ARCADIA, Calif. - Passinetti, who missed three years of racing and was nearly given away as a riding horse, completed a remarkable comeback with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's $400,000 at Santa Anita.
Making his fourth start since returning to the races in February, Passinetti rallied from fifth on the final turn to win the turf marathon by a half-length over All the Boys. Champion Lodge, the 6-5 favorite, finished third in a field of nine.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Maria's Mirage ($11.80) took the lead immediately out of the gate and extended her margin at every call as she won the $61,300 Woodside Handicap at Bay Meadows on Sunday.
The 4-year-old filly beat favored Lacie Girl, who closed to edge Fertile by a nose, by five lengths in the first five-furlong turf race run on the Longden Turf Course. The hand-timed final time was 56.75.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Deputy Cures Blues held off Stop Looking and Macdashi to notch her first stakes Sunday at Woodbine in the Lady Angela, a $130,875 event for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.
With Emile Ramsammy aboard, Deputy Cures Blues stalked a slow pace on the outside in the seven-furlong dash. Santerra led the way through an opening quarter in :23.94, and was joined by Deputy Cures Blues on the lead through a half in :47.38.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Best of the Rest rebounded from one of the worst efforts of his career with one of his gamest, outfinishing Consistency and Roger E. to win Sunday's $75,000 at Gulfstream Park.
Best of the Rest was a well beaten sixth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap in his previous start. A performance trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. believed was due to the fact Best of the Rest did not handle the racing surface at the Fair Grounds.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Letithappencaptain rallied past a hot pace to pick up her second straight stakes win Saturday in the $50,000 Wafare Farm at Lone Star Park.
It was four and a half lengths back in second to 56-1 shot Olguina, who was a length and a half clear of favorite Eternal Cup.
Leithappencaptain ($28.80) was cutting back to one turn for the Wafare following a win at a mile on turf in the $100,000 Sarah Lane's Oates Handicap at Fair Grounds, and covered the six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies in 1:09.55.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Unlike Friday's Comely Stakes in which odds-on choice Storm Flag Flying was upset, Saturday's $150,000 Bed o' Roses Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct went the way most figured.
Taking advantage of her early speed in a paceless race, Raging Fever led gate to wire to record a half-length victory over a game Smok'n Frolic in the Grade 3 race. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Nonsuch Bay in third.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Stakes wins at Santa Anita have led to big things in the past for Megahertz.
In early 2002, she won three stakes races on the Santa Anita turf course and later won two lucrative stakes races at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, Megahertz ended a four-race losing streak in the $250,000 , winning in a fashion that suggests the 4-year-old filly could play an important role in the upcoming stakes races at Hollywood Park.
Longshots dominated the Grade 3 $250,000 National Jockey Club Handicap at Hawthorne with Fight for Ally ($17.80) holding on to defeat Colonial Colony (8-1) and Parrott Bay (18-1) by a neck in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Fight for Ally, ridden by Eusebio Razo Jr., stalked the 2-1 favorite Keats in second through the opening mile and moved past Keats at the eighth pole. Fight for Ally was noticeably leg weary through the long stretch at Hawthorne, and was all out to defeat Colonial Colony and Parrott Bay, who were separated by a nose. Final time over a fast track was 1:53.46.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Cajun Beat, coming off a last-place finish in the Grade 2 Hutcheson, defeated 4-5 favorite Get Smarter in the $75,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Cajun Beat encountered early trouble and stopped to a walk in the Hutcheson. In the seven-furlong Hallandale Beach, the competition was much softer and the trip less taxing.
