FLORENCE, Ky. - More often than not, September begins with the promise of a top-class racehorse setting foot onto Turfway Park before the month is out. And with Dale Romans having pronounced Roses in May as a definite starter for the Kentucky Cup Classic on Sept. 18, the chances seem good for a top Breeders' Cup prospect to emerge once again from the Turfway fall meet, which begins Wednesday.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Adoration, a sharp winner of the Arlington Matron Handicap here at Arlington last Saturday, left Chicago on Monday to return home to Hollywood Park, and trainer David Hofmans, pleased with the entire venture, said Adoration appeared to have come out of the race in good physical condition.
Missy Can Do got the early jump on the field and never let got of the lead in the $10,600 Bill Callihan Handicap at Columbus. Ridden by Lee Sensenbach, Missy Can Do covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:22.60 over a muddy surface. She returned $9.40 as third choice in a field of five reduced by two scratches. Miss Guts made a mild run to gain second with Gotta Jiboo third.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Fierce Cat sprinted to a clear lead leaving the chute and won as rider Scott Spieth pleased, taking the $40,000 Loyalty Stakes at Thistledown by eight lengths. Brooks Blach chased the winner all the way in the six-furlong race and outgamed Smacker for second by a nose.
Fierce Cat, a 2-year-old son of Noble Cat trained by William J. Napier, got the six furlongs in 1:11.42 over a fast racing strip and returned $4 as the choice over his five Ohio- bred peers.
Cherylville Slew won her third consecutive stakes race, a neck win over Queena Corrina in the $40,000 Ricks Memorial at Remington Park. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third to Kristina's Wish.
Cherylville Slew covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:34.93 and earned $24,000.
Trainer Lupe Preciado, along with jockeys Tony Black and Victor Molina, were the big winners during Pennsylvania's Day at the Races.
Preciado saddled two winners in the series of five stakes for statebreds worth $50,000 apiece. Black and Molina each rode one winner for Preciado, and both jockeys won another stakes.
For the second straight year, Caught in the Rain ($4) won the Mrs. Penny, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares, scoring by six lengths under Molina.
New York-based horses easily swept both stakes for 2-year-olds at Delaware Park.
Swither ($9), a maiden ridden by Aaron Gryder for trainer Tom Albertrani, romped by 10 lengths in the $200,000 NATC Sorority. She covered six furlongs in 1:11.80 over a fast track. Elke, the 1-2 favorite, finished second.
Swither, a daughter of first-year sire Anees, had finished third against New York-bred maidens in each of her first two starts.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - When they turned for home here in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile Algoma Stakes, it looked like Winning Chance was on her way to winning her second straight race over her rival One for Rose.
"I thought, 'Oh, oh, she's going to open up on us,'" said Sid Attard, who conditions One for Rose for Carlo and Lou Tucci.
But One for Rose is One for Rose is One for Rose, and a late surge carried her to a 2 1/4-length victory after she was seemingly beaten with as little as a sixteenth of a mile remaining.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mobil toyed with his three rivals in capturing Sunday's $128,750 Halton Stakes, one of six stakes on the Woodbine card for graduates of local yearling sales.
Mobil ($2.30) pressed front-running Crosspoint through slow fractions in the nine-furlong turf event. He assumed command at the quarter pole and drew off for a 3 1/2-length score over Lenny the Lender. The final time was 1:46.97.
Todd Kabel, who rode Mobil for owner Gustav Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh, won five races on the card, including three yearling sale stakes.
Francine Villeneuve, who had won the $106,000 Silver Deputy at Woodbine earlier in the afternoon, hopped a helicopter to Fort Erie and guided A Nice Splash to victory in Monday's $58,000 Puss N Boots.
The Puss N Boots was one of the co-features on Monday's closing-day card along with the Centre Stage Anne. Both races were in-house stakes, for horses who had started at least three times at the meeting, and both were over 1 1/16 miles of turf.
