Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Ema Bovary beats Bear Fan

Skip Smith
Ema Bovary, third choice in a field of six, won her 10th race in 11 starts by defeating Bear Fan in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Handicap.

MIAMI - Ema Bovary proved her victory over Bear Fan last fall at Hollywood Park was not a fluke when she shipped cross-country to once again defeat that rival in Saturday's $500,000 . The Grade 2 Princess Rooney was the featured race on Saturday's $1.75 million Summit of Speed program, which drew a crowd of 9,698 at Calder.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Champali holds on in Smile

Skip Smith
Champali (1) takes the Smile Sprint by a nose over Clock Stopper, who is inside of him. Champali is now headed for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

MIAMI - Champali showed both his class and heart, outgaming a fast-closing Clock Stopper to register a nose victory in Saturday's $500,000 at Calder.

Champali, the 117-pound highweight in the six-furlong Smile, set the pace after breaking from post 1 under jockey Jerry Bailey. Champali forged to a narrow advantage leaving the eighth pole while drifting slightly off the rail, then dug in gamely to outlast Clock Stopper, who rallied along the rail and drew even with the winner before dropping the close decision in the final stride.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Weigelia wins duel in Carry Back

Skip Smith
Aurelio Toribio, Jr. rides his first Summit of Speed winner, Weigelia, to victory in the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes (G3) at Calder.

MIAMI - Weigelia and Classy Migration struck a blow for the locals, engaging in a furious stretch battle before Weigelia prevailed by a half-length in the $300,000 , one of six stakes on Saturday's Summit of Speed program at Calder.

Weigelia and Classy Migration hooked up in a similar stretch battle, with the same results, when they finished one-two in the Western Borders Stakes here on May 9. The competition was much tougher in the Grade 3 Carry Back, but the outcome was the same.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Kitten's Joy wins stretch battle

Kevin Coady/Coady Photography
Kitten's Joy wins the Grade 3, $500,000 Virginia Derby on Saturday at Colonial Downs.

In the end, it came down to a two-horse race. Kitten's Joy, the 8-5 second choice, and 6-5 favorite Artie Schiller hooked up at the top of the stretch and ran away from the rest of the field in the Grade 3, $500,000 on Saturday at Colonial Downs. In midstretch, Artie Schiller pulled ahead, but Kitten's Joy came back to win the 1 1/4-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by 2 3/4 lengths. Prince Arch ran late for third.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Ocean Drive rallies in Eatontown

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Ocean Drive, and Jockey Eibar Coa, win the Grade III $100,000 Eatontown Handicap at Monmouth Park.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Ocean Drive blew past the pacesetting Honorable Cat to win the Grade 3, $100,000 by 2 3/4 lengths Saturday afternoon at Monmouth Park.

Honorable Cat, with Eddie King aboard, almost stole the handicap for fillies and mares by setting a very slow pace over the firm turf course.

Ocean Drive ($4.40), kept under restraint by Eibar Coa in prime stalking position, surged past Honorable Cat in the final furlong.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Christine's Outlaw just lasts

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Christine's Outlaw holds off Millennium Dragon by a neck in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont. It was the first stakes win for Christine's Outlaw.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Before Saturday's Grade 3 , Christine's Outlaw had run in nine stakes on the dirt with moderate success. Christine's Outlaw's luck changed in the Poker when he hung on to win his first stakes by a neck over favored Millennium Dragon before a crowd of 7,538 at Belmont Park.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Alumni Hall, 5, scores in first stakes attempt

Benoit Photo
Alumni Hall wins the $75,000 Black Tie Affair Handicap at Arlington Park on Saturday.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Now that Alumni Hall has made the racing scene, he means to make his mark. A 5-year-old who did not race until this past spring, Alumni Hall aced his first stakes test Saturday at Arlington Park, easily winning the $75,000 Black Tie Affair Handicap over six opponents.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Ellis: Miss Fortunate catches 'Mayo'

When favored Mayo on the Side looped most of the field and took the lead in the stretch, it looked as if the $75,000 HBPA Handicap at Ellis Park was over. But Miss Fortunate and Brian Peck came flying late and nailed Mayo on the Side at the wire to win the one-mile race for fillies and mares by a half-length.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Woodbine: Velvet Snow in an upset

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Apprentice jockey Corey Fraser captured his first stakes victory when he guided the 10-1 Velvet Snow to a half-length victory in the $161,400 Ontario Damsel Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Woodbine.

As the longest shot on the board, Velvet Snow paid $23.90 and topped a $194.80 exactor payoff with Financingavailable.

Sat, 07/10/2004 - 00:00

Fort Erie: Kissed By a Prince holds

Heavily favored Kissed By a Prince withstood a strong rally by Royal Dalliance to win the $75,000 H.A. Hindmarsh Stakes by a neck at Fort Erie.

Confidently ridden by Woodbine-based jockey Dino Luciani, Kissed By a Prince stalked the pace of Prospective Gal and Miss Grindstone before taking over two furlongs from the wire in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Royal Dalliance, who trailed early, launched a bid into the last turn and slowly gained on a clear Kissed By a Prince, but came up short. Miss Grindstone finished third.