Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:00

Churchill: Classic Elegance takes Debutante

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - D. Wayne Lukas and Pat Day combined to win the Debutante Stakes for a record sixth time each when Classic Elegance overtook her Lukas-trained stablemate Paragon Queen in the final sixteenth of a mile of the Grade 3 race for 2-year-old fillies.

Classic Elegance, the favorite in the $110,800 Debutante, returned $5.60 after finishing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.18 over a fast track.

Classic Elegance now will head to Saratoga, said Lukas.

Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:00

Bayamo scores in American Handicap

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After Bayamo's win in Sunday's $150,000 American Handicap at Hollywood Park his name can be added to the glut of high-class middle-distance turf horses in trainer Julio Canani's stable.

Winning his first stakes, Bayamo rallied from fourth in a field of five to win the Grade 2 American by 4 1/2 lengths, finishing 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.60. Ridden by David Flores, Bayamo made an eye-catching wide move on the final turn to take the lead in early stretch.

Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:00

Ghostzapper sets off fireworks in Tom Fool

ELMONT, N.Y. - Making his first start since winning the Grade 1 Vosburgh on Sept. 27, Ghostzapper romped to a 4 1/4-length victory over Aggadan in the Grade 2, $250,000 Tom Fool Handicap before a Fourth of July crowd of 11,261 at Belmont Park.

Ghostzapper's final time of 1:20.42 for seven furlongs was only 0.25 second off the track and stakes record of 1:20.17 set by Left Bank in the 2002 Tom Fool. Ghostzapper returned $4.60 as the favorite.

Ghostzapper earned a career-best 120 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:00

Prairie Meadows: Roses in May hangs on

ALTOONA, Iowa - Roses in May dictated the pace under jockey Mark Guidry and turned away a bid from 4-5 favorite Perfect Drift through the stretch to score a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

Roses in May ($7.40) established the early lead while racing in the three path and tried to get out a bit around the first turn. Perfect Drift came through an opening inside of the winner entering the final turn and the pair came into the stretch head and head.

Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:00

Marwood takes Pleasanton feature

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Marwood ($8.60), the lesser regarded of two entries from trainer Jerry Hollendorfer set the second track record in two days Monday at the Alameda County Fair, winning the $50,595 Alameda County Fillies and Mares Handicap while running 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.04.

Marwood, a 4-year-old filly coming off a pair of seconds in turf stakes, defeated Guidebook by 3 1/4 lengths. Her time beat the old track record of 1:40.34 set by Aunt Sophie in winning this race last year.

Mon, 07/05/2004 - 00:00

Souvenir Gift wins Landaluce Stakes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Souvenir Gift provided co-owners Gregory Unruh and trainer Sam Semkin with an excuse for a rowdy celebration after scoring a mild upset victory in Monday's $106,800 Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Cheered on by a large and vocal contingent of the owners' friends and family, Souvenir Gift rallied on the rail in the final furlong to win the Grade 3 Landaluce Stakes by 1 1-4 lengths over Bella Banissa. My Miss Storm Cat, the 2-5 favorite, finished third in the field of 11 2-year-old fillies.

Souvenir Gift ($10.20) ran six furlongs in 1:09.75.

Mon, 07/05/2004 - 00:00

Calder dash for cash

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Bear Fan is part of a field that includes Harmony Lodge and Ema Bovary in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap.

MIAMI - Calder's Summit of Speed has attracted some of the country's best sprinters in its brief four-year history, including the winner of each of the last two Breeders' Cup Sprints. Saturday's fifth edition may be the biggest and best yet.

Mon, 07/05/2004 - 00:00

Wonder Again starts anew

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Jimmy Toner would like to remove Wonder Again's 2003 campaign from his memory. A performance like the one Wonder Again gave in Monday's Grade 2 New York Handicap should help him do just that.

Wonder Again displayed the class and talent Monday that she showed two years ago as a 3-year-old when she cruised past the pacesetting Binya turning for home and drew off for a 3 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 New York before 8,713 at Belmont Park.

Mon, 07/05/2004 - 00:00

Lunarpal still perfect

Horsephotos
Lunarpal, ridden by Shane Sellers, wins the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs on Monday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Lunarpal remained unbeaten by turning back Storm Surge in a race-long duel Monday in the Bashford Manor Stakes. The win gave Lunarpal a sweep of all three stakes for 2-year-olds at the Churchill Downs spring meet while also clinching the meet training title for Steve Asmussen.

Mon, 07/05/2004 - 00:00

Track record broken

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Presidentialaffair with Stewart Elliott riding wins the $70,000 Skip Away Stakes in track record time at Monmouth Park.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Presidentialaffair smashed a Monmouth Park record that had stood since 1978 with a front-running romp in the slop in Monday's $70,000 Skip Away Stakes.

Presidentialaffair ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:38.85, erasing the mark of 1:39.20 first set by Razzle Dazzle Rey 26 years ago. Three others equaled the record, most recently Grecian Flight in 1989.

Presidentialaffair ($6.40) was in command throughout the race, as he broke a string of three straight seconds. Stewart Elliott was aboard for Philadelphia Park-based trainer Martin Ciresa.