Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Oscar sweeps, but French flops

MIAMI - Sir Oscar completed a sweep of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Saturday's $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program at Calder, while his filly counterpart, French Village, was soundly defeated while attempting to complete a sweep of her division.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Tour of the Cat holds off Best of the Rest

Jean Raftery
Tour of the Cat holds off Best of the Rest to register a one-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder.

MIAMI - Tour of the Cat proved once again he is as courageous as he is talented by holding off 3-5 favorite Best of the Rest following a prolonged stretched drive to register a one-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder. The Grade 3 event highlighted the undercard on the $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Stroll stars in derby (at $2.40)

Jean Raftery
Jockey Gary Bain guides Love Sting to victory in the $200,000 Calder Oaks for trainer Jennifer Hayford and owner Emerald Pastures Corp. Inc.

MIAMI - Stroll looked like the surest bet on Saturday's $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program, and sure enough he delivered as promised, getting through along the hedge en route to a 3 3/4-length victory over runner-up Certifiably Crazy in the $200,000 Calder Derby. The win was the third on the day for jockey Jerry Bailey, who also won the Birdonthewire Stakes aboard Wynn Dot Comma and the My Dear Girl with Chatter Chatter.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Million Classic: Docent does it!

Heavy favorite Docent wore down front-running Presidentialaffair for a nose victory in the $190,000 Maryland Million Classic, richest race on the 11-stakes Maryland Million card Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The win for Docent was his second straight in the Classic and his third on Maryland Million Day.

Docent and jockey Clinton Potts stalked Presidentialaffair down the backstretch. The two raced side by side for the final furlong, with Docent poking his head in front at the wire.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Janeian breaks course record

STICKNEY, Ill. - Three furlongs into the Indian Maid Handicap, Janeian raced in second place, tossing her head and trying to break free of jockey Eddie Martin's tight hold and run up to the lead. This was not what her connections wanted to see. Janeian needs cover, horses racing in front of her, to relax and produce a big finishing kick.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Woodbine: Maiden surprises

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Maryland invader Master William, a maiden trained by Michael Dickinson, rallied powerfully to take the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

Master William ($29.40) had just one runner beaten in the 14-horse field midway on the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile turf race. He commenced a four-wide rally on the turn under Patrick Husbands, and hooked up with Silver Ticket early in the stretch. Master William began to edge away from that one inside the eighth pole, and prevailed by a half-length, in a final time of 1:42.46.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Delaware: Capejinsky draws clear

Capejinsky had nowhere to run for the first six furlongs of the one-mile Dover Stakes at Delaware Park. Once a hole opened on the rail, however, Capejinsky was long gone.

One of only two horses in a field of eight 2-year-old colts who had raced beyond six furlongs, Capejinsky ($7.20) displayed his superiority in the stretch by drawing off to a 4 3/4-length win in the $100,000 Dover. He covered the distance over a fast track in 1:39.44.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

McArthur rising through ranks

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Jerry McArthur isn't sure if he's an overnight sensation, enjoying his 15 minutes of fame, or simply on a roll, but Bay Meadows' hottest trainer is enjoying life these days.

He's started eight horses at the meeting and won five times. When he poses for pictures in the winner's circle now, track announcer Tony Calo tells race fans that the "General" has returned to the winner's circle.

"I don't know where he came up with that," McArthur said, "but now everyone gives me grief about it and calls me 'General.' "

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

Carotene ideal spot for Alpha Saphire

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Alpha Saphire, winner of the Wonder Where here at Woodbine on Aug. 4, appears to have located a very favorable scenario in Monday's $168,000 Carotene Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Alpha Saphire, owned by Stronach Stable and trained by Malcolm Pierce, captured her first stakes in the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where, the final leg of Canada's triple tiara.

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 00:00

BC-bound Cactus Ridge tightens up

STICKNEY, Ill. - The 2-year-old colt Cactus Ridge left his connections enthused with a half-mile work Saturday at Hawthorne, his penultimate breeze before the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Working by himself, with his race-rider Eddie Martin in the irons, Cactus Ridge was officially timed in 49.40 seconds for a half-mile, though his trainer, Bret Calhoun, said Cactus Ridge worked five furlongs in just over 1:02. Calhoun sent Cactus Ridge to the track just after training began at 6 a.m. in order, he said, "to get the tightest track possible."