SAN MATEO, Calif. - Handicappers face a familiar dilemma in Wednesday's feature race at Bay Meadows. Should they base their selection on class or current form in the $20,000 claimer at six furlongs?
The answer could be both with Goodnews Bay, a 4-year-old gelding who ran in the California Derby last year. He could be the speed of the speed, breaking from just outside his primary pace rival, Super Streak, in the field of five.
Trainer Linda Rice swept the top two spots in the $50,000 Joseph Buckelew Stakes, winning the five-furlong turf race for 3-year-old fillies with Impolite and taking second with Six Pack Sally. Coupled in the wagering, they paid $4.40 to win.
Jose Ferrer rode Impolite to a 1 3/4-length score over her stablemate, with Glowing Breeze rallying for third, a nose back of Six Pack Sally.
POMONA, Calif. - Infinite Faith crossed the wire first by a neck in the $49,500 Phil D. Shepherd Stakes, but stewards disqualified him for interference in deep stretch and awarded victory to favorite Legendary Weave ($6.20). Good Meeting finished third in the 1 1/16-mile race, which was timed in 1:43.06.
Trained by Jack Carava and ridden by Martin Pedroza, Legendary Weave was a beaten horse when Infinite Faith, ridden by Felipe Martinez, bumped him slightly near the wire. Stewards ruled that Infinite Faith "cost Legendary Weave his rightful position."
Trainer Barclay Tagg admitted he thought Conservation was far better suited to turf than mud. Conservation ($7) proved Tagg wrong when he upset heavily favored Foufa's Warrior over a sloppy main track in the $60,000 Humphrey Finney Stakes for 3-year-old Maryland-breds at Pimlico.
Ridden by Enrique Jurado, Conservation drew off to beat Cheverly Gold by three lengths, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.78 in the slop. Foufa's Warrior, the 1-2 favorite, finished third.
Paddington ($6) easily handled the jump from the maiden ranks as he romped to a five-length wire-to-wire victory over six other 2-year-olds in the $58,700 Whirling Ash Stakes.
Ridden by Rodrigal Madrigal Jr. for trainer Michael Dickinson, Paddington covered the mile in 1:37.71 over a sloppy track.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Wiggins stalked the pace to the stretch before taking command a furlong out on his way to a 2 1/2-length victory over Morning Merry in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby, the closing-day feature of the 48-day mixed meeting.
Wiggins ($3) sat in second, 6 1/2 lengths off loose leader Big Glori, through a half-mile clocked in 46.89 seconds over the sloppy going. Jockey Eusebio Razo Jr. remained patient to the stretch, and Wiggins responded when asked. He stopped the clock in 1:44.35 for the 1 1/16 miles.
Lissau led wire to wire to win the $50,000 Smoke Glacken Stakes for 2-year-olds, giving trainer Linda Rice and jockey Jose Ferrer their second stakes victory of the weekend here. They won Saturday's Joseph Buckelew Stakes with Impolite. Lissau turned back a midstretch bid by runner-up Boston Brahmin and won the six-furlong race by a half-length. Stormy Siege finished third in the field of five.
POMONA, Calif. - Eclipse De Luna, a Group 1 winner in Chile, became a North American stakes winner in the $48,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes. Making her second U.S. start, Eclipse De Luna ($10.20) won the 1 1/16-mile race by 3 1/2 lengths over Imperatriz Rafaela, who finished a neck in front of Meguial. Brite Sunny Day, the 7-5 favorite, was fourth.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Lord Samarai, with Nicola Wright aboard, overcame a poor beginning to win the $106,694 Jack Diamond Futurity for 2-year-olds.
After getting bounced around leaving the starting gate, Lord Samarai made a strong move four wide around the stretch turn, then outfinished Proud Son, who had taken the lead in midstretch. Lord Samarai paid $8. Time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:19.10 over a good track.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Neil Drysdale shipped Touch of the Blues here last September with a long-range plan.
The Atto Mile was to serve as the first of two stepping-stones to the Breeders' Cup Mile, along with an interim appearance in Keeneland's Shadwell Turf Mile.
But not much went right for Touch of the Blues as he finished a troubled fifth here, forced to check hard in deep stretch while closing stoutly on the inside.
