After being boxed in during the early going, jockey Jose Espada took Romancin Dixie seven wide coming out of the turn, and the filly rallied to win the $50,000 Manatee Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by a half-length over Four Plus Four. The favorite, Belle Artiste, was three-quarters of a length back in third.
Romancing Dixie, who paid $116.40 as the second-longest shot on the board in the field of 12, ran seven furlongs in 1:25.51.
Private Horde proved he will be a sprinter to contend with scoring an easy two-length win in the $50,000 Forego Stakes Turfway Park.
Overtaking the tiring 6-5 favorite Ultimate Warrior at the top of the stretch, Private Horde drew off by five lengths before being wrapped up by jockey Jason Lumpkins, who won five races on both the Friday and Saturday cards at Turfway.
Still Be Smokin' finished second, a half-length ahead of Gallatin Kid. Ultimate Warrior finished sixth in the field of nine.
Private Horde ($9.60) covered 6 1/2 furlongs over a fast track in 1:16.43.
The way Martha's Music runs at Laurel Park, it would be understandable if trainer John Servis continues to shuttle her to Maryland from her home at Philadelphia Park.
But after watching Martha's Music ($5) cruise to her third straight stakes victory at Laurel in the $50,000 Nellie Morse Stakes, Servis said he has a new road trip planned for his 4-year-old filly.
"As much as I hate to take her off this racetrack, I think we're going to venture to New York and give her a step up and see how she moves on," Servis said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Captain Squire ($9) returned from a five-month layoff to score his most lucrative victory in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint.
Captain Squire won by a convincing 5 1/2 lengths over runner-up Men's Exclusive. F J's Pace, who led early, finished third, followed by Echo Eddie, the 2-1 favorite in the field of 10.
Captain Squire was always prominent under jockey Alex Solis. Racing outside of pacesetter F J's Pace, Captain Squire took the lead through a half-mile in 43.53 seconds and was never threatened through the stretch.
ALBANY, Calif. - The long-awaited equine hospital at Golden Gate Fields is finally taking shape.
The foundation for the hospital has been in place since before the current meeting opened in November, but there had been no further progress until last week.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the frame was erected, and the back wall was added on Thursday, when Magna vice president Peter Tunney appeared before the California Horse Racing Board to discuss the hospital's progress.
Tunney told the board that the hospital should be open within a month.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Avanzado had no choice but to focus in the $150,000 at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Wearing blinkers for the first time in his 21-race career, Avanzado took his customary position at the front and pulled away through the stretch to beat a strong field that included top sprinters Disturbingthepeace and Kona Gold.
Ridden by Tyler Baze at 116 pounds, Avanzado ($15) ran six furlongs in 1:07.85 and always appeared to be in control.
NEW ORLEANS - For now, Lady Tak has answered the questions about her distance ability. Rating kindly just behind a slow early pace, Lady Tak opened up a big lead coming off the far turn and won the $100,000 by two-and-three-quarters lengths Sunday at Fair Grounds. The win pushed Lady Tak's record to a perfect four-for-four and showed that she's more than just a brilliant sprinter.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Only two lengths separated the top eight finishers in Sunday's $75,000 and in a race that contentious it doesn't hurt to have Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey on one's side.
Bailey put up a Hall of Fame type ride aboard the lightly raced Hypnotist who slipped through near the inside to outfinish White Cat by a neck to win the Feldman in his grass debut. The winner paid $9.20 as the second choice in the evenly matched field of 12 3-year-olds. Final time for 1 & 1-16 miles over a firm course was 1:42.75 seconds.
Prized Amberpro won her fourth consecutive race Saturday night when she drove clear by a length and a quarter over Fuse It in the $75,000 Camelia for statebred fillies and mares at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.
It was another four and a half lengths back in third to Light Fling.
Prized Amberpro($3.20), who had won three straight statebred stakes leading into the Camelia, settled about five lengths behind the pace early in the six and a half furlong race, then ran down Fuse It in the stretch. Prized Amberpro covered the distance, run around two turns, in 1:20.46.
