LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Steve Asmussen and Pat Day pretty much squeezed all they could out of Punch Appeal.
Making her eighth career start and about to go through the sales ring Tuesday at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, Punch Appeal gamely held off Aspen Tree to win the $109,500 at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Punch Appeal, a 2-year-old filly by the first-year sire Successful Appeal, got a great trip under Day - and needed every inch of it to win the one-turn-mile Pocahontas by a nose.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Life continues to be good for trainer Bobby Frankel and the stallion Awesome Again.
On Oct. 30, Frankel won the Breeders' Cup Classic with Ghostzapper, a son of Awesome Again. Awesome Again also sired the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko, a non-Frankel trainee who was going turf-to-dirt in his North American debut.
MIAMI - Aclassysassylassy is not about to rest on her laurels.
Three weeks after becoming just the second filly to sweep the Florida Stallion Stakes, Aclassysassylassy will return to action on Saturday's Florida Million program. The only question is, which race will she compete in?
Trainer Dave Vivian has nominated Aclassysassylassy to both the seven-furlong Jack O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies and 1 1/16-mile John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf, and may reserve his decision until race day.
Whilly who ran in three top stakes in Italy before arriving in the U.S. last spring, scored his first stakes win in Saturday's $63,325 Bien Bien Stakes at Hollywood Park.
The victory gave trainer Doug O'Neill a one-two sweep in the restricted race, with Perfect Moon finishing second. Whilly ($8.60) finished a mile on turf in 1:36.23.
The restricted Bien Bien marked Whilly's third start in the United States. He finished third in the Grade 3 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap in June and eighth in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby last month at Santa Anita.
When Crossing Point opened up a two-length lead entering the stretch of the $75,000 Challedon Stakes at Pimlico, it looked as if a gate-to-wire victory could be in the making. But Eibar Coa, the rider of Aggadan, had everything under control. Coa didn't ask Aggadan for his best until midstretch, and when he did, Aggadan quickly reeled in Crossing Point and went on to a 1 1/4-length victory in the six-furlong race. Private Opening got up for second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of a fading Crossing Point.
Unforgettable Max exerted his class in the $54,500 Shecky Greene Stakes at Delaware Park, leading all the way for a three-length victory over Hydrogen, with Spicy Stuff another eight lengths back in third in the 1 1/16-mile race. The victory was the first this year for Unforgettable Max, who had run in graded stakes in six of his previous eight races this year.
Owned by Raymond Dweck and trained by Lupe Preciado, Unforgettable Max ($4.80) covered the distance in 1:43.02 under Roberto Alvarado. Unforgettable Max has now won 4 of 16 races and earned just shy of $300,000.
Winter Garden ($3.80) won her third stakes of the Woodbine meeting in Saturday's $137,750 Ontario Fashion Handicap.
Whistling Maid led the way in the six-furlong dash for fillies and mares, through an opening quarter 22.28 seconds. Winter Garden came along the rail from a stalking position to assume command under jockey David Clark through a half in 44.62, and then disposed of Big Cheque in the stretch en route to a 1 3/4-length score over a closing El Prado Essence. The final time was 1:10.35.
Punch the Odds held off Who's the Cowboy to win the colts and geldings division of the New Jersey Futurity at The Meadowlands on Friday night by two lengths.
Punch the Odds, a 2-year-old trained by Eddie Broome, ran the six furlongs over the good main track in 1:10.36 and returned $3.20. Sonawho was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third. There was no show wagering on the five-horse race, which had a purse of $66,067.
Dale Baird finally got to change ball caps Friday night.
Baird, the winningest trainer in Thoroughbred history, traded in his signature electric blue cap, which commemorated his 8,000th career victory on July 22, 1999, for a spiffy new black model embossed with the number 9,000 following Frazee's Folly's victory in the eighth race at Mountaineer Race Track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - They're not running scared from Lady Tak; they're just running, period. Twelve fillies and mares passed the entry box to race Sunday in the $200,000 Churchill Downs Distaff, a Grade 2 handicap that surely will have Lady Tak as a solid favorite but drew a host of intriguing challengers nonetheless.
