LEXINGTON, Ky. - As if he didn't have enough bullets going into the Breeders' Cup, owner Ken Ramsey added another in his Texas holster when his homebred Nothing to Lose swept to a dominating triumph Saturday in the $600,000 at Keeneland.
Ramsey, who with his wife, Sarah, already had Kitten's Joy and Roses in May as major contenders in other Breeders' Cup races, now has Nothing to Lose as one of the probable favorites for the BC Mile on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.
MIAMI - Tiz a Dancer served notice she could be a force to reckon with in the 3-year-old filly division the remainder of the year after posting an impressive 7 3/4-length victory over older horses in Friday's $29,000 allowance feature at Calder.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bettors viewing races on the Bay Meadows turf course should take note of the rail setting as they make their last-minute handicapping adjustments.
Simply put, the farther out the rail, the more likely it is that speed horses will hold an advantage.
In turf route races through last Friday, runners showing at least stalking speed won 15 of 23 races with the rail at 25 feet. At the middle 12-foot setting, speed won 4 of 9. With the rail at its normal setting (0 feet), 5 of 16 winners showed speed.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - As discretion is the better part of valor, trainer Terri Pompay scratched Titanius from the Paterson Stakes Friday night at The Meadowlands Racetrack.
Pompay had a fallback position, however, that should be an easier spot for Titanius: the $41,000 allowance feature Monday afternoon at The Meadowlands, which runs a special nine-race Columbus Day card starting at 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
The track will also offer the usual matinee program Tuesday before switching back to an evening schedule Wednesday through Saturday.
STICKNEY, Ill. - In late August, trainer Hugh Robertson was asked where and when his good Arlington-based 2-year-old might show up next.
Robertson needed more information first. "Which one?" he asked.
From the outside, the obvious answer was Three Hour Nap, who at the time had won a maiden race and an entry-level allowance in his first two starts and would go on to win the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity on Sept. 19.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Scooter Roach gave jockey Jesse Campbell a fine 27th birthday present - a win in the on Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course.
Call it a surprise party. Scooter Roach was 18-1 in the one-mile turf race, paying $39.20 to win, and he had never before finished first in a race of this stature.
"I was trying all day to win something," Campbell said. "This one looked like it'd be the hardest."
Presidentialaffair made amends for last year's close loss in the by cruising to a 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday's premier event on the Maryland Million program at Pimlico.
It was the third stakes win of the season for the 5-year-old Presidentialaffair, who was coming off a 36-length loss to Ghostzapper in last month's Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. A year ago in the Classic, Presidentialaffair was caught at the wire by Docent and lost by a nose.
Jockey Jose Rivera II and Keep Cool lulled the opposition to sleep with slow early fractions, then had plenty left to withstand 5-2 favorite Twilight Road for a 2 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Flying Pidgeon Handicap at Calder.
Keep Cool used similar tactics to win his only previous start on grass. A son of Frosty the Snowman, Keep Cool ($23.40) held a clear lead after an opening quarter-mile in 25.24 seconds and a half in 50.68.
Despite racing erratically through the stretch run, Black Rock Road remained undefeated in three starts by capturing the $165,600 Carotene Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths at Woodbine.
With Todd Kabel in the saddle for the first time, Black Rock Road stalked the pace of Charming Proposal before taking charge in early stretch and prevailing under strong handling.
"She was pretty green through the lane," said Kabel, who rode his 30th stakes winner of the meeting. "She was looking around at the grandstand."
Killenaule ($5.20), ridden by Chris DeCarlo for trainer Todd Pletcher, improved his career record at Delaware Park to 3 for 3 with a wire-to-wire, 2 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Dover Stakes for 2-year-olds.
A son of Fusaichi Pegasus, Killenaule set fractions of 48.57 for a half-mile and 1:13.44 for six furlongs before completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.91.
Wild Desert finished second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Lord Salvatore.
Spanish Mission, a maiden from Shug McGaughey's barn, finished fourth, beaten nearly 11 lengths, as the 7-5 favorite.
