Mooji Moo was due for a victory when she started as a longshot in the $300,000 .
Since last summer, Mooji Moo has followed a stakes loss with a stakes victory. The Filly and Mare Sprint was her fourth stakes win in the last year, a span that includes wins in the Regret and Red Cross Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Bluff's Dividend Stakes at Calder last month.
In her previous start, she ran second in the Minaret Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 3.
Saint Afleet won the $250,000 , leading or disputing the pace throughout and holding off stretch-long challenges from Cheiron, Ice Wynnd Fire, and Don'tsellmeshort, the second- through fourth-place finishers.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Saint Afleet chased Dad's Lessons on the backstretch, dueled with Don'tsellmeshort around the turn and then overcame late threats from Cheiron and Ice Wynnd Fire to win by a head.
A Florida-bred, Saint Afleet ($8.60) finished six furlongs in 1:08.68.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - As the highly touted filly Pesci failed to get out of a high gallop Saturday in the Sunshine Millions Distaff at Gulfstream Park, Joe Pesci and his sizable entourage sat subdued and slack-jawed.
They weren't the only ones.
Secret Request rallied between horses to pull off a 74-1 upset in the $500,000 , leaving all but a lonely few in the crowd of 25,179 in quiet disbelief.
Give the best horse in the race a perfect trip and the results will usually be the kind of one-sided victory Shake You Down recorded over six overmatched rivals in the $300,000 .
Shake You Down, one of the premier sprinters in the country last season, tracked the pace of longshot Love My Mountain, opened an easy lead around the turn, then coasted to a three-length victory over California invader Green Team in the six-furlong Sunshine Sprint. Valid Video, the only Grade 1 winner in the field, raced wide and finished third, a neck behind Green Team.
Proud Man, who has suffered some tough losses in major races during his career, finally came out on the right side of a close decision - he rallied to catch the 25-1 shot Hear No Evil in deep stretch to register a half-length victory in the $500,000 .
It's certainly not the way a 1-5 shot is supposed to win, but Silent Sighs found just enough room and mustered just enough run to nip Wacky Patty by a head in the $250,000 .
"That was the hard way," said Marty Wygod, who with his wife, Pam, bred and owns Silent Sighs in California.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Pro Prado caught 3-5 favorite Wildcat Shoes at the wire to win the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes before a crowd of 25,780 at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. With the win, trainer Bob Holthus and jockey John McKee swept the two opening-weekend stakes at Oaklawn.
On Friday, they teamed to win the $50,000 Dixie Belle for 3-year-old fillies with Saltwater Runner.
Gators N Bears, bet from 5-2 on the morning line to 3-5 at post time, ran like a good thing should, opening a three-length lead in the stretch and holding on to win the $75,000 Hoover.
Ridden aggressively by Rick Wilson, Gators N Bears hustled out of the gate to press front-runner Native Heir on the front end for a quarter-mile, moved to command midway on the turn and opened up, and then dug in tenaciously to beat the fast-closing My Good Trick by a half-length.
Despite having to rally behind a slow early pace, Doc D was able to close to victory in the $50,000 Forego Stakes.
Turning back from routes to the 6 1/2-furlong Forego, Doc D settled in third, as Holiday Cheer winner Founding Chairman set leisurely splits of 23.13 seconds and 46.27. Midway around the turn, he began to pick up ground under jockey Jason Lumpkins, and through the stretch he proved dominant.
