Coronado Rose, who lifted Steve Asmussen to a North American record for trainer wins in a year in November, picked up her third career stakes win Saturday night when she drove to a length and a half win in the $40,000 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Texas Spirit finished second in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies, three-quarters of a length clear of 27-1 shot Lip Gloss.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Richard Mandella tightened his grip on the winter handicap division Saturday at Santa Anita, where he won his third stakes of the meet - the Grade 2 for 4-year-olds. Minister Eric ($16) won the mile and a sixteenth race by a half-length over 2-1 favorite Mass Media; longshot Skipaslew finished three lengths back in third; Imperialism was compromised by the speed bias and rallied to fourth.
ARCADIA, Calif. - may be the biggest cinch on the Monday card at Santa Anita, where she towers over seven other 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs.
Four starts into her career, Sharp Lisa has emerged as the third seed in a strong division, and the Santa Ynez is the ideal spot to begin a 2005 campaign. The race has no superstars.
"In our minds, she's third in the category out here," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "We're trying to duck [Sweet Catomine and Splendid Blended]. We're looking for a spot where we can try to get a win."
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The seemingly improving gets the first stern test of his career Monday, when he meets five 3-year-olds in the $75,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct.
The six-furlong Winkfield, formerly the Best Turn, was renamed to honor the last African-American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Winkfield won the Derby in 1901 and 1902 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Nova Ice will head a competitive field of nine in Monday's best race at Portland Meadows, a one-mile test for older $6,250 claimers.
A 4-year-old trained by Nick Lowe, Nova Ice is coming off a sharp win over $6,250 company on Jan. 3, when he came from just off the pace under rider Jose Rivera Jr. to score by a neck in 1:13.67 for six furlongs. In his only previous route attempt, Nova Ice ran sixth of 12 in last season's Preview Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Though he is unproven around two turns, Nova Ice is going with good form and clearly fits at the $6,250 level.
ALBANY, Calif. - When Vaca City Flyer and Yerevan Star ran one-two in a Nov. 17 allowance race, trainers John Martin and Gloria Haley didn't expect to meet again in Monday's $50,000-added Richmond Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
"We were unsure what to do until she ran down south at Hollywood Park," Martin said, referring to a Dec. 8 allowance race in which Vaca City Flyer finished second. "She'd been doing so good, we didn't know how good she was."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Cee's Tizzy's offspring prefer dirt over grass, but give them an easy lead and they will be gone on any surface. The 3-year-old filly Cee's Irish got loose Friday at Santa Anita in the $92,600 at a mile on turf, and lead virtually wire to wire over a good turf course. Tyler Baze rode Cee's Irish ($17.40) for trainer Doug O'Neill.
"I think if the other riders knew they were going 24 [seconds] and change, [they] might have changed tactics," O'Neill said. "I was shocked when she was on the lead, but when I saw 24 and change I felt pretty good."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Spanish Chestnut's one-dimensional running style was rewarded Saturday on a speed-biased racetrack at Santa Anita, where the 3-year-old scored his first stakes victory in the Grade 2 . Iced Out, a 9-1 outsider, finished second by three-quarters of a length. He was one length in front of third-place Texcess, who ran perhaps the best race considering his wide trip and a training pattern that had been interrupted by rain.
NEW ORLEANS - Jerry Bailey was stuck at the airport, unable to ride the odds-on favorite Punch Appeal in the $100,000 . Sent off at 2-5, Punch Appeal then got stuck in second gear and was upset in the Tiffany Lass by a Louisiana-bred 11-1 shot named The Beter Man Can.
