ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Bit O' Gold left no doubt that he's the "now" horse for the Queen's Plate, showing an impressive turn of foot on the final turn before drawing off to win the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial by 3 1/4 lengths at Woodbine Sunday.
Yet, A Bit O' Gold will be going against the grain of recent history on June 27, as he looks to become the first Trial winner since Alydeed in 1992 and the first Coronation Futurity winner since Norcliffe in 1975 to win the Queen's Plate.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Artie Schiller solidified his credentials as New York's top 3-year-old turf horse by cruising to a 1 3/4-length victory in Sunday's Grade 3, $110,000 Hill Prince Handicap at Belmont Park.
Timo, the only horse who has beaten Artie Schiller on turf, finished second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Big Booster. Good Reward, War Trace, and Kennel Up completed the order of finish.
Artie Schiller won for the third time in five weeks and is 5 for 6 on turf. He is now poised to challenge Kitten's Joy, who is unbeaten (5 for 5) on turf.
CHICAGO - It seemed half the country watched Smarty Jones try to gut out one final furlong in the Belmont Stakes. Typically, such battles are fought before far fewer eyes. How hard will a horse try to win? How far will he push himself? Answers are as likely to come before a thousand people on a midweek, Midwest card as they are with 120,000 screaming on Belmont Day.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Owner Tom Durant has come up with some quality young dirt horses in recent years in Touch Tone, Most Feared, and Kool Humor. This year, one of the best in his stable is a turf specialist, No Place Like It.
No Place Like It won his third straight turf start at the Lone Star Park meet on May 31, when he rallied for a 1 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes. Before that race, No Place Like It won an entry-level allowance and a $30,000 maiden claimer at Lone Star.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After falling short by a head in two stakes in April, Summer Wind Dancer ended a 10-race losing streak with a late rally in Sunday's $108,600 at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Summer Wind Dancer caught 4-5 favorite Pesci in the final furlong to win by a length. Summer Wind Dancer ($6.40) finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.56. The win marked the first graded stakes win of her 19-race career.
Sixth early, Summer Wind Dancer moved into second at the end of the backstretch, and engaged Pesci in early stretch.
Bossier City, La. - Leslie's Love continued her remarkable run of consistency Sunday afternoon as she cruised to victory over three rivals in the Suthern Accent Stakes. Joyce Ann, who like the winner, is trained by Troy Young, finished second followed by Cielo Girl and Italian Dreams.
Breaking cleanly in the Suthern Accent, Melancon placed Leslie's Love on the lead and she never looked back in winning by a length in a time of 1:11.23 over a strip upgraded to fast earlier in the afternoon after early morning rains soaked the area.
Carencro, La. - Placid Star, who suffered the only defeat of her seven race career at the hands of Shes Dixies Eskimo in the Fantasia Stakes at Louisiana Downs on May 23, turned the tables on that rival Saturday night, capturing the Frank A. "Buddy" Abadie Stakes. Shes Dixies Eskimo finished three parts of a length back followed by Madison's Music.
Bossier City, La. - Mary and Gary West's South Africa made his stakes debut a successful one here Saturday as he held on through the stretch to capture the Airline Stakes. Smalltown Slew made a late run at the 2-1 favorite but came up three quarters of a length short. Early pacesetter Britts Jules reported home third followed by Foxtrot Oscar.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - at Woodbine.
A Bit O'Gold got hung out four-wide on the clubhouse turn under Jono Jones, who placed him three lengths off the lead on the backstretch of the nine-furlong event. Little Bentley set moderate fractions of :23.81 and :48.78 while being pressed by Twisted Wit, who had rushed up into contention after blowing the break.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - One day after losing the Triple Crown aboard Smarty Jones, Stewart Elliott won a stakes race at Monmouth Park.
Elliott guided Forest Music to a 1 1/2 length win in the $55,000 Crank It Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The five-furlong race, originally scheduled for the turf, was shifted to the sloppy main track.
The outcome was never in doubt once Forest Music ($3.40) broke cleanly. She held a huge class edge on the field, having won the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in her last race.
