ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fashionably bred Smart Choice could be the right selection in Wednesday's Woodbine feature, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance for fillies and mares.
Smart Choice, from the hot Roger Attfield barn, has done her best running when she has been able to participate on the front end. She won her maiden on the lead with ease on Aug. 7, earning a fat Beyer Speed Figure of 88 in the process.
Bossier City, La. - Donna's Mailbag ($6.20) picked up his fourth win of the meeting and his first career stakes victory Saturday, capturing the $30,000 Excalibur Stakes.
He prevailed by half a length in a stakes record 1:22.29 for the seven furlongs.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Svea Dahl beat With Ability into the first turn then was able to set soft early fractions en route to a surprisingly easy four-length victory in the Grade 3, $108,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct.
Svea Dahl broke from the rail, and With Ability, the other speed in the race, broke from the outside post in the five-horse field. Under Richard Migliore, Svea Dahl used her rail post to beat With Ability to the first turn. Javier Castellano, the rider of With Ability, seemed content to let Svea Dahl have the lead, and stalked from second position.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After a group of horse racing fanatics pooled their money three years ago to buy an A.P. Indy yearling for $100,000, they did something that a fair number of syndicates do: They named the colt for its sire and one of the new owners.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Even when Voodoo Dancer scooted off to a seemingly insurmountable lead in early stretch of Sunday's at Santa Anita, jockey Jerry Bailey did not give up hope aboard Tates Creek.
"I thought if she had the same kick going a mile and an eighth that she did at a mile, I'd be all right," Bailey said.
Waiting until the final furlong to make a serious move, Bailey urged Tates Creek to the inside of Voodoo Dancer and made up two lengths to win by a neck.
"She never gives up," Bailey said. "Even though you think she might be in trouble She keeps trying."
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Royal Gem ($6.80) got a perfect stalking trip to win a three-way photo in the Bay Meadows Derby (G3) at Bay Meadows on Sunday.
Odds-on favorite Century City dwelt at the start and seemed out of contention heading into the stretch before unleashing a strong kick to finish third, a neck and a nose behind Royal Gem and Aly Bubba, the second longest shot on the board in the (about) 1 1/8-mile turf race that was run in 1:48.38.
Aly Bubba and Surprized set a very slow pace in the race with fractions of 25.56, 51.00 and 1:15.90.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Arkansas-bred 2-year-olds had center stage Sunday at Louisiana Downs with two divisions of the Razorback Futurity. Each was worth $25,000 and were contested at six furlongs.
In the Lady Razorback, favored Impetuous Molly ($4.60) broke well under leading rider Gerard Melancon and quickly got clear enroute to a comfortable 10-length victory in a time of 1:12.82 over sloppy going.
Ashleys Paige, making her first career start, was second followed by Sunny Divine.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Spanish Decree nailed Mountain Orchid on the wire to capture the at Woodbine Sunday.
Spanish Decree raced four lengths off the dueling leaders, Whistling Maid and Mulrainy, in the seven-furlong dash for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds fillies. Mountain Orchid took control midway on the turn, and opened up a clear lead early in the stretch, but Spanish Decree closed three-wide to win by a nose.
Favored Mulrainy ended up third in the nine-horse field. The final time was 1:24.52 seconds.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Hours before entries were drawn Friday for the at Churchill Downs, jockey Pat Day lost his mount when Private Gold was diagnosed with a minor ankle injury.
Such problems have never been too big for Day to overcome. He simply went out and got another mount, and Sunday, it was Day who gave Champali a flawless ride in keeping the colt unbeaten in the 21st running of the $114,200, Grade 3 Iroquois.
Champali, trained by Greg Foley, was part of an early six-horse duel in the one-mile Iroquois but always appeared comfortable when racing closest to the rail.
