ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Last year, Mark Frostad won eight stakes here for Sam-Son Farm, all on turf.
Six colts or geldings, all 3 or older, accounted for the eight wins, with Portcullis recording a triple. Quiet Resolve, Strut the Stage, Full of Wonder, Strike Smartly, and Sky Chariot chipped in with a victory apiece.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Forever Grand, winner of the six-furlong New Providence Stakes on May 18, was entered for Wednesday's $128,750 Steady Growth Stakes at Woodbine. Whether he runs won't be determined until Wednesday morning.
"Right now, I'm leaning towards running him," said trainer Bob Tiller. "He came out of his last race good."
The 1 1/16-mile race has lured five other Ontario-sired runners - Barbeau Ruckus, Mister Coop, Geraint, Clever Victor, and T J's Lucky Moon, the 2002 Queen's Plate winner.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Irish Colonial, who had come close but had yet to win a stakes race, finally broke through, registering a four-length victory in the $113,600 Kingston Handicap for New York-breds.
Celtic Sky, who won last year's Kingston, settled for second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Whitmore's Conn, a stablemate of Irish Colonial.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Go Rockin' Robin, who was bred by the same people and born at the same place as Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, romped to a six-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 at Belmont Park.
Alysweep, who was part of a hot early pace, held second, three-quarters of a length over Supervisor.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - She claims it's the horses, not her training, but first-year trainer Becky Maker is making her mark in grass races.
Maker, who struck out on her own just last summer, had success in turf races this winter at Fair Grounds, often with long-priced horses, and the trend shows no sign of slackening. The Maker-trained Dancing With Me won an overnight handicap here Saturday and paid $67.20 to win. And on Sunday, General Lee won his maiden in a nine-furlong grass race, paying $21.80 to win. Both horses drew in from the also-eligible list.
SAN MATEO, Ca. - Jockey Ron Warren Jr. took off his mounts at Bay Meadows on Sunday because of back spasms and will not ride again until Thursday.
Warren, second to Russell Baze in the jockey standings, will miss a chance to ride morning-line favorite Reba's Gold in Monday's $100,000 Grade 3 Seabiscuit Handicap at Bay Meadows.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Frustrated at being unable to find an allowance race for Private Chef, trainer John Shirreffs resorted to supplementing the maiden winner to Sunday's $112,600 Will Rogers Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Though unconventional, the plan for the $5,000 supplemental entry worked when Private Chef rallied from last to win the one-mile turf stakes for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. The victory preserved Private Chef's unbeaten record after two starts. On Feb. 16, Private Chef finished in a dead-heat for first in a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita.
SAN MATEO, Ca. - Jockey Ron Warren Jr., second in the Bay Meadows jockey standings behind Russell Baze, took off mounts for a second straight day Sunday and was scheduled to undergo X-rays for a back injury.
Warren complained of pain in his back Friday when forced to pull up heavy favorite High Counselor in the fourth race. He took off the remainder of his mounts that night and was excused from riding Saturday.
He warmed up his first mount, Midnight Charmer, before Sunday's first race, but had to be excused from the mount before the race because of back pain.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Convincing wins have become commonplace again for Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year.
Scoring her ninth consecutive victory, Azeri defended her title in Saturday's $211,800 at Hollywood Park, easily defeating five overmatched rivals.
The style of the victory was the opposite of Azeri's 2003 debut in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 5 when she needed a stretch-long rally to catch Take Charge Lady.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Chiming ($10), entered in Saturday's $107,500 Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap at Bay Meadows only because stablemate Pertuisane came down with a runny nose this week, won the about-1 1/8-mile Grade 3 turf race by 3 1/2 lengths over Noches de Rosa.
Chiming won the race that is 125 feet short of 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.41, just seven-one hundredths off the course record.
