NEW ORLEANS - How quickly they forget.
Just two months ago, Distinctive Code won a high-end allowance at Fair Grounds by almost two lengths, but after finishing third Feb. 8 in the Pan Zareta Handicap, Distinctive Code started Saturday in the $100,000 Victoria Lass Handicap at 13-1.
That was way too high.
Distinctive Code pressed the fast pace of the longshot Cinnful Bride, took control of the race in midstretch, and held on easily for a 1 1/4-length win over Miss Lodi, the heavy favorite.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - It seemed like trainer Bobby Frankel was looking for a reason not to send Medaglia d'Oro to Dubai for the $6 million Dubai World Cup. On Saturday morning, just hours before the horse was to ship, Frankel found one.
Medaglia d'Oro did not come out of a Friday workout at Hollywood Park as well as Frankel would have liked and therefore will not run in the Dubai World Cup on March 29 at Nad Al Sheba Race Course.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Champion Lodge, a minor handicap winner in England last year, won his graded stakes debut in Saturday's $250,000, Grade 2 San Luis Rey Handicap at Santa Anita.
For Champion Lodge, the conditions must have felt more like England than Southern California. The race was run on a cool rainy day over a yielding turf course. Champion Lodge ($16.20) ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:33.48.
Owned by Ron Charles and Clear Valley Stables and trained by Sandy Shulman, Champion Lodge has won 6 of 24 starts and $301,804.
Fight for Ally, under strong urging from Curt Bourque, wore down front-running Stormy Impact to win the $40,000 Ides of March Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Ill.
Fight for Ally, the second choice in the field of seven, returned $6.60 to win. Fighting Indians, at 2-1 the slim favorite, rallied to finish third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Stormy Impact.
Fourth Floor, Meadowminer, Saquache, and Tommy Cat completed the order of finish.
A 6-year-old Indiana-bred horse, Fight for Ally is owned by Frank Calabrese and trained by Wayne Catalano.
NEW ORLEANS - Sunday's Explosive Bid Handicap, the last hurrah at Fair Grounds this winter, will send the major stakes portion of this meet out with a bang. As of Saturday, as many as 13 horses were being considered for the $650,000, Grade 2 Explosive Bid, with two or three Californians and perhaps four horses from Florida expected to ship in.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - When Jimmy Anderson was riding, he wasn't the type who attracted much attention. He didn't spend much time on the leader board in the jockey standings wherever he rode, but he was known as a rider who got the most from his opportunities. He was good with difficult horses, he was a good "project" rider, a guy who would spend time with a horse, working on problems or eccentricities - and when the money was on the line, Anderson could race ride with the best of them.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Midas Eyes proved he was more than just a traveling companion for Empire Maker.
Making his first start since being purchased privately by trainer Bobby Frankel and owner Edmund Gann for $450,000 last summer, Midas Eyes blew away seven rivals by 9 1/4 lengths Saturday to win the Grade 3, $150,000 at Gulfstream Park. His final time of 1:21.06 for seven furlongs was a stakes record, eclipsing the previous mark of 1:21.60 established by Seeking the Gold in 1988.
Posse rallied for second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Whywhywhy, the 7-5 favorite.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Boston Brat at this meet has already established the Gulfstream Park record for five furlongs (56.35 seconds) and equaled the track mark for 5 1/2 furlongs (1:02.47). Monday, he will take assault on Mr. Prospector and Artax's six-furlong mark (1:07.80) when he runs in an optional claiming/ fourth-level allowance race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Bob Baffert has not lost his grip on the 3-year-old division. Not yet, anyway.
Baffert has won five graded stakes for 3-year-olds this winter, with four horses, but when Domestic Dispute tries to break open the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, he faces more challenges than just rising stars Atswhatimtalknbout and Man Among Men.
