding turf horse. Kitten's Joy remains the leading contender for the award.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Classic Endeavor, a sweet claim for trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr., won his fifth straight race after scoring a front-running victory Saturday afternoon in the Grade 3, $112,100 at Aqueduct.
The 99th running of the Queens County, at 1 3/16 miles, was the first graded stakes of the Big A's inner-track season.
Ridden by Aaron Gryder, Classic Endeavor ($7.50) rated the pace from the start and held off a late bid from Evening Attire by three-quarters of a length. Colita was third in the race, which was timed in 1:57.13 over a fast track.
