DEL MAR, Calif. - Kona Gold, the 2000 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter who won stakes from ages 5 through 9, was retired on Sunday, one day after finishing fifth in Del Mar's Bing Crosby Handicap, his first career loss at Del Mar.
Trainer Bruce Headley and owners Andrew and Irwin Molasky made the announcement. "Enough is enough," Headley said. "It's time to let him retire. He doesn't have any speed anymore. He's 9 1/2 years old. He's done so much."
DEL MAR, Calif. - Two years ago in the , Special Ring bolted, ran off to a needless long lead, and tired to finish last. He was gelded before he ran again.
Since then, he had won five times in 11 starts, and had come tantalizingly close to winning a graded stakes. He waited until Sunday, though, in the 30th running of the Grade 1 Eddie Read, to run the race of his life.
In a dominating, front-running performance, Special Ring led every step of the way and cruised home a five-length winner while smashing Del Mar's course record for 1 1/8 miles on turf.
AUBURN, Wash. - Poker Brad pressed the moderate pace of Sabertooth to the top of the stretch, then kicked away to post a 3 1/2-length victory in Sunday's $100,000 Handicap at Emerald Downs.
Poker Brad, a 5-year-old son of Go for Gin who races for Quadrun Farm LLC, covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.80 to defeat the favored Moonlight Meeting, who was up for second by a neck over Alfurune. Sabertooth held fourth in the field of seven.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Centerofattention ($16) sat off a pace duel between A B Noodle and Knockout Crown and outfinished Knockout Crown late to win the $53,900, at the Sonoma County Fair on Sunday.
"We kinda knew we made a mistake chasing A B Noodle last time," said winning jockey Joey Castro of the 5-year-old mare who had finished fourth in the Alameda County Fillies & Mares Handicap. "Maybe it cost her second or third. We shipped in early, and I worked her and realized we were better off settling in."
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Twilights Prayer, benefiting from a typically patient turf ride by Joe Bravo, burst through horses in the stretch Sunday afternoon to win the $50,000 Spruce Fir Handicap at Monmouth Park.
Twilights Prayer ($3.40) ran the one mile in 1:36.62 over the firm course, beating Someones Coming by 1 3-4 lengths with So Excited third.
It was a repeat win for Twilights Prayer in the stakes for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares.
The 5-year-old mare posted her sixth career win, all on the grass.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Anybody who had already conceded defending champion Azeri a second straight Breeders'Cup Distaff and division championship may be having second thoughts after watching Sightseek register her third straight one sided Grade 1 victory, a stunning 11 1/2 length triumph over She's Got The Beat and four other overmatched rivals in Sunday's $250,000 at Saratoga.
Sightseek's easy win was trainer Bobby Frankel's 15th Grade 1 victory of the year. She also gave jockey Jerry Bailey his fourth consecutive winner on Sunday's card and fifth Go For Wand victory.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Stormthebarricade rode a speed bias to an easy five and a half-length score in Sunday's $133,375 Bull Page Stakes, a six-furlong dash for 2-year-olds at Woodbine.
Stormthebarricade clipped heels and went down in his previous start June 14, in the Victoria Stakes, but there were no mishaps Sunday, as he set quick fractions and then drew off in the stretch under Emile Ramsammy.
Dubai Sheikh earned a trip to Saratoga when posting the first stakes victory of career Saturday in the $100,000 Don Bernhardt Stakes at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.
Ridden by Jason Lumpkins, who had averted serious injury in a spill the previous day, Dubai Sheikh rallied from fifth in a field of seven older horses before driving past front-runner Shah Jehan to prevail by a neck. Sterling Gold was third, while Twilight Road, the 5-2 favorite, faded to last.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Funny Cide, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, completed his preparations for next Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park by working six furlongs in 1:12.46 Sunday morning over a fast Saratoga main track.
Funny Cide, under regular exercise rider Robin Smullen, first went to the pony track where he jogged a turn and galloped two turns before walking over to the main track shortly after 5:30.
DEL MAR, Calif. - For the third time in the opening week of the Del Mar meeting, there is a carryover in the pick six. On Saturday, no one had all six winners, creating a carryover of $242,313.
On Saturday's program, there were no tickets with five winners, creating a payoff of $1,059.60 for tickets that had four winners.
On Sunday, the pick six covers the fourth through ninth races. Here is a glance at the late changes and top contenders.
