Rhonesquarterwish ($12.80) handed even-money favorite No Its Not his first defeat at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., on Sunday night when he drew clear by 3 1/4 lengths to win the $50,000 Delta Mile. No Its Not was second best, finishing two lengths in front of pacesetter Freon Flier.
Rhonesquarterwish pushed Freon Flier through an opening half-mile in 47.72 seconds before taking over and going on to cover the distance over a track rated fast in 1:39.26.
ALBANY, Calif. - Lacie Girl ($3.20), unbeaten in Northern California and at six furlongs, made up five lengths in the final quarter mile, edging Onslaught by a head in the $60,550 Richmond Handicap on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Showing that she is in the best form of her career, Starrer won her second consecutive stakes in Sunday's $200,000 at Santa Anita.
The victory was the 5-year-old Starrer's first success in a Grade 1 and the first win at that level for owner George Krikorian.
Benefiting from a ground-saving trip under Patrick Valenzuela, Starrer drew off in the stretch to win by 4 1/2 lengths over You, a top 3-year-old of 2002. Rhiana finished third in the field of five fillies and mares, followed by Printemps and Se Me Acabo.
NEW ORLEANS - Before Sunday, Badge of Silver was a flashy sprinter who ran very fast. Now, he's a flashy route horse who runs very fast.
Making his first start over a distance of ground, Badge of Silver dispatched his rivals as easily as he had in two starts at one turn, winning the $150,000 by 10 lengths. Badge of Silver ($7.80) pressed a fair pace under Robby Albarado and took off just before the quarter-pole, running alone through the stretch under the mildest encouragement. His time of 1:42.99 for one and one-sixteenth miles missed the stakes record by .01 seconds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - An uneventful trip for Man From Wicklow led to a big event in the career of trainer Rick Violette.
Under a perfect trip from Jerry Bailey, Man From Wicklow rallied powerfully through the stretch to a 4 3/4-length victory in Sunday's $200,000 before 13,999 at Gulfstream Park.
The victory was the first Grade 1 stakes win for Violette, 50, who has been training horses for 25 years.
``It's my first Grade 1 and with a horse I own, which is great,' Violette said. ``The breeder [J.R. Cavanaugh] is a very, very good friend of mine.'
Live racing was cancelled at Aqueduct after today's first race due to frigid weather conditions.
The $75,000-added Hollie Hughes Handicap that was to be run today has been rescheduled for next Sunday, February 23. It will be reopened to original nominations and redrawn.
Candid Glen won the $200,000 for the third consecutive year on Saturday night when he darted clear by a length and a half over runner-up Red Mountain and third-place finisher Dynameaux in the mile and an eighth race, which was the richest of five stakes on the card at Sam Houston Race Park.
Attendance ontrack was 8,236, while handle on the 10-race card was $3,355,424.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Ten years ago, Kotashaan finished second in the San Marcos Stakes and won the San Luis Obispo Handicap in a Horse of the Year campaign that included a victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
So far this year, The Tin Man has matched the first two objectives. On Saturday, The Tin Man scored an easy victory in the $200,000 , leading throughout and drawing off through the stretch to win by 9 1-2 lengths.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Horses from all over the Eastern seaboard converge on South Florida to prepare for the spring classics, but in order to come up with the winning exacta in Saturday's at Gulfstream Park, you merely had to look eight miles. Trust N Luck ran away with the first Grade 1 race of the year for 3-year-old males, and when fellow Calder resident Supah Blitz ran second, the locals had tattooed the invaders with a one-two punch.
Thanks to the whims of Mother Nature, horseplayers at Laurel Park will get a rare opportunity to tackle three six-figure stakes on one card.
A snowstorm that wiped out live racing at Laurel on both Saturday and Sunday has created a stakes bonanza for Monday's special Presidents Day program.
The regularly scheduled feature is the Grade 2, $200,000 General George Handicap, which drew a field of 12 older sprinters, led by Grade 1 winners Affirmed Success and D'wildcat.
