Pat Day, the third-winningest rider in history with more than 8,700 Thoroughbred victories, picked up his first win aboard a Quarter Horse on Friday night at Sam Houston Race Park. Day rode in a 400-yard match race as part of his national tour benefiting the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America.
Before Friday's race, Day had a record of one second-place finish from 13 mounts in Quarter Horse races, all in 1973.
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Typically, when a filly ships south for a stakes race at Fairmount, she hails from a Chicago barn intent on bullying downstate underdogs out of one of their better purses. Rarely, if ever, does a horse who has been racing regularly in Canada swoop down for a piece of the pie.
MIAMI - Trainer David Fawkes made two important decisions shortly after Twilight Road's fifth-place finish in the Smile Sprint Handicap on July 10. He would freshen his horse and train him up to the $150,000 , and he would start Twilight Road whether the Grade 3 race went on turf or dirt at Calder.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Green Team ($6.80) jumped to a quick lead down the backstretch and was never severely challenged as he scored a gate-to-wire victory in the $100,000 at Bay Meadows on Saturday.
Green Team broke alertly and ended up on the lead in the surprisingly paceless six-furlong race for California-breds. He controlled things up front and had enough left in the lane to defeat 3-year-old Areyoutalkintome by a neck in 1:07.41.
Riding Green Team, Russell Baze sat chilly until inside the sixteenth pole, when he went to the whip to hold Areyoutalkintome safe.
Ebony Breeze, the odds-on favorite, rallied from last to first to win the Grade 3, $200,300 for fillies and mares by three lengths over Umpateedle.
Ebony Breeze ($3.60) sat sixth through the opening half-mile of the six-furlong race under Herberto Castillo Jr., accelerated five-wide on the turn, and blew by the leaders in midstretch. She was timed in 1:09.73.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Jockey James Graham guided Exploited Storm inside a loose horse at the quarter pole of the $44,375 Paradise Creek Stakes and went on to a clear victory at Arlington Park.
Graham had put Exploited Storm on the lead from the start of the Paradise Creek, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for 3-year-olds. In the opening furlong, a horse named Sure Prize was rank, and rider Eddie Martin lost his iron, then his seat, going down before the first turn.
Victory Alleged, making his turf debut in his fifth career start, scored an upset at 14-1 in the $60,000 Majestic Prince.
Victory Alleged stalked the pace from second place early in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, grabbed the lead on the turn, and kicked clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Honorable Buck was second, a head ahead of Dashboard Drummer. Victory Alleged ($30.80) was timed in 1:46.20. Forest Grove, the 8-5 favorite, never threatened.
* Lion Tamer ($2.60), dropping from the Grade 2 Tom Fool last out, won the $65,000 Formal Gold by two lengths over One Nice Cat.
Three-time main-track stakes winner Richetta did not take so well to turf, finishing third at 1-5 odds in her grass debut, in the $75,000 Humphrey S. Finney. Class Concern rated inside early, rallied three-wide into the stretch, and was all out to win by a head over fast-closing Please Smile.
Richetta saved third by a neck over Alphabet Storm.
Class Concern ($9.20), ridden by Richard Boucher, ran the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.95.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Frank DiGiulio Jr.-owned and Bob Tiller-trained duo of Brass in Pocket and Winter Garden ran one-two in Saturday's $178,000 , a seven-furlong dash for fillies and mares at Woodbine.
Brass in Pocket went directly to the front under Todd Kabel, and favored Winter Garden trailed the seven-horse field on the backstretch, after breaking in the air.
