ALBANY, Calif. - Lacie Girl ($3.40) maintained her perfect record in Northern California, defeating Onslaught by 2 1/4 lengths in the $63,950 Orinda Handicap on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
Lacie Girl, now 5-for-5 in Northern California, rebounded from her only loss, a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita, to record an easy victory, while clocking 1:09.58 for six furlongs over a good track.
Sunland Park, N. M. - Saturday's $125,000-added La Senora Handicap at Sunland Park was supposed to be a confirmation for 3-5 favorite Miss Trixie but instead served as a coming out party for longshot Inexcessive Play. Inexcessive Play vied for the lead between horses through fractions of 21.53 and 44.00, then responded to the right-handed whip of jockey Adan Fuentes and drew off in the stretch to score by two and a half lengths.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Best of the Rest, who has rebounded time and again from serious knee injuries, completed his amazing comeback story with a pulsating half-length victory over a courageous Booklet in Saturday's $1 million at Gulfstream Park.
The Classic was the highlight of Magna Entertainment Corporation's eight-race, $3.6 million Sunshine Millions program which featured head-to-head competition between Florida-breds and California-breds at Magna's two signature tracks, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Last month, Adminniestrator missed the Great State Challenge Turf at Sam Houston Race Park due to illness. It turned out there was a more lucrative restricted race for him waiting around the corner.
Saturday at Santa Anita, Adminniestrator gave owner Nico Nierenberg and trainer Patrick Gallagher a big payday with a victory in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf for California-breds and Florida-breds.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Smok'n Frolic completed a banner Sunshine Millions day for Florida-breds by taking the $750,000 Distaff, the richest race run at Santa Anita.
Smok'n Frolic's victory was the seventh for Florida-breds in the eight-race Sunshine Millions event. Smok'n Frolic, in a workmanlike effort, collared Cee's Elegance inside the furlong pole and pulled clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths in an ordinary 1:43.40 for 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track. Smart Lacy rallied for third, another half-length back.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Atlantic Ocean scored her third straight victory by wearing down a courageous Ivanavinalot in the final strides to capture the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
A torrid pace set by Humorous Lady, with Ivanavinalot in close attendance, suited Atlantic Ocean. She was tipped four paths wide at the top of the stretch, but needed almost the entire stretch run to get past Ivanavinalot and win by 1 1/2 lengths. Humorous Lady faded to third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Ivanavinalot.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Captain Squire returned from a five-month layoff to score his most lucrative victory in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint.
Captain Squire ran the six furlongs in 1:08.15, and 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.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Stay Forever hasn't run often for a 6-year-old, but she sure has made every start count. Racing for just the eighth time Saturday, she scored the richest victory of her career in the $350,000 .
Ridden by Jose Santos, Stay Forever rallied from 10th to win the 1 1/8-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths over Cellars Shiraz, the 2-1 favorite who had pulled away to an open lead in midstretch before being run down by Stay Forever. Maliziosa was another neck back in third and Libretto was fourth in the field of 12.
The top four finishers were Florida-breds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Valid Video, making his first start in over four months, edged away from the odds-on favorite, Excessivepleasure, to win a nearly race-long duel in the $250,000 , a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds. Edgar Prado was aboard the winner.
Valid Video won the first two starts of his career at Monmouth Park, including the Grade 3 Sapling Stakes, then finished a distant fourth in his only subsequent race, the Sept. 15 Futurity at Belmont.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The series got away to a thrilling start when favored Madame Pietra prevailed in a tight three-horse photo in the opening race, the $250,000 .
Madame Pietra, based in California with trainer Howie Zucker, looped the field at the quarter-pole, then was all out to wear down Shameful by a neck. Chispiski was just another nose back in third, while Fly Me Crazy was fourth in the field of nine. The top four finishers are Florida-breds.
