ELMONT, N.Y. - Humorous Lady, under Jerry Bailey, opened up a huge early lead and was able to hold off the hard-charging Fast Cookie by a nose to win Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for Humorous Lady and first since being bought by S. David Plummer and trainer Michael Smith.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Maggie's Dream rolled to her third consecutive win at the meet with a strong front-running victory in the $43,750 Merrillville Stakes over eight other Indiana-bred fillies and mares.
Maggie's Dream, ridden by Alex Birzer, was pushed through an opening quarter in 22.24 seconds, as Diamond Plate was the only other filly to challenge for the lead. Maggie's Dream disposed of that rival into the turn and opened a four-length lead. Senorita Ziggy, the 3-5 favorite, cut into the lead near the wire but Maggie's Dream won by 2 3/4 lengths.
An overwhelming favorite and an extreme longshot won the two biggest races in the 16th running of the West Virginia Breeders' Classic.
Confucius Say ($2.40) cruised by 11 3/4 lengths to win the $225,000 Classic for the second year in a row. Ridden by Larry Reynolds, Confucius Say ran 1 1/8 miles over a muddy track in 1:50.93.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Gygistar, who has won all five of his starts this year, including the Grade 1 King's Bishop Handicap, is questionable to make the Breeders' Cup Sprint after suffering a deep cut on his left front hoof, trainer Mark Hennig said.
Hennig said he still planned to pre-enter Gygistar in the Sprint, but wasn't optimistic Gygistar could make the race.
"He grabbed himself in his stall Friday night," Hennig said. "He got into the meat of it pretty bad. We'll try to work on it and see how we can do. We're going to have to get lucky.''
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Before Riskaverse won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday, trainer Pat Kelly had planned to put the filly on a Sunday return flight to New York.
But Riskaverse ran so well in victory that Kelly changed his mind and will keep Riskaverse at Keeneland for an indefinite period.
"We're in a state of confusion," Kelly said with a laugh Monday from Belmont Park. "We're mulling our options."
One possibility is the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Pre-entries were due Tuesday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It wasn't particularly surprising to see Roger Attfield, who fielded a three-horse entry that was the odds-on choice, in the winner's circle following Sunday's Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
But not even the trainer himself would have predicted that Kabeeb, a maiden after four starts who would have been a double-digit price if she had been running on her own, would be the one to get the job done while entrymates Clair de Lune and Speak Out wound up fourth and fifth in the field of eight.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Six beaten favorites in Sunday's pick six at Santa Anita led to a carryover of $148,167 for Monday's program.
Monday's pick six covers the fourth through ninth races. Here is a glance at the changes and leading contenders for Monday's pick six.
There are no changes in the fourth race, run over 1 1-16 miles for 3-year-olds eligible to be claimed for $14,000 to $16,000. The race has drawn nine runners.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Following a spring and summer in which he flirted with winning his first stakes, Johar finally completed the job in Sunday's $150,000 at Santa Anita.
With a determined rally in the final furlong under jockey Alex Solis, Johar ($7.80) nipped Rock Opera at the finish of the Derby, finishing 1 1-8 miles on turf in a stakes record time of 1:46.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Viansa Ossidiana ($20.60) won her stakes debut with a wire-to-wire victory despite racing three wide in a three-way duel in the $65,900 Time To Leave Stakes at Bay Meadows.
Viansa Ossidiana won the six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies by 1 1/2 lengths over Hostility in 1:09.98. Previously unbeaten Tale Of A Dream was third.
Viansa Ossidiana raced outside stablemate Non Sibi and favored Hollywood Honey before her two rivals faded.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kabeeb, from the first crop of 1998 Woodbine Mile winner Labeeb, won her maiden in a lucrative way on Sunday at Woodbine, taking the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes in game fashion under Jim McAleney.
Kabeeb, part of the favored Roger Attfield-trained entry with Clair de Lune and Speak Out, stalked the pace set by the latter, who got the half-mile split in :48.58 seconds. Kabeeb took control entering the stretch, as Mountain Dawn was closing along the rail, and she held that rival at bay to score by a half-length.