CHICAGO - It was a dim, misty Sunday this past weekend in New York - but the Arlington stakes coordinator, Keith Kelly, was hoping for something more like a deluge.
On Belmont's Sunday program was the Lexington Stakes for 3-year-old grass horses, a race that butts heads with Arlington's Grade 2 American Derby this Saturday. Had rain forced the Lexington to the main track, some New York-based horses might have been hustled west this week.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With A Bit O'Gold and Niigon splitting the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 bonus available for a sweep of the series will go unclaimed this year.
A Bit O'Gold rallied to defeat Niigon by a head in the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Sunday, reversing the order of finish of the Queen's Plate.
But the Breeders' Stakes, the final leg, over 1 1/2 miles on the turf at Woodbine on Aug. 8, still offers bragging rights, not to mention a purse of $500,000.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Krz Ruckus, one of the more durable sprinters in recent Woodbine history, will try to win the seven-furlong Overskate Stakes for the third time on Wednesday.
Krz Ruckus will exceed the $1 million mark in earnings if he wins the $133,000 race for Ontario-sired runners. Krz Ruckus, a 7-year-old, has captured three consecutive races at Fort Erie heading into the Overskate, a race he won in 2001 and 2002.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mona Rose and her jockey, Eurico Rosa da Silva, got to experience the sweet smell of stakes success here last Saturday in the $209,450 Dance Smartly.
While Rosa da Silva had ridden stakes winners in Brazil, where he was born, and competed successfully in Macau before moving his tack here this spring, Mona Rose was making just her second stakes appearance.
An Ontario-homebred trained by Earl Barnett, Mona Rose finished eighth in her stakes debut here last fall in the 1 1/8-mile Carotene.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Haskell invitations are on the way.
The Monmouth Park race office sent out 24 invitations for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell on Aug. 8 to the connections of leading 3-year-olds. The biggest name missing from the roster of invitees was Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones.
"The Smarty Jones camp was the first we contacted," said racing secretary Mike Dempsey. "Unfortunately, [trainer] John Servis indicated that the horse would not be ready in time for the Haskell."
FORT ERIE, Ontario - A Bit O'Gold rallied strongly on the outside to score by a head here Sunday in a stirring renewal of the $500,000 , putting an end to Niigon's chances for a Canadian Triple Crown.
Niigon had defeated A Bit O'Gold by three-quarters of a length in the first legof the series, the 1 1/4 mile Queen's Plate at Woodbine June 27.
The 1 3/16 Prince of Wales was run over a track that went from fast to sloppy following a mid-afternoon downpour.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Something Smith ended a string of three straight seconds with a decisive victory Sunday in the $60,000 Bernie Dowd Handicap for New Jersey-breds at Monmouth Park.
Co-highweight in the field with Trueamericanspirit, Something Smith ran the six furlongs in 1:09.83 with Chuckie Lopez aboard.
Something Smith, one of the fastest New Jersey breds, showed a closing dimension for the first time. Instead of breaking right on top, Something Smith rated in fourth before launching a steady advance to collar and pass the pacesetting Sheryar Special.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - That Tat, highweighted and favored in Sunday's Island Whirl Handicap, validated both counts with a determined three quarter length win in the $50,000 headliner. Ole Rebel was making progress late on the far outside to get second followed by Taxicat. Early pacesetter and second choice in the waging More Crafty weakened in the late going to finish fourth.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Moonshine Justice put away 2-5 favorite Flat Rock on the front end before drawing off to win his maiden in style at Woodbine Sunday in the $158,700 Clarendon Stakes.
Moonshine Justice broke on top in the five and a half-furlong dash for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds, and pressed fractions of :23.35 and :47.06 seconds under Todd Kabel. Flat Rock rushed up along the rail to set the pace, but faded in the stretch to finish last in the four-horse field, as Moonshine Hall coasted to a three-length triumph over Da Cardinal. The final time was 1:05.91 seconds.
