HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Sira can go with the flow Wednesday in the featured ninth race at Oaklawn Park. She can control the pace if she gets the jump on Idadidit at the start, but if she doesn't, she can come from behind. So said trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
"If [Idadidit] is going to show that much speed, we don't necessarily have to go with her," said Von Hemel. "[Sira] will be forwardly placed, but she doesn't have to be in front."
ALBANY, Calif. - Six runners are listed as definite for Saturday's $200,000 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields.
Ministers Wild Cat and Winning Stripes, who finished one-two in the Golden State Mile Feb. 9, will headline the 1 1/16-mile race.
Also scheduled to run are Crackup, Mr. Technique, Ocean Terrace, and Ozzie Cat. The unbeaten Ocean Terrace was added to the field after a six-furlong workout in 1:12.80 at Santa Anita Saturday.
Trainer Bobby Frankel said Peace Rules is being seriously considered for the race.
Prince Slew ($26.20) picked an opportune time to recapture his best form. Sunday night at Delta Downs, he drove to a head win over favored Oak Hall in the $150,000 Gold Cup, a one-mile race restricted to 3-year-olds and up bred in Louisiana.
The win was Prince Slew's first since June 2001.
Prince Slew covered the one mile over a fast track in 1:39.27.
Win's Fair Lady broke sharply, sped to the front, and ran away from 10 overmatched rivals, winning the $50,000 Wayward Lass by 10 lengths. La Nina Dancer was second by another 7 1/4 lengths.
Win's Fair Lady ran the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares in 1:43.94 and paid $4.40.
Sunland Park, N.M. - In a race that Sunland Park officials hope was a prevue of the inaugural $500,000 WinStar Derby, Mr. Decatur battled Excessivepleasure through the stretch before taking a slim advantage near the wire to win Sunday's $104,100 . Mr. Decatur, owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stables and trained by Steve Asmussen, stalked Excessivepleasure under Sal Gonzalez Jr. through a 45.14 half mile before bidding two wide. Excessivepleasure, with Ricardo Jaime up, dug in gamely to set up an exciting stretch duel.
ARCADIA, Calif. - After a month of riding Aldebaran in workouts and begging trainer Bobby Frankel for the mount, jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. made the most of the opportunity in Sunday's $200,000 at Santa Anita.
With a perfect trip, Aldebaran scored a convincing five-length win, his first success at the Grade 1 level.
"He kept training like a monster," Valdivia said. "I wanted to ride him so bad."
Making his first start since finishing second in the Cigar Mile last November at Aqueduct, Aldebaran ($6.80) ran seven furlongs in 1:21.53.
NEW ORLEANS - Badge of Silver turned in another brilliant work on Sunday at Fair Grounds and is on target for his scheduled start Sunday in the Louisiana Derby.
Working alone with jockey Robby Albarado up, Badge of Silver posted splits of 12.20 seconds, 25, 37.60, 49.40 and 1:00.80 on his way to a final six-furlong time of 1:12.60, an extremely fast work for this racetrack. Badge of Silver was timed galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27. Badge of Silver ran his final furlong in less than 12 seconds and final quarter in less than 24 seconds.
NEW ORLEANS - Three months ago, Mineshaft won a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs. Four starts later, he won the Grade 2, $500,000 on Sunday at Fair Grounds.
Ridden by Robby Albarado, Mineshaft pressed Bonapaw's moderate early pace, took the lead mid-way on the far turn and easily beat a strong field of 10 rivals. Mineshaft pulled away in the stretch to beat Olmodavor by thee-and-a-half lengths, with Strive another two-and-a-half lengths back in third. Mineshaft, who paid $12 to win, ran one and an eighth miles in a strong 1:48.92.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Kelly Phillips of Memphis, Tennissee won the $100,000 grand prize in Gulfstream Park's second annual Turf Vivor Handicapping contest.
Phillips, one of four women entered among the 107 contestants which started on Friday, defeated Lojuis Filoso of Ocean, New Jersey in the final round. Filoso took home the $10,000 second place check.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Amonita took advantage of a slow pace and a perfectly judged ride by Jean Luc Samyn to post an easy 2 1-2 length victory over What A Price and seven other filly and mare turf specialists in Sunday's $100,000 .
Trainer Christophe Clement brought Samyn up from New York to ride Amonita when unable to obtain the services of his first call riders Jerry Bailey and Jose Santos for the Grade 3 Suwannee River. Bailey was at the Fair Grounds on Sunday to ride Strive in the New Orleans Handicap while Santos was committed to Stay Forever in the Suwannee River.
