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.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Megahertz scored her first win in a Grade 1 in Saturday's $400,000 John Mabee Handicap at Del Mar, outrunning Tates Creek, Dublino and Golden Apples who finished in a three-way dead-heat for second.
Making her fourth start in a Grade 1, Megahertz ($18.40) rallied wide under jockey Alex Solis to reach the front in the final strides.
Megahertz, 4, finished a half-length in front of the trio after 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.09. Voz de Colegiala, who led until early stretch, finished last of five.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Beau's Town left no doubt on Saturday that his success in major stakes in the South can be equally potent in California.
Making his first start on the West Coast, Beau's Town scored a convincing win in the $191,000 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar. The race served as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Oak Tree at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.
"Every time he's ever moved up to the next level, he's answered the question," co-owner Dave Hulkewicz said. "I needed to find out if he belonged and he does."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Three hundred and 64 days after suffering the most frustrating setback of her career in the 2002 Diana Handicap, Voodoo Dancer scored her sweetest and perhaps most important victory Saturday when she outgamed Heat Haze by a neck to win the 65th running of the Grade 1 at Saratoga.
Voodoo Dancer lost a nose bob to Tates Creek in last year's Diana. Like Tates Creek, Heat Haze is owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Bobby Frankel.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was Ocean Drive's maiden victory on closing day of the 2002 Saratoga meet that enabled trainer Todd Pletcher to win the trainers' title. On Monday, Ocean Drive can cap a sensational first week of the 2003 meet for Pletcher as he seeks to defend his crown.
Ocean Drive, who has won 5 of 6 career starts, figures to go off a strong favorite in the Grade 3, $100,000 Lake George Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Although she is the most accomplished horse in the field, Ocean Drive will have to overcome post 12 on the Mellon Turf Course.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Attendance was up, but on-track handle and total handle were down at the 55-day Belmont spring/summer meet, according to figures announced Saturday.
Total attendance was 478,187, an increase of 2.8 percent compared with last year's total of 465,220.
Total handle on Belmont races was down 2.3 percent from $657,789,145 to $642,782,455. On-track handle declined 6.5 percent to $77,324,678 from $82,740,074.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Steve Asmussen felt the Grade 1 Test would enable Lady Tak to show how good a filly she could be. And on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga, Lady Tak did not disappoint him.
Pressing the pace from the outset under Jerry Bailey, Lady Tak took command of the $250,000 around the turn and powered home a 4 1/2-length winner over Kentucky Oaks and Acorn winner Bird Town. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to House Party in third.
